This store has always caught my eye, so I decided to stop by. The owners were immediately so…read morewelcoming and eager to help me with whatever I needed. They truly care about educating customers and showing you the fish they have to offer. I was so pleasantly surprised by Coastal Reef, and would encourage anyone to stop by-even if it's just to browse or meet the staff. You can see the dedication and passion for the aquariums from just a quick stop by. Highly encourage Coastal Reef for all your salt water needs!

Stopped in to take a look around and was greeted by the most friendly employees! Although I was…read morejust going to browse they were still super kind and informative. They seem to really love what they do, and the vibes are immaculate.

I have to say that my wife and I set about visiting every local fish store we could find over a…read moreyear ago and wasn't impressed by any store we found at the time or owner(s) as much as we were impressed by Bruce and his store Sea Critters Depot. At the time I was thinking and wanting to get a salt water tank and even a reef tank, but thought it was just going to be impossible and really hard to do on my own as I just hadn't found a store or someone to help until I met Bruce. Bruce was so nice and patiently answered all my questions even though he knew I wasn't going to buy a thing that day and I didn't. I came back for a couple more weekends answering questions and didn't buy a thing and Bruce was kind and took the time to answer any question I came up with. Another thing that impressed me about how Bruce does business is that all those really expensive salt water fish you don't want to take home and die are put through quarantine by Bruce in his store for two weeks before he will let you buy them. Bruce doesn't have to do this and so far to date after being in this hobby for over a year Bruce is the only store that I've found that does this. Bruce is even nice enough to let you write your name on the tank for the fish you want in quarantine so you can pick the fish up after the quarantine is over. That way he doesn't sell you a sick fish and you know that as long as you do the right thing your fish will live a long time after you take the fish home. And this has been my experience. Every fish I've gotten has thrived in my tank. Another thing that impressed me that no other store I've been in does is that Bruce puts cards out on the tanks that shows a picture of the fish, the name of the fish, the price, and most important of all to someone with a reef tank is he tells you if the fish is reef safe, reef safe with caution, or not reef safe. So you know up front before you get excited to get a fish that it is safe for your reef tank or not. And for those that are safe with caution Bruce will gladly explain what you have to look out for and his experience with the fish. Bruce will tell you based on his considerable experience with the fish in reef tanks exactly how he expects they will behave and it's up to you to listen to his advice as he will let you buy it if you want the animal, but he certainly warns you first about what problems you may experience. I know I've not purchased fish based on what he's told me. And I've bought fish based on what he's told me and I watched to make sure I wouldn't have a problem since I know ahead of time that the fish might not be the best fit. You really can't go wrong buying from Bruce.

The owner is so helpful. I just started my saltwater tank and he gave great advice. Without his…read moreadvice, I would have made major mistakes.

The go to store in the Triangle for serious hobbyists. I've never gotten bad advice from them, and…read morethey have great livestock and plants

Some of the folks there are great others meh. I get they are busy but no fish store should have…read moredead fish in their tanks. No excuses.

Excellent selection of very fresh fish. I bought a large piece of Grouper and grilled it at home…read more Fresh, never frozen. A delicious meal.

Port City Saltwater has been the only saltwater fish store in the area that has actually been able…read moreto get stuff in when I asked for it. Whether it be a special fish, salt, supplement, or odd piece of equipment they have hooked it up big time.

Used to be really nice. Since the owner got sick and his son took over, things have really fallen…read moreinto a bad place. He doesn't know anything about the hobby. They can't keep corals alive and don't stock dry goods. Not worth visiting unless you need inverts or (maybe) fish.

ever since Dave left I know it was for medical reasons, but his son is running that place into the…read moreground. His customer service is the worst. I will never go there again.

I got a 20-gallon aquarium for my birthday in June, got the tank set up, and waited 2 weeks before…read moreadding fish. I bought 7 fish from Petco. All but 3 died. I went to Taylor's Aquarium, and they tested my water and gave me some bacteria to add to my tank since it was new. Petco told me my water was fine. I have since purchased 5 fish from Taylor's, and they have been doing well for over a month now. I'm planning to get to Taylor's today for a couple more fish. This is a family business, and they are really knowledgeable about aquariums. I think the owner has been in business for 30 yrs. Great service, healthy, fish, and really nice people.

This place may in the country, but it's well worth the ride to get quality! Since it is a family…read moreowned and smaller business, you may want to call for in stock availability!

The Treasure Cove Gift Shop inside the Fort Fisher Aquarium is a great gift shop with a wide…read morevariety of products from tv shirts to books to toys to knick knacks. The staff are friendly and helpful. It is a great way to end your visit at the aquarium.

This review is for the aquarium during Covid (March 2021). We were a family of 6 (4 adults and 2…read morechildren). We purchased our tickets online ahead of time since you cannot purchase at the door. The process was pretty easy and when I arrived at the front kiosk window I asked Amy if we could have our tickets printed since the email said so. She was not the most welcoming and curtly told me to hold up my phone to the glass to scan each ticket from the generated PDF. We were then instructed to wear our masks and stay 6 feet apart from other guests. The welcome could have been a bit more courteous since this is the first touch point of the aquarium. The exhibits are clustered by type - freshwater fish, otter (not on display), albino alligator and snakes in the first area, then we saw horseshoe crabs, stingrays, turtles and a touch area where you could reach in and touch the stingray and sea urchins and other animals. The big fish aquarium was cylindrical and all the sharks and big fish swam in circles over two levels. You can get a group photo taken as well and purchase a framed photo for $30 plus on the way out. There is a bald eagle named Maverick from Wisconsin that was injured and cannot fly. The displays are nicely done and dark with a variety of fish. There are signs to show high touch areas. I don't know how much is cleaned or disinfected so bring your own wipes or sanitizer or don't touch the glass. All in all it was a nice visit for the family. I don't know what other aquariums North Carolina offers yet Fort Fisher has a nice variety of fish, turtles, and other sea life.

They've definitely gone down hill within the last 2 years or so. I've gotten loads of platys from…read morethem. Sometimes I am in need of a restock but refuse to buy from them at all. Some tanks definitely seem diseased and not cleared of deceased fish . I've seen fish act a bit erratic and ill. But their products have a wide variety and when the tanks seem okay, they have a really nice stock of fish and always seem to have what I need. Salt water tanks seem pretty great, plants have always been clean and safe of traveling snails. I still come here quite a lot. I enjoy it!

I don't know. I drive very far to come and get their reverse osmosis water for my freshwater tank…read more Noticed that my aquarium continue to turn green. Finally did a water test strip on brand new water that I purchased from the fish room that day and noticed that the pH was fine but the alkalinity is very very low. Water was also on the hard side. And chlorine was questionable. And yes, the water strips that I purchased and were new and purchased from a reputable company. Is the Fish Room testing their own water system before selling to customers??????