Salty Fins Saltwater Aquarium store

This is only the second review I've ever done, but after seeing a one star for Salty Fins, I had to rebut. I've only been reefing for almost two years now. I'm 54, have a BS in Biology, taught Life and Physical Sciences in a past life, and have been a waterman, fisherman, and surfer all my life on the East Coast (Outer Banks). I can say that in two years of learning about reefing, I've only scratched the surface of knowledge in the hobby. But I can safely say that greatest wealth of knowledge that I've gained, and the greatest service that I've received in that time has been from Jen at Salty Fins. With over 18 years of experience in the hobby and business, her and Mike have helped me to navigate and progress from my first 13 gallon Nano tank, to now my two pride and joy tanks - 60 ga

Over the past few months, we've spent many thousands of dollars at Salty Fins and visited almost weekly. We enjoyed Jen's input and loved supporting our local shop. Unfortunately, our experience has gone downhill. We ordered three Frostbite Clowns from Sea & Reef Aquaculture (Maine) and picked them up at Salty Fins straight from FedEx. One looked off in the bag, but the shop was slammed with arrivals, so we didn't flag it to Jen - our mistake in hindsight. At home during acclimation, that clown was immediately on its side and in clear distress, the other two were fine (see attached photo: acclimation cup with the struggling clown). We texted Jen photos right away, and when it died shortly after we messaged again with no response. The next day in the shop, Jen was harsh, said nothing

I’ve had such a great experience getting my saltwater tank through her. She’s been incredibly helpful from the start and always takes the time to answer any questions I have. Anytime I’ve needed help or guidance, she’s been there and super knowledgeable. Saltwater tanks aren’t an easy hobby and it can be hard to keep everything alive sometimes, so when I’ve had a fish die it definitely wasn’t due to anything on her end. Even then, she was still very accommodating and helped me figure things out. She’s always professional, easy to work with, and I’ve never had any issues. I genuinely appreciate how helpful she’s been and would highly recommend her to anyone looking to get into saltwater tanks🤘🏻

It appears that many of the issues people experience stem from a lack of personal accountability. Proper acclimation and quarantine procedures are well-established best practices in this hobby, yet it is often easier for individuals to place blame on the store rather than evaluate their own processes. There is an abundance of reliable information available, but in my opinion, the most valuable guidance comes from individuals with firsthand experience. For saltwater aquariums, Salty Fins has consistently been an excellent resource. Over the past seven years, their advice has proven dependable and has never led me in the wrong direction. In saltwater systems especially, a few things make a huge difference: 1. Quarantine is huge Even reputable stores can’t guarantee fish are disease-free.

Salty fins is my go to place for my saltwater aquarium needs. I. Will. Not. Shop. Anywhere. Else. In. Town!!!!!! They are the only ones I trust! They listen and help me troubleshoot and learn. I absolutely love every coral, invert, fish, and food product Ive ever purchased there.