I highly recommend Rivers to Reefs. They had a very nice selection of beautiful corals (and fish) to choose from. Austin, one of the employees, went above and beyond to help me find what I was looking for. As a beginner in the hobby, I was extremely thankful for his excellent service and knowledge. He took the time to answer each and every one of my endless questions. I will most definitely return to rivers and reefs anytime I’m in the area!

Great variety of fish, and very healthy looking! Prices on supplies were good too which isnt usually the case for smaller stores. Cant wait to go back when I have room for more fish.

Friendly staff great fish I bought a lungfish here he has been doing well for over a year 5/5 stars

As a first time customer and casual aquarist, I was blown away by the variety of stock and the knowledgeability of the staff. Prices for fish were very reasonable (comparable to chain stores and much better than other local independent retailers). Picked up some driftwood I really didnt need but the process were so good it seemed a shame not to.

Great value for the money!

I bought several puffer fish from this establishment and they were extremely sick. They had no business selling fish that were this sick. They had worms coming out of their gills and the worst case of ick I have ever seen. Its totally irresponsible and heartbreaking. My fiance and I tried to treat the fish for 2 weeks before they passed away. What a shame. We will not be going back.

What a great LFS. Super helpful staff. Highly recommend to anyone. Not as flashy as the big box store on the other side of Columbus, but much better prices and nicer help. Picked up a few fish and plants this weekend. All are doing great.

I drove halfway across town to get here, and the first thing someone said to me when I walked in the door was mask?. I decided to leave. I dont care if people want to wear one, but if a store wants my money, itll leave me alone.I may come back at a later date and reevaluate. The prices are fair here and the selection is great, but Im not looking for a lecture or to be forced to do something when I go to the pet store.

To be honest I’ve never had good service here.... I wait almost every time I’m in there but to be fair they will spend time with you once you get some attention. I want to support a local business but this last trip has me questioning if I will go back. The tanks all looked like they needed attention this visit and the coral I purchased was full of parasites after I dipped it. I was fearful even after the dip to add it to the tank so I quarantined it and may try a second dip before adding to the display.

They had great knowledge of the water turtle tank stuff I needed

This is my favorite LFS in Columbus. Staff is knowledgeable and friendly - most importantly, they take the time to share that knowledge with customers, which puts them leaps and bounds above the bigger LFS on the other side of town. Whether youre an advanced hobbyist or a beginner in need of solid, honest advice, this is the spot. Its truly a pleasure to speak with the staff and I always learn something new. One team member even advised me against purchasing something from them that would have likely crashed my tank, which says a lot.Rivers to Reefs, thanks for existing. Without you guys, the aquatic world of in our city would be sorely lacking!

This place was amazing. Great selection of fresh and salt water fish.The gentleman working there on Saturday 02012020 was very helpful. I’m new to the Midwest, he was able to answer all questions I had. This was the best experience I’ve had at an aquarium store.

Very knowledgeable and helpful staff. Unique selections for both fresh and saltwater fish. Prices seem a little high but quality of service cant be beat!

Great store! Very friendly staff and willing to answer questions took the time to work with us from fresh to saltwater fish. As we pick up new saltwater fish to add to our tanks.

Great place with fun knowledgeable people

I will start with they have some nice stuff at fairly good prices BUT I dont feel they are very concerned about the live stock itself. I was in yesterday and saw a few things I liked. Although I saw an Achilles Tang that was in serious need of help. Absolutely covered in ich and starting to get lesions. So I asked the staff about the fish they stated that they were treating it. Well I could tell they werent cause the treatment is copper and they had inverts in the system with said fish. I attempted to get them to give me the fish by offering to buy one of their clams if they gave me the fish they said no. So basically they are just going to let the fish suffer and die either way they are taking a loss. Then I looked in other tanks particularly the nem tank and it was chock full of flat worms. I think the owner needs to reevaluate the goal of the store. Cause as I see it the health of the animals or our tanks when we purchase said animals isnt in their priorities.

Friendly, helpful, down to earth staff. Great variety of selection.

