There's something refreshing about walking into an aquarium shop where the inventory looks less like a collection of aquatic survivors and more like a thriving underwater kingdom. Barrier Reef delivers exactly that. The selection was solid, the pricing was refreshingly reasonable, and the coral frags looked healthy, vibrant, and ready to become the crown jewels of someone's reef tank. For anyone familiar with the hobby, finding quality coral without feeling like you're financing a small Caribbean island is always a welcome discovery. The fill-your-own water station was another nice touch. Simple, practical, and exactly the kind of convenience that makes life easier for aquarium enthusiasts. In a hobby where beautiful specimens can come with breathtaking price tags and questionable quality, Barrier Reef strikes a welcome balance between selection, value, and convenience. A solid four-star stop for fellow reef enthusiasts, and definitely a shop worth keeping on the regular rotation. read more

I highly recommend this store for anyone interested in fresh or saltwater aquariums. All the staff are highly knowledgable on aquariums, fish species, and overall what fits your needs/wants. The store itself is also well organzied and welcoming. They are willing to work/ listen to your preferences and work within your budget to get a tank. Joey is amazing. He worked with me to get my tank up and running, and has given me recommendations for my tank to thrive. He is a pleasure to work with. Gary, Melissa, and Robin are also amazing. They too, have helped tremendously, to get my tank up and running. Overall a great team and store. I couldnt recommmend more! read more

I rarely leave negative reviews, but I feel other reef tank owners need to be aware of my experience. A few weeks ago, I purchased five clownfish from this store. Shortly after introducing them, my established 200-gallon reef tank developed what appears to be marine velvet--an extremely aggressive parasite that can spread rapidly and be devastating to fish. Anyone involved in this hobby understands what this means. A 200-gallon reef system represents a significant investment of time, money, livestock, and care. An outbreak like this gave the entire fish population a death sentence. What bothered me just as much was the store's response when I called. I explained what had happened and the seriousness of the situation. I wasn't expecting them to magically fix my tank, but I certainly expected some concern, guidance, or acknowledgment. Instead, the person I spoke with seemed completely indifferent. When I explained everything his response was "ok". I understand that problems can occur with live fish. But when a customer contacts you after introducing fish purchased from your store and is now dealing with a serious parasite outbreak in a 200-gallon reef tank, the response should not be indifference. I am now left dealing with the treatment, expense, losing all of my fish in a system I have invested heavily in. Based on both my experience with the livestock and, especially, the way my concerns were handled afterward, I cannot recommend purchasing fish from this store. I'm disgusted. read more

I bought a beautiful saltwater tank and they have been so amazing helping me set it up! They answer every question so throughly and have so much patience explaining their answers. read more

The Barrier Reef - My fish tank - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Boca Raton, Florida

Great store if you have a reef tank. Been coming here for over 20 years. Joey is the absolute best. They have all the supplies you need. Freshly remodeled, now the store is really nice and clean. read more

My favorite place to shop for anything aquatic! The vibe here is so welcoming and they have a ton of wonderful options for all things aquariums! Check it out even if you don't have a fish tank. You might after you visit The Barrier Reef ;) read more

The Barrier Reef - Koi Pond - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Boca Raton, Florida

It's now open under new ownership but same staff...website not updated and horrible...can't contact them and old number appears... no store hours listed... If they improved customer service and updated...actually redo website it would help. .. mainly for salt water but do have fresh water..they do carry more then petco and petsmart and most staff are knowledgeable...when they were stocked with live stock ...it all looked healthy and well cared for... my 3 stars refer to website...etc... read more

Barrier Reef is hands down the best reef and aquarium store in South Florida! Their prices are the fairest I've found--no other store even comes close. Their fish are kept in quarantine and medicated tanks to ensure they're healthy and disease-free, which is crucial for preventing issues like ich, brooklynella, or velvet in your tank. The coral selection is wide and vibrant, and the staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. When I visited today, they were joking around with each other, laughing, and yet still attentive, asking if I needed help or had questions. It's the kind of environment where I'd want to work if I worked in a fish store! Every time I buy a fish, they feed it right there (without me asking) to show it's healthy and eating. They also take the time to review care instructions and give helpful tips on keeping my tank and its inhabitants safe. Today, I scored an amazing haul--a large, full stylocoeniella frag for $40, a beautiful sunset montipora frag for $30, a bright red blasto frag for $30, and I even got a free frag of my choice! I picked a stunning bright yellow favia valued at $30 as part of their current deal: buy 3 frags, get 1 free. 10/10--Barrier Reef has it all: knowledgeable staff, fair prices, healthy livestock, and pristine tanks. Highly recommend! read more

