A very popular pastime that is both rewarding and educational, aquarium keeping has a steady following in Chennai.  And to support this, Chennai offers everything an aquarist could ask for.

From tanks and aquarium supplies to exotic livestock and feed, everything is available.  Whether you are an experienced aquarist looking to set up an advanced aquarium with the latest support systems, or a beginner setting up your first tank, you can find whatever you are looking for easily.

The hotspot for buying anything related to aquaria is easily the Lily Pond Shopping Complex near Central Railway station. This complex was setup in lieu of the 'Moore Market', which was burnt down.  It has many shops that sell all kinds of aquarium supplies.  The best thing to do would be to visit as many different shops as possible and see whatever they have to offer before making your choice.  The reason for this is that all the shops have their own supply and demand pressures, so what one shop sells for less, another shop may be selling for a much higher price.  Most of the shops in this complex deal with other, smaller aquaria.  So the prices will be lower, and you will have a much wider variety of products to choose from.

If you do not mind paying for quality aquarium supplies, the place for you is Aquatic World on Nelson Manickam Road.  Aquatic World stocks only imported and branded accessories.  Though this makes for expensive goods, the quality is unbeatable.  You can find all kinds of accessories from world leaders like Hagen, A&P, Jebo and Rena.

The shop also stocks 'Hagen fibre tanks' that come complete with lighting, filtration and temperature control units, but at Rs 7,000/- apiece, they definitely don't come cheap.  They also make their own glass tanks, which are priced competitively.

Apart from the Moore Market Complex and Aquatic World, there are scores of small aquaria in all parts of Chennai.  These 'neighbourhood aquaria', as one may call them, usually stock everything that you will need for running your aquarium everyday.  These aquaria are also places where you can meet other aquarists and share your experiences or ask for advice.  This sharing is especially important as most of the available literature on aquarium-keeping is written by people in the west and talk totally about western conditions.  What an Indian aquarist knows is mostly from experience and by sharing of ideas.

You can find most of the livestock you want in the neighbourhood aquaria, even a few exotic ones.  The most common varieties of aquatic plants too can be found in most neighbourhood aquaria.

Commonly available fish include guppies, mollies, goldfish, koi, carp, gourami, sharks, catfish, barbs, angelfish, tetras and Siamese fighters.  Some exotic varieties like oscars, arowanas, discus, and ryukin and lionhead goldfish can also be found in select aquaria.