This is a no nonsense true fish place. The staff is exceptional in their knowledge of fresh and salt water aquariums! Their prices are reasonable also. We will be going back there next week to get water tested for our black water aquarium and hopefully go to get some fish :)

Love this place..very knowledgeable staff

I live in Hilliard, just minutes from Aquatic Adventure (AA). I had been going to AA for all my stuff. That was until I decided to try Rivers to Reefs (RR). I will not make the drive across town for my needs. Are the perfect? No, that’s why I gave a 4, but they are way better than AA. Why not a 5: The store has a foul fishy odor that AA does not have. RR is VERY small and limited in inventory and options. RR is not as clean as AA. Lastly, the person who helped me at RR was very knowledgeable helpful and by no means rude, he just was not as nice and friendly as the people I worked with at AA. Why is RR way better? First, the four fish I bought cost $11 at RR, for a Fish Club member at AA (25% discount) they would have cost over $18...well over $20 if not a fish club member. Second, RR was out of a few things I needed so I went to AA to get them. Well when I got there and realized the price difference I opted for other buying options. The prices at RR were SIGNIFICANTLY less than AA, even after the fish club discount. It is well worth the drive to Gahanna to save the amount of money RR will save me.

Moderate selection of fish and coral and pricing is fair. However, many tanks had major issues. First, one coral system had the worst outbreak of planaria Ive seen in my 20 years in the hobby. Second, I witnessed a tang that was eaten up by ich that was in a tank with inverts - basically left to suffer and die with no attempt to treat it. Third, beware of bubble algae in coral tanks. To summarize, based on a first visit in a while, I get the impression that tank/livestock cleanliness and well-being is not a priority at this store.

Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Reason for giving them three stars. I was advised that three snails would be enough to clean algae on my 75 gallon aquarium. I purchased 3 very small snails, that was all that they had and all three snails died within 1 1/2 weeks.

Friendly and knowledgeable but they need to quarantine fish before putting them out on display; if they do you still see unhealthy fish for sale.I’ve came back a few times just to get a refund on the fish that had died in a week even though I handled them with care and drip accumulated them to my water.When you get a refund you don’t get your money back but a card saying the amount you can spend only in the shop.I also notice dead fish in some tanks.

We had a very helpful and knowledgeable young man assist us.

Always a pleasure, Aaron and his employees are always helpful and friendly. Theyre always honest about fish compatibility and not just trying to push a sale.

Great selection of freshwater fish and knowledgeable staff.

Really cant beat their prices here. Really healthy looking fish and plant life. Staff was very helpful. Store is a bit dirty, but will definitely be coming back! We were driving all the way across town to Hilliard, but we wont be having to do that anymore! Thank you!

Im only into freshwater fish and they have a huge selection. They do have some rare and hard to find fish too! Great prices and VERY knowledgeable staff. Theyll even tell you if certain fish are new and not out of quarantine yet. Thats a huge plus and definitely not common to find at local fish shops! I stopped buying fish online because of this place. Thank you!!!

The employees here are nice and willing to answer any questions you have. They have alot of plans that you can buy here and a great selection of aquatic creatures.

This place is so cool and its obvious they care about the fish. Very knowledgeable and have rare species and other fish related necessities that you cant find elsewhere.

Had what I wanted. Very knowledgeable

Beautiful!!! Everything is extremely well-kept, the animals look healthy and happy, and their aquatic environments are stunningly designed.

I always get my fish here. They are very knowledgeable and they take care to make sure you know whats going on. Love them!

Love it and the girl that works there is so adorable knowledgeable and spiritually dedicated to the Lil fishies

Small shop but extremely friendly staff... They offer tank drilling and that is a plus... Good amount of fish on hand and a fair amount of tank supplies...

Needed a heater immediately for a 90 gallon aquarium (ours crapped out suddenly). I called around most of the chain pet stores, but none of them had a heater large enough for a 90 gallon. Rivers to Reefs had several to choose from. They people there were attentive & knowledgeable. We will definitely be back!

Aaron is an awsome guy . Very patient and willing to chat.

