We are first-time customers of Queen City Corals and decided to purchase two Black Light Anemones…read moreon 02/03/2025. My order was shipped on 02/04/2025 (Order #89196) and delivered on 02/05/2025 at 10:20 AM. Given the many five-star reviews, I had high expectations. Their website claims a 99% Live Arrival Guarantee, that staff are trained to the highest standard of corals, and that each coral is securely triple-bagged and encapsulated in specific specimen containers to ensure live arrival. Unfortunately, these so-called commitments proved to be untrue. Upon opening my package, I was immediately hit with a foul odor coming from each bag. The anemones displayed clear signs of distress, including open mouths, faded coloration, shrunken and deflated tentacles, a lack of response to stimuli, and visible tears on their bodies. The only positive aspect of my order was the mystery frags--a Birdsnest and a Neon Green Acropora--but even those were underwhelming. I immediately contacted Queen City Corals' support team, but their response time was slow. When I called and spoke with the manager, I was assured that the anemones "just look pissed" but would recover after acclimation. Despite following the acclimation process exactly as instructed, the anemones began to deteriorate and melt in my tank. I attached images as evidence. To prevent further damage to my reef tank's water quality, I removed the anemones and reached out to Queen City Corals again, seeking guidance on how they would rectify the situation. After receiving no response, I followed up the next day. When I called, a representative assured me that the manager would return my call. Hours passed with no response. Frustrated by the lack of communication, I called again and was once more told the manager would "look into it." After much back and forth, they finally issued a refund for the Black Light Anemones but refused to refund the shipping cost--even though the corals were dead on arrival. While I understand that shipping costs are a shared loss, this situation clearly warranted a full refund for the entire order. Although a partial refund is better than nothing, the entire experience highlighted Queen City Corals' lack of communication, poor product quality, and false advertising. I strongly recommend looking elsewhere, such as Aqua SD or World Wide Corals, for better quality and service.

I had a great first experience at Queen City corals. The customer service was great and answered…read moreall of my questions. I bought a hammer coral in at the store a few days ago and it is doing great in my tank!

Went thrice and have purchased fish, plants, and decor from them. All were premium quality and all…read moreis well with the purchases. Great customer service, and they truly cared about what they were doing. 5/5 would recommend.

Always a great experience here. Great selection of fish (salt and freshwater) with a much better…read moreselection of freshwater compared to other stores in the area and same for inverts. Always manage to stop by when I'm in the area and never disappoints.

People were nice but they had several very sick and dying fish they did have the fish I was looking…read morefor, but definitely should quarantine

Great shop! Very nice variety. We were pleasantly surprised! Definitely worth going if you're in…read morethe area!

Please do not buy from here. The fish are not kept well,…read moreBeta fish are in a small tank with one single plant (one of the beta fish was going crazy back and forth looking at its own reflection) They have stingrays who's tanks are way to small Axolotls same thing small tanks with nothing it's just the tank no sand no plants nothing and that goes for most of the fish they are simply swimming back and forth.

I buy all my fish there. The fish are healthy, and the knowledge of the people that work there are…read moreexcellent plants are healthy as well

Good fish store in Gastonia. It's not as it was a few years ago since the original owner passed…read moreaway but still a solid choice for your aquarium needs over any box store. This has been an established part of the area for decades and has been a great resource for the fish keeping community.

I bought several fish and snails from them. They're awesome . They're the only place I shop for my…read moreaquarium needs.

This store has aquarium supplies as well as saltwater and freshwater fish and plants. They offer…read moremany things you could not find at most other fish stores or general pet stores. They offer water tests and give helpful feedback about what you could do to achieve the appropriate water parameters suitable for your tank. They also have reverse osmosis water, which we have not found anywhere else! The owner is super nice and very knowledgeable and helpful. My boyfriend loves getting all of his aquarium supplies and new fish from this great quality store. Even though we don't live nearby, we make the drive because it is worth it!

Super helpful for this first time fish owner. Always willing to listen before giving advice.read more

I don't think some of the people working here are quite fond of darker tones. Im not talking about…read morebirds... At least the birds were nice. It was like some of the staff didn't like that the birds and I were interacting with each other. Very uneasy atmosphere here. And I can tell the birds feel it too.

Awesome nonprofit rescue that also offers parrot boarding and supplies! Our African Grey loves his…read morestas at ParrotU and we're always treated kindly by staff.

We dropped in to the Cornelius Animal Shelter today to donate some cat litter, treats and toys…read more When we lived in New York we worked closely with the local animal shelter and would foster sick cats and kittens through them until they were ready to go back to the shelter and get adopted. Our new place down here isn't big enough to handle fosters, but we still want to help out all those poor kitties. The shelter is set up to hold about sixty cats at a time (not sure how many dogs), though when we went there were under twenty of them. The cages are very spacious and clean which is important to not only the cat's health but to make them more "attractive" to prospective parents who drop in. There is also a nice little wooded area set aside as a dog walking trail, so there is a nice place where their dogs can get some exercise. The employee at the front desk was very friendly and appreciative of our donation. The location is a little off the beaten path but still worth visiting if you're looking to bring home a new family member. The cost to adopt a cat is $85 and it's $95 for a dog. I would highly recommend adopting over purchasing from a breeder or somewhere else.

I have adopted a dog and my one sister adopted a cat and my other sister adopted a dog. We are very…read moreplease with facility, and it is very clean and the animals are well taking care of. The staff Kenny and Trey are very pleasant and knowledgeable, and take the time to talk to you and answer any questions you have.