Bought an upside down jellyfish and a red tuxedo urchin. Along with purchase, brought home something in their water and have lost $410.00 of stock in my aquarium. Had "specialist " working for last week and finally have the infestation removed. Their services were very costly but I had to try something to save what I had left. Be VERY cautious when buying anything alive here. I will say people were very helpful and prices competitive. Overall, many tanks needed lots of work-I should have known better. As most saltwater aquarium owners, you are constantly learning. I hope others will learn from my bad experience. UPDATE 8/16/19 Recent visits to Upscale have been 180% different from a year ago. Fish quality and selection has improved greatly. Coral selection and pricing is best in Lake Norman area and very competitive with anything within 50 miles. New employees have takes great care to provide cleaner tanks and Kate has been very helpful with purchasing consultation. I will be back and probably many times. Please give Upscale Aquatics a tru soon. read more

When I first went I thought it was an amazing store and was in aw. I spent over $200 the first time I went. I breed guppies and so I bought a bunch of guppies. One female was extremely sick, she had fun rot, developed a prolapse, and multiple other issues. Unfortunately the fish didn't recover. All the females passed away fast, within a few weeks for no obvious reason. I decided recently to try purchasing from them again and now I only have one female guppy fish living. The males I bought are doing pretty good. But I went from 14 guppies to 1 guppy in just a matter of 3 weeks. I also ordered snails which one looked NOTHING like the picture. It looks so different I can't even tell what kind of snail it is. Maybe when/if it gets bigger it will look like what I paid for. read more

Nice fish but store workers were very rude talking to me and my mother and let me put fish together that shouldn't be together good for fish but only if you don't have questions for them also had them test my water they said it was fine... It wasn't fine Killed half the fish I bought that day read more

This is the worst store I have ever been to!!!!! I bought a 5" trigger. I told them I had a 2 hour drive home and I needed the fish packed well to make the trip home. They packed the fish and I put him in a cooler in my car. 2 hours later I arrived home. The trigger was dead in the bag. They did not pack it well enough to make the trip. I called the store and talked to a male manager. He told me he would give me a credit for the fish and a big discount on the next purchase. There was a zebra eel I wanted and he said he would discount it 40% to help make up for what happened and my long drive. I did go back to the store. That day they didn't have any oxygen. I was not going to buy another fish without oxygen in the bag. I was told someone was going to get some soon. I waited and hour and a half!!! Still no oxygen. Also the 40% off was now 20%! I got tired of waiting and all the run around. Soon is not 1.5 hours. I decided to call my bank and Handel it that way. My bank, Tina and myself had a 3 way conversation. The bank couldn't help me and now the store wasn't sure how they would Handel it . So I asked for a manager to call me which never happed. I called today to find out what the scoop was. No manager but Matt the owner was there. He was mad and rescinded the offer of credit and discount. He was mad I had contacted my bank. He told me to " go fuck myself" So now I'm out of the cost of the fish. Not my fault. They didn't pack him for the 2 hour ride home. At no point did I make a scene, swear, yell or be anything but polite to them. This places is as unprofessional as it gets. The people there don't know much. Customer service stinks. Anyone reading this please remember good reviews can be faked. When you have a website you can pay to get fake reviews to make your business look good. The bad ones are likely more accurate. Don't visit this horrible store. I don't want anyone to go through what I did. read more

Max and Randy hold down Upscale. I'm kinda an exclusive shopper Discus and Angels. Great inventory, even better advice always welcoming and on average their selection of Discus specimens. Sizes. Colors makes for a Happy Day. Got a question, Messenger is your go too. Not sure if it's safe to add fish to your tank, bring a sample and they'll test for you. Plants are in huge variety be sure to get advice on right plant for your ideal tank water temperature. Aquarium decor rocks, wood drift plenty and the salt water side of the store makes you envious. I trust these guys they look out for me read more

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Was looking for a local store to buy some neocaridina shrimp and I found upscale aquatics! I've been 3 time already and always have so much fun looking around. Randy is awesome and super knowledgeable. Check this place out! read more

