For as small of an aquarium SEA LIFE New Jersey at American Dream is, the venue is very well kept and appealing compared to SeaQuest Woodbridge. Similar to SeaQuest Woodbridge, however, is the novelty of an aquarium being at the mall. So do not look at this venue as a full-blown aquarium and plan this visit along with other things to do at the mall.
Sitting on the first floor/level of American Dream (best accessed from Parking Lot B), its located directly next to the Legoland attraction. While both have similar management, I would recommend this attraction over Legoland (while acknowledging that both have different appeals and target audiences).
The animal exhibits themselves were very colorful, vibrant and well put together, despite the overall venue being relatively small compared to your full-sized aquariums. The overall placement of fixtures, exhibits, and infomaps/placards made the experience more engaging and appealing.
The size of the venue did make navigating the aquarium a bit challenging (narrow corridors and choke points) especially when there are crowds, but the cleanliness of everything contributed to its desirable appearance.
Would not mind coming back once in a while!