Reef Life Aquariums

Tim

2024-03

Overall nice place. A bit crowded to walk and look, and pricey, but healthy looking stock. Both fresh and saltwater setups. Staff not too friendly and no military or veteran perks. Hard to locate, but after driving around a bit found it. Opens at noon and closes at 6 pm on weekdays. We will be back more than likely.

Paul Calhoun

2023-05

Nice selection of fish and supplies. The help was a very sweet girl but was a little overpowering in making her own recommendations without considering how experienced the customer may in fact be. I've been doing this 40 years. And while she is very sweet and helpful and a great salesperson I have a little more experience. But I really have nothing negative to say about the trip it was a great experience and I will be back

Samantha Singleton (Jenny)

2024-03

Beautiful healthy fish & decent prices, but the young man who "helped us".....rude! We arrived about an hour before they closed. We had a pretty good idea what we were going in for because we looked through their online stock prior since they are over an hour away. There were several other customers in there, so by the time someone helped us, it wasn't too far away from closing time. I completely understand that people are ready to go home, but you don't tell a customer who is spending money "after this I can't get you anymore because we are closed" because it was 6 minutes past closing time. Had someone helped us prior, we would have been gone well before closing time. We drove over an hour and spent $200+ for someone to be rude. I am still leaving 4 stars because they do have beautiful healthy fish and decent prices.UPDATE: We went to visit the store again today. It was a different young man who helped us today and he was very friendly and helpful. I guess there's a bad apple in every bunch. I added the star back on because he was so friendly.

Kelvin Schneider

2023-06

Super knowledgeable and cares about what he's selling to you. He almost didn't let me go home with a fish since our conversation centered around controlling high nitrates. My royal purple gramma is doing well and nitrates are back under control. Thanks for the conversation and learning experience! I'll be back to get some coral from ya ;)

Erick Diaz

2024-02

Look at the 1 star reviews! The owner and some of the staff are incredibly rude!! I had been there a couple times and read about the owner/staff being rude but never experienced it until today. I was told "it's not allowed to ask questions" by the owner after I reiterated my question to another staff member. He told me I was "wasting their time" by doing so and shamed me for not "trusting him". The girl with him went right along with it, all this right as we were checking out. I'd happily brought a friend and his kids there to get everything for their first set up, they spent almost $200. Now I regret ever spending a dollar there. One of the staff members apologized before I left and said that that's how he treats all of them! I'm all about supporting local businesses but I'm not about supporting egotistical narcissists with an inferiority complex who don't care about their people and customers. I'd rather drive to Huntsville to Starjumpers where the owner is actually knowledgeable, humble, and has a way better store. Don't go!!

Jessica McMillian

2024-03

Dont walk, RUN to this store. The staff is always astoundingly friendly and knowledgeable. Have a fish you've been dying for? Or need some advice and some supplies? This is the place for you. They never judge me for any of my questions and the stock they carry is always healthy. When people ask for a good LFS this is the first place that comes to mind. When I wanna splurge on myself this is where I go. Supplies, fish, plants etc are always 10/10.

Alexandra B

2023-09

Best place in Birmingham to get tropical fish, aquatic plants, and supplies! Their aquascapes are beautiful! They quarantine and drip acclimate all their fish.. don’t get your fish at chain stores visit and support your local fish store! They are also a retail partner with Aquarium Co Op!

Andrew Kirby

2024-02

This is one of those rare businesses these days that is run the way a business should be run. They are focused on doing what they are passionate about and doing it well. Super helpful staff who actually cares about making sure the customers are served well.

Heather Carter

2020-05

The store is very clean and organized. All the tanks were immaculate and the fish look like they are taken very good care of. The employees knew answers to all of my questions and were extremely helpful in picking out a new tank. We went with a kit and it's beautiful! Will definitely go here again.

L Galland

2023-05

Very friendly and helpful staff. The tanks were well stocked and very clean. I have never seen such a large variety in healthy aquatic plants!

Christina Browne

2021-05

The shop was very clean and the staff was knowledgeable about the fish and corals. There was a good variety to choose from, the stock looked super healthy and the tanks weren't over crowded. I bought several fish and they are doing very well. They also offer equipment, decor, and chemicals for tank maintenance.

CJ Singleton

2021-05

Petco & PetSmart sit this one out. Cleaner than Petco or PetSmart. They have a real passion for the fish they sell. Really great selection as well. Many different varieties of fish and different colors of fish. They tend to focus heavier on saltwater from freshwater. However they also have a pretty good selection of freshwater fish as well. You will not see any bettas in bowls here. All the beautiful bettas present here have their own independent Aquarium. At this particular location you can find everything from corals, to fish, to snails, and lots more. The only downside to this location is they do not have a working phone. The only way to contact these guys is by text message. Which oddly enough you can only text the number after attempting to call them. Overall however very friendly staff, very clean, very knowledgeable, and an all-around wonderful place to go for any aquatic enthusiast.