THEIR FISH ARE SICK. They are in the process of moving to another location and neglecting their fish. They roped me into giving them a go by offering 20% but there were dirty tanks, tanks with dead fish in them. So I picked ones that seemed healthy in clean tanks. Big mistake. Not only have 4 of the 7 fish died the next day I bought but now multiple of the fish I've had for months, even a year+ are dying. They'll refund or whatever within 72 hours but 1. Im not driving 30 minutes each way 2. I don't know if I can get there before 72 hours up. 3. I'm sure they'll say my water isn't "perfect" 3. Doesn't help the fish dying I've had in the tank that I didn't buy there. Avoid this establishment until they move, and with the poor response by them- probably should after that as well. Unfortunately didn't think of taking a picture of the other dead ones but Enclosed is a picture of my loach literally dying as I write this that I've had in this tank for more than a year and the cory next to it I got from them visibly sick as well. ***In response to owner's rude remarks- "routine maintenance" my tank, fish and water have been fine for some time. The only change was the water from your tanks in the baggies that were added with the fish. Are you testing YOUR Ph? Considering just the store was a filthy mess and looks like it hadn't been swept in a year with the fish skeletons on the floor and the millipede crawling around. Also multiple tanks filthy and dead fish while the employees were just hanging out talking. Maybe take a little accountability instead of blaming customers... ***Also owner blocked me and basically diminished my comments saying "I didn't want to drive out" when I made it clear I work all day, live 35 minutes away, and would exceed their 72 hour threshold (if water within "their" limits. also worst timeframe guarantee from a fish store I've seen) read more

Amazing aquatics shop! The knowledge and service of the staff is unbelievable. As a family we went in to check out what they had to offer as far as tanks, accessories and fish. They had everything and more than we could ask for. Randy, the manager, was extremely helpful, not only in the shop but by giving us pointers on the setup and care over the phone when we got home. Our tank was up and running with fish in an hour. Couldn't be happier. Will be going back for more fish and tanks in the future. Highly recommend this place to anyone looking to start, grow or enhance your personal aquarium game. read more

I've only ever had one so so encounter here and that was with the owner. He let his ego get the best of him but he is passionate about the hobby and by the end of the conversation he did everything right. It was all over a opinion difference. But again I state he did give me store credit. Outside that I have had nothing nothing but great experiences here. Randy is absolutely amazing and will go above and beyond to help you get what you want for your tank. All the other employees will always see you looking and stop to ask if you need help or ask if they can get you anything. I especially love this place because of the variety of plecos (honestly all fish) they have as I collect them. On occasions you can see a sick fish in the tank but you literally will find that anywhere. If they notice it they will absolutely not sell that fish to any persons for the safety of your tank and their reputation and I as a hobbyist can appreciate that. I've been to Upscale well over 20 times now and the majority of my tanks are stocked with their fish and plants. This is definitely my go to fish store around the Lake Norman area. read more

Upscale Aquatics - Cory Cats and plecos I have gotten from Upscale Aquatics - Aquarium Services Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

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I've been going to Upscale for years and have always been pleased with them overall. Yes some fish are more expensive than some other stores, but they also have fish that are cheaper that others. It's up to the buyer to shop around (like with anything). Also, there are fish here that I have never seen anywhere else. Upscale has a vast community of local breeders and gets fish from multiple vendors and is great at locating oddball or special order fish. After all this time I consider Matt a friend and he has on many occasions given me a deal on prices. It feels good to know that customer loyalty is not just a one way street. read more

BUYERS BEWARE - This experience was bad enough I have pending complaints with both the BBB and the NCDOJ consumer affairs office, to which Upscale has not responded. I bought a tank from Upscale Aquatics, started having problems with it a week into setup. Manager was less than empathetic and pawned me off on the manufacturer. After weeks of contact with the manufaturer and working with Upscale, I finally brought them back the tank and stand setup. Now they are refusing to refund my money. They already recieved credit back from their distributor, but refuse to refund money. I gave them the opportunity to keep my business if they were willing to price match their competition. They didn't and I'm told they dont price match. What a terrible way to treat customers. THEY STILL HAVE MY TANK AND MY MONEY! read more

I recently moved to the area and found this to be the best store to buy fish. The fish are vibrant and taken care of, the staff is also friendly and professional. I haven't felt any sales pressure, they just want you to enjoy your tank no matter your fish preference. read more

Been there a couple of times and the staff have always been friendly but the last time I purchased fish I noticed they both had Ich / White Spot when I put them in my tank. read more

