Find out what goes into earning a 5-star pet shop license at Friendly Fish Aquatics, from inspections to certified fish nutrition training.

Ever Wondered What Goes Into Earning a 5-Star Pet Shop License?

At Friendly Fish Aquatics, we’re really proud to say we’ve held a pet shop license for the past 8 years. It’s not just a certificate on the wall—it shows how much Julie and I (Barry) care about animal welfare and running a professional shop. In November 2024, we had our latest inspection, and we’re thrilled to have been awarded the top rating again: 5 stars!

But what does that actually mean, and what happens when a pet shop gets inspected?

The Walk-Through

The inspection started with a walk around the shop. The licensing officer joined me as we went through each area, asking loads of questions about how we look after our fish and checking that we’re following all the rules.

While we were walking, the officer checked the health of the fish and looked closely at the tanks. I also showed her our new heating system, which sounds an alarm in the shop and sends me a text if the temperature drops even 2 degrees below what it should be.

The Paperwork Review

Once the walk-through was done, we sat down to go through all the paperwork. The officer looked over loads of things, including:

• Staff Training: Julie and I shared our recent qualifications, like the fish nutrition training we completed with SERA.
• Environmental Conditions: How we make sure each species has the right setup to encourage natural behaviors.
• Disease Prevention: Steps we take to keep fish healthy and stop the spread of illnesses.
• Feeding Procedures: Our routines for feeding and preparing food.
• Enrichment: How we keep our fish happy and stress-free.
• Transport and Acclimatization: Making sure new fish are safely transported and properly adjusted when they arrive.
• Emergency Planning: Everything from fire safety to dealing with unexpected issues.

She also went through our records from the last three years to make sure everything checks out.

Why It’s Important

Getting a 5-star rating isn’t easy, but we believe it’s worth it. It shows that we’re doing everything we can to give our fish the best care and to give you confidence when you shop with us.

Every part of the inspection reflects how much we care about the fish in our shop—and about making sure you leave with healthy, happy fish and advice you can trust.