BUYER BEWARE: do your research or bring a knowledgeable friend along to guide you in your choices if you are a newbie.
Pet's, supplies and entertainment all rolled into one!
I usually don't go into a pet/aquarium stores with my hubby, I will wait for him in the car until he's done shopping. I'm so glad he convinced me to go in and check things out. Big Al's is HUGE 6,000 sq ft! On the main floor they have pet supplies, birds, reptiles, and small animals (You can pet the bunnies and they won't run away!). They even have a pet grooming station.
Look for the directional signs on the floor that say "Enter the deep" and follow them to the basement where you will be amazed by the enormous fish tank that holds their resident shark and moray eel. If you're there on Tuesday night at 7pm you'll be lucky enough to witness them feeding the shark. They have two artificial waterfall installations that empty into koi ponds. They have rows and rows of fresh water as well as salt water fish, lots of variety to choose from. My hubby has purchased all his fish (tetras and fancy guppies) and all his live aquarium plants from here and his 40 gal tank has been flourishing now for a solid 4 months.
The staff are knowledgeable but not the warmest. Make sure to sign up on their website to receive their weekly livestock specials but make sure to go early because they run out of stock quick. You can even trade in your fish (if it gets too big for your tank or if you just don't want it anymore) for 40% off of their retail value.
Take your time and look around at all the different kinds of animals in the store, there's lots of interesting things to see. If you get thirsty there's a pop machine in the corner of the tank room. If you get hungry then go outside and grab a hot dog from the hot dog stand on the corner right next to Big Al's. Great place to bring the kiddos!