Too many kids working there with no knowledge or actually give a care. I bought thousands of dollars worth here between tanks and products. Practically every fish I have gotten her has died within a couple of days. The do not respond when you let them know there are issues right away, they want to wait long enough for you to just give in and take your money. I would not recommend this place unless you are looking for a money pit read more

Upscale Aquatics is a nice fish store with a decent selection of fish and corals. Matt and his staff are very friendly. I found a nice copperband butterfly that actually nibbled on some mysis. I decided to bring him home. I was going to get a small clown tang, but the ribbon eel tried to make him lunch. I wanted a potter's wrasse but he wasn't for sale. The black sand in the coral tanks is pretty distracting. I think it would be easier to view the corals if they were in bare bottom tanks. read more

Upscale Aquatics - This is the small clown tang I wanted. A ribbon eel was sharing the tank with him and tried to make him lunch. - Aquarium Services Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

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Worst place ever the manger the big guy got so mad when I had said that awhile ago I had seen shark for 90$ and he got mad and goes u sound dumb maybe shark egg and was and I had said no I literally saw a while ago a shark for cheap and gets all mad and then yells at lme and goes if ur not buying nothing then get out of here I literally was just saying I literally saw a while ago there really and have dirty tanks and the workers r lazy standin around not helping no one and all my fishes I had died not long ago never going back read more

Great fish! But very pricey $$$ very chill laid back environment of the store. Staff could be more knowledgeable on the basics of the fish (size) wise. But over all a great store. read more

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Nice fish and there's really no other place like this around here. BUT it's really strange because the girl that works there never wears a mask and many customers also were not wearing masks. We went there 3 days in 1 week and it was always the same, it was like everyone knew they don't have to wear masks in this store. I wonder what the owner is like??? read more

I've been in multiple time some times the tanks are are really nice and clean and there have multiple time they are really dirty with lots of dead fish in them . Some of the staff is very friendly and there are others that seem like that don't want to be there and couldn't care less if you were even there read more

I was so excited when I found an aquarium store that sold freshwater plants, but I was quickly disappointed, not only wouldn't I buy any of their plants, I would not take them if they were free. The plants were mostly dead, covered with algae, and infested with snails. DO NOT go to this store looking for your plants, try somewhere else. read more

I have been disappointed most times I visit. The prices are higher than the surrounding fish stores. The tanks are usually dirtier than others. The Owner is very friendly and helpful, but the manager seems arrogant and the staff (other than the new guy) is less than eager to help. Unfortunately I went on my lunch break to buy fish food. I expected the trip to take 2 minutes, but it took several minutes just to get one of the 5 staff present to help me. There was one other customer in the store. A few of the employees who were congregated at the front counter were unwilling to stop eating their lunches to help sell me the fish food. I'm going to be making the longer drive to other stores. read more

These guys are amazing! I love shopping here. The knowledge of both salt and fresh is above and beyond.

I've been here a few times and while the staff is friendly, their fish are almost always either dying or dead. The anemones I've seen are nearly always closed up don't look healthy. Their corals are hit or miss. I've been in this hobby for a while now and have seen my fair share of good and bad fish stores. While Upscale aquatics isn't as bad as petco i wouldn't recommend them to anyone for a healthy addition to anyone's tank. read more