David Hunter

2024-03

Helpful, so helpful. Text their number if you have a question. They confirmed they had something I needed in stock before I drove 30 minutes. 💚

Brandon Matthews

2021-05

Great assortment of fresh and saltwater fish. Every tank is clean and well kept. There are plenty of supplies, accessories, and tanks for sale. Tbr best part was the customer service. I was helped with full stocking suggestions for my tank.I'll definitely make my purchases here.

Akinajin

2024-02

Great selection of fish, plants, and equipment. Employees are friendly and helpful. A must visit for aquarium hobbyists.

david carpenter

2024-02

Great selection of salt and fresh water fish. Also plants. Well maintained but a little cluttered. I will definitely return.

Sham H

2023-05

Definitely an amazing place for freshwater and saltwater fish! This is the real deal and definitely recommend for any serious aquarist.

A Z

2021-05

Fantastic website, clearly shows what’s in stock so I made the 2 hour drive to check things out. Extremely helpful staff. Right away I noticed they have a legit quarantine ‘system’ and even display the dates what fish came into the store for customers to see! Freshwater tanks run independently on sponge filters - much better for keeping them uncontaminated IMHO. Beautiful coral frags and good prices btw. Ultimately I was seeking and Electric Blue Acara, which they had cheaper than my local ‘chain’ store. They have a few Discus in stock too and Pea Puffers. They stock 33 Gallon long tanks which, in my experience, are hard to find. I will definitely go back. So, what really hit the homerun for me - they gave me a large amount of their tank water for my transport bucket home (long drive) and offered oxygen tabs, etc. This really helped keep my fish calm, she colored right up and ate good when I got home. Thanks.

Bill Miller

2023-10

Great shop with helpful, knowledgeable staff. They are also sometimes able to order in a fish if they don't have it in stock. The stock I've gotten here has always been vigorous and free from diseases.

cry

2023-05

Had a hard time cycling a new tank and worried about the effectiveness of a product they previously sold me (no fault of there own in anyway shape or form) so I went in and questioned the product and asked for advice, and im not sure of the man’s name but he appears to be the manager or owner… he took the time to talk to me in depth even in the middle of a rush and he even gave me a used aquarium heater they had in the back and some product free of charge even though I’ve only been in twice before. Everyone in the store is helpful and sweet but blunt and they definitely don’t cut corners and they really care about their customers. Love it here and I will most definitely be back for years to come!

Daniel White

2023-05

Bought fish from them a few times. And they have been very healthy. These 2 guys (Blood Parrots) out swimming about 15 minutes after putting them in there new home.

Carson

2023-05

Most reliable fish store around. We have bought over 50 different fish from him and not a single one has died or had any complications. Never tries to push a sale and is very knowledgeable and honest when answering your questions. They’re in the process of expanding the displays in the store and it already looks so good. Great sense of humor and very to the point. Just a great store all around and very fair pricing. Great selection of freshwater fish, saltwater fish, and corals. I can’t recommend this store enough

Blaine Higginbotham

2024-05

Good service a little expensive but overall nice

Tom G

2024-03

Always great service and the healthiest fish. Terrible for my Multiple Tank Syndrome 😆. I'll be back, again and again.

Gabriel Marrero

2023-11

Nothing gets close to this place in terms of quality of product and knowledge of their field. Just amazing.

Carrie Grice

2020-05

The store is a MESS. I had been to 2 other aquarium stores that same day because we were traveling and that is my interest. This was the only store that was so disorganized. It was hard to find things marked with names or prices. The staff was rude and I usually don't mind when people are sassy but this girl was so rude. We didnt buy anything but they had many items that if they had been marked AT ALL I would have bought them.

CopperMiata

2023-08

Happened to be in town and stopped by. Owner and employee were nothing but kind and helpful. Got 2 frags the made the 4 hours home and seem to be happy and healthy. Very happy with my experience and look forward to visiting everytime I am in the area.

Janna White

2023-05

The VERY BEST fish/aquarium accessory shopping experience I've ever had. Every employee in the building was kind and knowledgeable. They all seemed to genuinely enjoy being there and concerned with the fishes' quality of life. No one attempted to talk me into anything I am not equipped to handle. Every aquarium (I feel like 100+) was super clean. I did not see a single dead fish or any that looked unhealthy. On top of that, their prices are great! I don't want to do aquarium business anywhere else anymore. I really cannot recommend this place enough.

Carrie Walton

2023-05

Reef life never disappoints us. We literally drive over an hour to visit this store every other week. Great customer service, friendly atmosphere & knowledgeable employees. They keep their tanks well stocked. Saltwater & fresh water. They have accessories and food for your aquatic babies. They also have a abundance of different plants as well. Prices are decent, but in general, the aquatic hobby is not cheap. So please keep that in mind when getting into this hobby. Another great thing about reef life is their online website. They keep it updated and also allow you to get notifications when what you are looking for is in stock. I highly recommend you visit reef life.

Matt Saul

2023-05

Nice little store. Was very busy when I went in which is great to see. It has fresh and salt water. It did look like some attention could be spent cleaning the displays. I worked at a fish store and know how tedious that can be.