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Such a well stocked store! The employees were so nice and helpful. I got a couple freshwater plants and some spiderwood for my tank. Also got some brine shrimp for my betta. I'll be back! read more

I love barrier reef from the saltwater to the freshwater side. Kelly is amazing owner super friendly, but my favorite employee of them off would have to be Barry. Barry is the most knowledge for freshwater in my eyes this man is a wealth of information and I love speaking to him when I go in and he really does know his killie fish. This store always have fresh live brine shrimp. Wednesday are when they get their delivery so I always try to stop in between then and Friday for freshest batches of brine. I love visiting this store I have been coming here since 2016 and seen all the construction done to this shop from additions to remodels to downsizing the shop but I got to say they are great store for aquatic needs in boca Raton better than any pet supermarket pet smart or commercial store you can buy fish from. Look at those discus. I wish I toke pictures of the FL gar and apistogrammas they have, Cory, shrimp, cichlid wall, beta section. Just awesome fish. read more

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Worst fish store in south Florida. Horrible customer service! This place is bad enough to make me write my first yelp review. Tried giving this store numerous chances after first getting into the hobby and being sold fish with obvious ick, not knowing what it was and after consulting another Fish Store and some online research was extremely hard to get a credit for the sick fish that died within 24 hours of purchasing them. of those exact fish in their tanks with white specs on them was told that they just haven't colored up yet from transport. Then was lied to for almost a year about the replacement fish coming in "next week" numerous times. Then was told I couldn't use that credit for anything other than fish when trying to buy a filter by Barry. I highly recommend Exotic aquatics or Mark's ark. You could honestly get better customer service at a Petco or pet supermarket. read more

The workers were very nice but the shrimp stock is limited. I waited 2 weeks to get some amano and neo shrimp, but the neo shrimp were overpriced so I didn't. Instead I got 2 amano shrimp but when I got home and compared them to my other amano in the tank, I realized that I was just sold 2 wild type neo shrimp instead of amano's and got scammed. Aside from shrimp the store looks nice, but don't buy shrimp there. read more

The Barrier Reef - My previous amano shrimp in the back for reference to see that they are different types of shrimp. - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Boca Raton, Florida

I only go here now for my 90 gal saltwater. All employees extremely knowledgable and friendly. read more

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I have been going to the Barrier Reef on and off for years now. The staff has always been super friendly and attentive. However, this past weekend my wife and I went there to donate a Vampire Pleco that was causing havoc in my planted aquarium. He won the battle of uprooting my plants and I could no longer keep this guy. So, we caught him and headed over to the Barrier Reef to donate in hopes they find him a nice home. We went to the counter after seeing that most of staff was pretty busy. We waited for young fellow to finish with a customer so that we could speak to him about keeping this fish. We were a little surprised as to the greeting we got from this fellow, maybe he was having a bad day and seemed very uninterested in what we had to say. This greatly differs from the many interactions we have had with the staff over the years, This fellow did not seem very friendly and my wife noticed it also. Just wanted to bring this up as we were both surprised with the interaction. Anyway, the Vampire Pleco was placed in a large tank and we felt he was in good hands. read more

Best fish store, great selection, everyone who works there is very nice and knowledgeable.

Joey was super helpful!! Truly helped my boyfriend and I start up my first tank. Super knowledgeable which made me feel much more comfortable being new to this ! Overall the staff has been extremely helpful! I wish I remembered everyone's names but definitely recommend. read more

Extremely knowledgeable, with great pricing and selection. I will definitely continue to buy from Barrier Reef

Not only one of the best local fish stores but, one of my favorite fish stores in South Florida I've been to. They have a variety of saltwater and freshwater fish along with tanks, setups, deals on pre owned materials and etc.... It's my usually location I visit every month for whatever I need for my several aquariums at home. 10/10 recommended for any beginner / expert fish enthusiast. Great for the fish hobby. read more

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Smart caring people They are a family owned business that been in the area for decades. They have helped me have a great reef tank. read more

Bad customer service. The only decent guy here is the older gentleman with glasses..that's all.