I wish i could give this place a -5 stars. About 1.5 years ago i visited this store as i was looking to purchase an entire aquarium set up. This is not my 1st time with a salt water aquarium. They were all very friendly and answered all my questions so i went ahead and purchased an entire rimless set up. They have their own maintenance person to service my tank which they recommended who i had service my tank every 2 weeks. I went with their recommendations on what types of fish and corals to begin with. After a week the fish started to die, which they would not give me any type of credit on because it was over their 24 hour guarantee. I was ok with this at first as this was their policy. So i added more fish based on their recommendations again and they started to die. I took a water sample to them and they said my parameters were all over the place. I asked them how this could be because i am using their maintenance person to service my tank. They kept on with their excuses on why my parameters were all over the place and my fish kept dieing. So after an 3 months i fired their maintenance person and got another one. The new maintenance person right away found the issue, the maintenance person never added any bio balls or a bio cube. I brought this to Upscales management attention and their response was "that is not our responsibility to add those items". If your maintenance person is servicing the tank shouldn't they have seen this and correct the issue? So we added the bio cube and bio balls i waited a few months and all parameters were inline. So i started to add some fish and corals, all of a sudden all my fish got ick. I didn't know that they did not treat their fish before selling them. All my fish died AGAIN with their response was "its outside the 24 hour guarantee" even though at this point i have spent over $5,000 with them in 7 months. I treated the tank with chemicals that they recommended and all my corals DIED. So i asked them for some type of credit not or replace the corals since they were the ones that recommended what to use and i was told "NO". So i started to purchase my corals elsewhere as well as my fish. I found out the they fired their manager so i started going back and talking with Matt the owner. Well here we go again fish dieing, a few within the 24 hour guarantee which they gave me credit for. The other fish were dieing 48 to 96 hours but no credits and Matt the owner said there is nothing he can do. So i gave them one last chance, i was looking for a male swallowtail and they had one. It was large and fat, a very good specimen. I asked to see it eat but it wouldn't, i was told that he ate that day and probably wasn't hungry, again i believed them and decided to purchase him. Well 36 hours after i added him to the tank it DIED. I was out of town and my wife told me so i reached out to them via facebook messenger letting them know that i was out of town and it died and as soon as i get back i will bring up the fish as my wife put it in the freezer. Now this message was sent to them on the 2nd day after i purchased the fish because i was out of town working. I got home 3 days after i purchased the fish and took a water sample to them along with the dead fish. My water parameters checked out perfectly. So i asked for a full credit not a refund but a credit as this was a very very expensive fish. I was told by the shift manager that Matt the owner told them i could only have a 50% credit. I asked the manager to have Matt call me. Well here we are 24 hours later and no call. They blocked me on facebook from messaging them and even removed and blocked me from their stores facebook page. I sent a direct message to Matt on Facebook to call me and nothing. THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM AN OWNER OF A COMPANY I HAVE EVER HAD. How can you treat a customer that has spent over $10,000 in 1.5 years with your business. Matts business model is to get any type of fish in and sell them as fast as possible and they don't care if the fish are sick, eating etc. DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM UPSCALE AQUATICS. read more

I want to like this store but the tanks are never clean and some fish always have signs of ick or marine velvet. I've been going to this store for several years now and can never bring my self to waste my money here. On the upside at least tanks are not filled with cyno bacteria any more. read more

Dirty tanks . Fish with Ick I bought several fish from this location. I like most of the staff .Got sold a goldfish, a pyramid butterfly both with ick. The place is a joke . Every time you need an answer they gotta call matt . Prices are high and not very clear. It could be a good store . Seems like a bunch of potheads opened up a fish store . read more

Best Store In Charlotte. Great staff and prices can't be beat. Fish are the highest quality and the selection is unheard of. Even the dry goods are priced close to online. Great staff and knowledge. I constantly have been reminded why this is the best aquarium store ever, just check out the selection of oddballs read more

Very friendly staff, and great quality fish. Prices are great, and everything seemed relatively clean in the tanks. I bought three discus about a month ago and they are all perfectly fine, and doing great. The owner was very nice and helped us find exactly what we needed. My only complaint would be that the store is too crowded! They have extra rooms full of fish but the hallways are so small that you feel crowded trying to get where you need to go! Overall, great experience, friendly staff, and fair prices. read more

The store is well staffed and everyone is extremely friendly and anxious to help. I compared the prices to online and found them very comparable which surprised me since this is a brick and mortar store. The stand and canopy I ordered were of good quality and less expensive than other places I had looked. An over all good experience. read more

New or experienced a clean tank is always a first priority and I've noticed a decline at this location. Matt is great and seems to know his stuff but, some of the newer less experienced guys have a harder time listening to the details of questions I have. This hobby is all about details! Accordingly, my research shows that research of Purple Dragon Sea Slugs advises against captivity. This is not an invert, Stay Away! read more

What a great fish store. This store has just about everything you could ask for in a fish store, whether you have saltwater or freshwater fish. If you live around Huntersville I strongly recommend this place. The thing that stops me from giving it a 5-star rating is the customer service. Some of the guys are very friendly people and some of them are just plain rude, like they don't want to be there. I wouldn't see why they wouldn't, it seems like an awesome job. read more