Nothing has a price then its over price when they come back with the price

Best aquarium store I’ve ever been to, staff is amazing and very knowledgeable about the hobby!

My fiance and I have had jellyfish for about one year and they have always been healthy and we keep a meticulously clean tank. About six months ago we started going to Rivers to Reefs for our salt water to do our tank water change. However, the last visit two Fridays ago, I went to get the salt water. I arrived five minutes after they opened and the store was packed with 8-10 customers. The sole clerk was working with a family and worked with them for about 45 minutes. Many other customers started to complain about the wait and leave. He rushed over to me and asked what I wanted. I gave him the bucket for the salt water and he came back faster than Ive ever received my water before.I gave it to my fiance and he waited a week and did the water change on the next Friday (the water sat a week). He always checks the salinity of the water, is a physician and had to hurry on this particular Friday. The jellyfish were healthy on Friday afternoon and dead when he arrived on Monday morning. He checked the salinity of the water and it off the charts in terms of what it has to be (and what it has always been from this store). I decided to call them tonight to give them a chance to see if they could make the death of our jellyfish right.I called and got a female clerk who told me there was no manager available to speak to. I explained the situation and she told us unfortunately unless we could tell her the salinity of the water, she couldnt say it was their error. Luckily, we had the salinity of the water and read the level to her. She paused and came back on the line and said the owner happened to be right there and that salinity was totally acceptable for jellyfish and normal. We have done the research and even have the aquarium standards on our computer assuring us that its off the charts for jellyfish and causes death. I let her know this and she let me know that well that might have been the case, but they couldnt say the salinity was due to their error, it could have been because of it setting for a week. I let them know weve always let it sit for 5-7 days and tested the salinity and that was never a problem. She told me it was due to evaporation and we couldnt be correct. I let her know that we keep it in a sealed container and there was no evaporation. So she then told us she was sorry we had to wait for the salt water, but that they only had one clerk and that was the way it was. I explained it wasnt so much the wait as I was concerned that he had rushed, mixed the salt water incorrectly, and now our jelly fish are dead. She said it could have been the salinity or it could have been nitrogen stirred up when we did the water change and we should bring in a sample. I said, okay we are happy to do that. When should we bring that in. She said, ... well, was the water left over the weekend that way with the dead jellyfish and we said yes. She let us know that now we could bring it in but that it wouldnt prove that it was the salinity that was the problem because the water could have fluctuated after the jelly fish died. So I said, so why would we bring the water in? She said for your peace of mind, but we wont be saying its our fault or giving you anything if thats what youre looking for.This store has been fine in the past, but its clear the store clerk was overrun, hurried, made a mistake, and gave us wrongly mixed salt water. This in turn killed our jellyfish. I was frustrated by the endless amount of excuses the clerk tried to make to avoid admitting fault and every time I corrected her, she would eventually backtrack but come up with another excuse.I just would never trust them with our fish or jellyfish again and feel uncomfortable with a store that clearly made a mistake and refuses to even consider the possibility that that error killed jellyfish we have lovingly cared for.

This is a smaller store than others, but what I really appreciated was the knowledge and friendliness of the staff. I was left with the feeling that they love what they do, they love the hobby of keeping aquariums, and they want you to enjoy it too. Both times I have gone in, they were very interested in listening first and then giving thoughtful advice.

Rivers to Reefs is the place to go for all your aquarium needs hands down. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful.

Great selection of fish and plants. Employees were very helpful. Was worth the 2 hour trip.

I drive miles away to get my fish here

We always purchase our fish from this shop. Nice selection of salt water fish and knowledgeable staff.

Love this place great customer service

The people at this place are top notch!!! Although I was unable to make a purchase, they bent over backwards to accommodate me and the issues I had. I would highly recommend this place to any and all. I cannot thank them enough for their kindness and helpfulness.

Went there for the first time today, had a great experience, they knew wat they were talking about and super friendly. Will be going back very soon

Pompous! Rude, not nice people. Would not spend a dime here.