Bad quality of Corals, fishes are not placed correctly and they dont look special. Managment was rude, the place looked messy. The guys were very helpful, that is the only stars this place deserve. read more

Scam Reef of Boca Raton If they notice that you don't have a lot of knowledge on saltwater aquarium they will sell you equipment that you don't need and fish that does not fit your tank . Good luck trying to return the fish you just bought or the equipment that you don't need ...1st they will tell you that you are wrong and they never said that and 2nd they will treat you very bad . Never coming back ... had a friend who had similar problem when he was buying life rock and he saw the employee putting dead rock where they keep the life rock for sale ... when he said something about he was asked to leave the store. read more

100% recommend this fish store for everything saltwater from coral frags to exotic fish they do it all best customer service of any fish store i have ever been to MJ Carlos and all the owners/staff have a wealth of knowledge and have been in reefing for decades. Anytime i need water tested they are spot on with everything! Current tank: 72 gallon mixed SPS/LPS reef. sump/skimmer read more

The Barrier Reef - 72 gallon mixed SPS/LPS reef 20 gallon sump\skimmer - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Boca Raton, Florida

Lots of selection, reasonably priced, very helpful staff. Jason was great. Helped us find everything we needed to set up our tank. read more

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They are amazing at what they do. I have been to this store every 3 days for about 2 months now. Every person that works there knows their stuff. I just started a new reef tank in my home and they have been super helpful. The owner has been doing this for about 50 years and knows the ins and outs of everything. The store is beautifully stocked and there is different product everyday. I'm so glad I found this place and I honestly wouldn't even look to find another spot. I'm not goona lie you have to be a little patient because sometimes they do get busy. The great thing is they don't rush while helping customers and explain everything in great detail. Definitely try them out if you are looking to get into aquariums and you won't be disappointed!! read more

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Best Aquarium Store around. Great staff, large selection of livestock.

As a regular, I'll address some of the most common 1 Star complaints- Say what you want about customer service, they aren't there to kiss your a$$, or google stuff for you! They don't work at the freaking ritz. They are there to sell fish and equipment. They do this very well, while balancing all the morons that insist on not doing any research and being stupid. If you are complaining that they "sell you sick fish", and it "killed all your other fish", why aren't you properly quarantining your fish? If you work in hospitality why don't you know the difference between service from an employee at an aquarium store who doesn't receive commission, and some waiter at a restaurant that you are tipping? I go to the store a lot, and I mean a lot, I have 300 gals of aquaria. Most of the time, you need to get there on the day of or just after they receive the shipment if you want pick of livestock, because they sell out that quickly...all the regulars know which days these are (so if you don't want to wait, and you're there to buy a light, I suggest you go on a different day). So, it's not them selling you sick fish, it comes straight from the producer and is usually a result of the stress of double or triple transportation- and it's people's impatience and ignorance that cause problems!!! Their livestock prices are UNBEATABLE, and they are one of the few sources left with quality livestock. They can order just about anything through their extensive network. All of the tanks they have set up that are long-standing and don't have rotating livestock for sale are in perfect condition with very healthy fish, and you can see this week after week. Plus if you took the time and energy to actually get to know the staff, you might see that they're not being impatient, they're just understaffed and doing the best they can to accommodate everyone. Do you think they just stand around all day straightening shelves and netting people fish? No... Actually they have to do all the maintenance, sort all the orders, carry huge buckets of water, and cart them around so customers can buy RO/ DI water by the gallon for a darn good price. Think about that for a second: all the salt water and all of the freshwater tanks sitting around peoples homes and barrier reef is selling that water to them by the gallon. That's a lot of freaking water. That's heavy, that takes time. And it's a really awesome service that they provide. Along with free water testing. So don't abuse it and ask them to do it when they are busy. Better yet- buy a water testing kit!! I know because I had to rely on them to test my water for a while until I could afford a master kit, and I'm really grateful. But I don't go in when it's busy and ask them to do it. It's rude. Also- people are on their phones because they are expected to research the species of fish and a couple other things. Don't be rude, and assuming. They are doing their jobs. They employ a lot of young marine biology students from the local college, etc. If you aren't a d*ck and have a legitimate problem, and aren't trying to get free crap, swindle, or sell them a line of BS, they will bend over the moon for a good customer. All the regulars (you know who you are) love our barrier family, all the rest can shove off, and drive on elsewhere. Edit: I saw a review about a clown fish that had Popeye... It astounds me that people who consider themselves "fish people" still don't understand these things. Barrier actually tries to help out when people surrender their fish. they have an extensive hospital/quarantine area in the back of the store that most people don't get to see, and take in what they have room for. Sometimes people surrender after they have trouble like Popeye, or are in some "imperfect state". Once the fish is cured it does not ever return back to "normal". Even though the fish is ready for a new home. I have a beta fish like that. I have gotten a lot of my fish from barrier that were surrenders from other peoples tanks for whatever reason, and cured or helped by barrier staff. I also have an Oscar fish that was a surrender and has a messed up lip and a round head, but he's fine. they are the most unique and interesting of my stock. There's a difference between "disfigured" and. "Actively diseased" so you can calm down and put your cameras away. Barrier reef tries to help a lot of fish after other people mess them up. And they don't make a profit off these type of fish after time invested and meds. One of the most beautiful things you can do in the hobby is to give a surrendered fish a second chance and barrier keeps up this tradition with compassion. If you surrender your beloved yet imperfect fish anywhere else, they'll cull it right after you leave, or flush it alive down the toilet. Not barrier- they care. read more