Had a great variety of fish and coral but tanks could be maintained better

Cool rare fish there

Very knowledgeable. Saved me on a purchase by telling me how my outdoor fish didnt need to be fed in the winter. It is also conveniently stocked with all kinds of aquatic wildlife for little ones to look at

Always love stopping here, aquarium plants are impressively priced. Selection of freshwater and saltwater fish is amazing. And the amount of supplies and materials is perfect. Very well presented and friendly knowledgeable employees who seem personally invested. Amazing place Im here almost once a week.

Staff is real friendly and helpful.

Not a bad selection, good choice on saltwater fish and prices

3.5 stars, really.The coolest freshwater oddballs in Ohio hands down - BUT half the fish arent labeled and it feels like the owner whips out a price based on if youre friends with him or not. The staff are young and have to refer to the owner constantly, but treat the customer as if theyre absolute novices who need their approval to buy something. Most of their fish are thriving and healthy, but there are also an inordinate number of corpses drifting through their various tanks. Overall its the most professional collection of species and supplies in Ohio, but the buying experience is definitely lacking.

My family and I went there one day before a big sale. We went in and were interested in an anemone which was $80. The guy at the counter told us the next day they were going to have a 25% sale. So we planned to come back the next day to buy the $80 anemone and get an additional 25% off. Aso we went back the next day, they increased the price to $99. So we asked about it and they said that, that was the owners price and he really couldnt do anything. We told him we came in the day before and it was marked $80. He said there wasnt anything he could do. Place is definitely shady to make up prices to have a sale and so really it wasnt a sale. They should have honored the price as it was marked $80 originally and then they changed it to $99 the day of the sale. We made an extra trip out there the Second time for no reason. We are not going to support this unprofessional business. So we left empty handed. First time we had ever been there and wont be back again.

Good selection of fish supplies and staff have a lot of advice to give, but it swear every time I come in to look at guppies/Mollys or other freshwater fish, they either have dead fish in the tank, show signs if illness or both. A large reason I haven’t yet bought anymore fish here. Maybe the vendor? Who knows. Kinda expected a better presentation in freshwater compared to a big box store

This Store is amazing !... They have a huge variety of fish, plants and supplies and they are all so helpful and knowledgeable. They also do a really good job to make sure they sell you healthy fish.

I had a great experience shopping here. I don’t remember the name of the woman who helped my dad and I but she was very knowledgeable. I so appreciated that she didn’t try to upsell just to upsell too. She genuinely wanted me to get the right tank / equipment for the right price. She explained everything I would need to do when performing maintenance on my tank as well as showed me some really cool plants that I could add in as decoration. She explained the nitrogen cycle and what I would need to do to help my tank thrive.She was extremely helpful and made my dad and I’s experience shopping here great. I will definitely be back in the future!

Great selection .A hidden gem

We loved our experience at this aquarium store!Aaron the Elecrtic Eel Guy was extremely knowledgeable and willing to work with people that had no experience and answering our dumb questions over and over again. Great prices as well! Thanks Aaron the EEG and the rest of your crew!

Disclaimer: I did not buy anything here, so take my review with a grain of salt.There was either dead or dying livestock in nearly every tank. The majority of the tanks were also dirty and did not seem well kept. I found a couple fish that were decaying and have clearly been dead for a while. The setups were also somewhat crude and the price tags were few and difficult to read. I will however note that they seemed to have a good variety of livestock.

Great selection of fish and other things for aquariums.

Amazing place and great selection of quality fish. Definitely worth taking a browse around. Staff are super friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Awesome place for a beginner or a fish expert.

Best fish store in Columbus. Very knowledgable owner that takes great care of his fish. They do a great job screening the fish they get from wholesalers to ensure that you get a healthy fish. Please support this small business, it is a true asset to the hobby.

Very nice place. Great selection.