Great local spot with new rare inventory every week. Always fully staffed with knowledgeable people which reduces wait times drastically.

This is probably the best and most organized saltwater fish store I have visited in west palm beach , this place blows Mark's Ark and Petco and even Blue Earth Aquariums away . Anthony helped us and was very knowledgeable and informative . He answered all of our questions , was polite and provided excellent customer service. I will definetly be back . I believe I found my new LFS . read more

The store owner is very rude. I have been there several times thinking it's just Because he was having an off day and spending money there to be treated like crap or like yesterday ignored for an hour. He came up to help us after we announced we wanted damsels he no selecting which ones you want, what ever I get is what goes. The tank was very small and no rock work so it was easy to just grab me the blue velvet I wanted. He was so mad about that. He walked away and never came back. I saw him wrestle for 35min trying to catch a specific cichlid for a customer, which that tank had rock work and wood, so way harder to catch. He had water splashing everywhere. I don't care if he only treats the regulars well. He should put a sign up front. ONLY REGULARS WILL GET GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE. I have always been big in supporting the small local businesses but this guys customer service sucks. read more

1 is giving this place some credit. I've been building Reef tanks since I was a child. I've never seen a more incompetent staff with a lack of knowledge of saltwater aquariums or people skills. I've spent about $600 in this store in 2 visits in 2 weeks and I can't even be properly greeted by the confused staff. I literally just tried to walk-thru the unorganized isles of this store to look at products and the old hunched over man and the guy with the pony tail looked annoyed when I said "excuse me" to walk past them when I was shopping. I've only spent money here out of convince. After my 3rd shitty experience here I walked out in disgust. read more

Great store with a large selection of fresh and salt water fish. They also have a large selection of fake decoration, freshwater plants, corals, live rock, tanks in numerous sizes along with stands, and any accessory you'd ever need to go alongside your tank (filters, air pumps, power heads, lighting, etc.). It's all very reasonably priced as well! Staff is all extremely knowledgeable and willing to help anyone, whether they're completely new to the hobby, or experienced and have some basic questions. They do get busy sometimes, but they're always assisting multiple customers at once to help get everyone out with what they need in a timely manner. I've purchased both salt and freshwater fish from this store, as well as plants and corals, and won't go anywhere else. read more

THE WORST FISH STORE ... DON'T PATRONIZE THIS STORE BECAUSE THEY SELL YOU SICK FISH My boyfriend had a 55 gallon salt tank which he purchased there plus all the components. Then he upgraded to a 120 salt gallon tank. The 1st tank he was sold had an inadequate filtration system - (for fresh water and not salt water). After much discussions Barrier rectified the issue and got him the correct filter. He had been purchasing his fish there and after getting Tangs that had Ick they wiped out all the other fish in the 55 gallon. After the fish perished with the Ick, the problem was rectified on the 55 gallon tank and all the Ick removed, he decided to get all the fish from another store, as they do quarantine their fish. The tank was thriving and the fish were healthy and beautiful. Then we upgraded to the 120 gallon. By this time, we had about 20+ gorgeous fish. We decided to give Barrier another chance and he purchased a blue powdered Tang. It had Ick and once again, in one short week it wiped out all the other fish in the 120 gallon tank, no matter how much Ick treatment we added. Thousands of dollars later Barrier doesn't care that they have sold you sick fish, as they are not quarantined after they get them and before they sell them. All the owners care about is selling you merchandise, making money and not standing by their fish. Their argument is once you buy it it's yours. You go to this store and it's always packed with customers. Little do they know is that they are purchasing fish from a store that has no care on what they sell because the owners don't stand by their merchandise. The whole purpose of having a fish tank, specially with a salt/reef tank is to enjoy it. Unfortunately in this case the stress, aggravation and cost has been exponential due to doing business with an establishment that cares nothing about customer satisfaction all they do is dump and sell. Most people are under the impression that it is mostly their fault if they loose fish due to them not maintaining them correctly, and end up not saying anything to the establishment that they purchased their fish from and that is not partly the case. read more

I love this store for what it carries. They have a great abundance of types of fish. Never been sold an ill or sick fish. Now,...when it comes to customer service,...well they really need some hospitality classes. I think out of the many times I've been there only once did I feel welcomed and comfortable. An employee should make you feel at home and answer any questions you have without making you feel stupid. They should embrace their knowledge and job and help EDUCATE Those customers who need extra guidance. Today I patiently waited until one of the employees was available and could help me me with whatever I needed. As I stood there i noticed one of the employees was available but only to his phone it seemed like. He finally looked up and I asked if he could help,...he said yes with an attitude and looked BEYOND miserable. He literally did NOT DROP HIS PHONE or his misery the ENTIRE time he took care of us. Where's the customer service? The customer comes before your phone or your private life unless it's an emergency. This place could be so much more if the staff was more approachable. I'm going to look up other stores that are like this one if their hospitality doesn't change. I'll spend my $100 elsewhere. Oh yeah,...I work in the hospitality Industry so this experience is far from acceptable. read more

thay are the w fish store in boca they are so rude and have not a lot of fish

tiniest frag collection in the world, RUDE unhelpful staff. Go to Marks ark in lake worth. Everytime I come here I have a issue. UPDATE STORE HOURS ARE FROM 11am NOT 10am. Started May 4th 2015 read more

Whether you like saltwater or freshwater tanks, this place is great. I have been coming in here for over a year and the staff is amazing and will walk you through all the steps to get a fresh or saltwater tank going. I have a micro reef tank and they are always there for me with the right answer when I find myself in a dilemma. Also, they are extremely knowledgeable on the cohabitation of the million choices of fish, inverts, coral, and more that they offer at the store. Having a saltwater tank is a tedious hobby, and I have to thank them for a large part of my success! They know my name and treat me like family (they have the local business vibe that makes you feel really welcomed)! If you need anything I recommend them 100%! read more

The good is they are the best stocked place in Boca. The bad is good luck getting staff to help you and answer questions. And they will milk you on price if they can. I had them order a tank and after I quickly paid for the price they quoted and chased me down in the store to jack up the price saying they gave me their price not the customer price...Uh huh.... read more

The only place I go to for my aquarium needs for the past 5 years. From starting my tank to maintaining it , the entire staff is very helpful and knowledgeable. read more

Love this store. Staff is super nice and always helpful.They are super knowledgable on each type of fish. They always give us the best advice on what type of fish to group together. Store has a grate pond in the middle that's nice to look at. When we need a fish we go here! read more

The Barrier Reef - Local Fish Stores Near Me - Boca Raton, Florida