One of the few aquarium specialty shops in central Ohio. Staff was very helpful and friendly. Selection was decent with little bit of everything, a healthier selection of food, chemicals, accessories would be nice. There are some excellent specimens in the store with selection kind of all over the place with a chaotic feel to the setup. Parking is very, very tight, visiting in the middle of a weekday around maybe 2pm about 90%of the entire parking lot was being utilized, I had to park 2 or 3 buildings down. Prices arent terrible, about what is expected for a brick and mortar specialty store. A little work and this place could absolutely shine, printed fish prices and names instead of handwritten index cards, more thematic grouping of the species and more consistent tank setups like sand substrate for salt tanks and gravel for fresh water would improve the overall look and in general make the experience more user friendly. Glad I visited and look forward to returning, a good aquarium hobby shop is getting very hard to find and online resources can be spotty, worth a visit if youre in the area.

Cool creatures. Folks are nice.

Really like this place. Owner is friend and staffs are also friendly. Great selection of salt and fresh water fish. All of their animals are very healthy. I never had any problem with them. They also have 2 cute ducks walk around the store. Omg they are so cute :). A great local business! And I support local businesses!

Cool place to see some amazing fish

Everyone was very kind, and offered their best advice to help me and my betta. I thought he had fin rot and wanted treatment, but the dude that helped me showed me that his fins were just damaged because of the fake plants I got at another store. My only dislike of this place is that it was pretty cramped, however they certainly have a wide variety of fish, equipment, and accessories to choose from. They also had nice decorative example tanks for viewing, which was cool to see.

If you enjoy keeping fish please go else where for your aquarium needs. Staff rarely answers the phone when I call the store to inquire about stock. Was told by the owner himself that he would look into ordering a species in special and I would receive an answer if it was possible within about a week, that was a month ago and have never heard back. Female employee is incredibly rude and condescending, doesn’t seem interested in helping out fish keepers and would rather tell you everything you are doing is wrong. Take it from me, this shop and their employees need to take a serious look at the customer service they offer and improve greatly.

When walking in was greeted by a odor of dead rotting fish. Started down the saltwater tanks floor was flooded. Went to fresh water side and withen the first few tanks was dead fish everywhere. Others were commenting about it also. Then a employee asked if i was wanting some fish he would help me get them... What he must have thought i was going to by anything from there to put in my aquarium... Get real clean then tanks and get the floating decying fish out.

If you own fish this is a great place to buy them. Theyre always healthy, and ALL of the staff are very knowledgeable about fish and aquariums. They have an interesting array of fish and will even order fish for you if they dont have what youre looking for in stock.

Update:I went back to give Rivers to Reefs a second chance recently and it was a much better experience, there was positive customer service, they had the fish I was after and I will be back for additional stock for my aquariums.I saw this place and thought it was exactly what I was looking for in a LFS(Local Fish Store), the reviews looked good, their social media looked promising and I finally made it around to checking out Rivers to Reefs. The store was exactly as expected stock tanks with fish, both marine and freshwater. There was a good selection of fish and invertebrates and all looked fairly healthy. So now for the bad, the customer service was non existent, when I went in I was given a very standoffish hello at no point was any kind of service offered. I noticed 3 employees working one customer. I very much would have liked to acquire some fish to stock my tank, but alas no one offered service and I did not purchase any fish. I left the store disappointed and I wont be returning. If you need to stock an aquarium Id recommend ordering your fish online as there dont seem to be any passable fish stores in Columbus.

Great Fish Store! Amazing freshwater and saltwater selection to choose from. Great prices. Awesome customer service ! A must stop at fish store in the Columbus area!

Good selection of fish! After 4 stores finally found what I was looking for here. Should have started there. This is my new go to store!

Nice little shop. Staff was half nice half offish. Lots of variety for the size of the place. Better prices than some of the big box pet stores.

You will not fine a better fish store thenrivers to reefs the Employees are very helpful and knowledgeable in fish. The owner is very cool he will help you with any problem he can an if you were looking for a Fish there’s a good chance he can get it for you I have been able to fine some really nice plecos from here

Absolutely my favorite aquarium/fish store and Ive been to many many aquarium stores! Always kind and knowledgeable staff. I know Im getting quality stock here so Id rather spend my money here any day. Its definitely worth a trip.

Love Rivers to Reefs!! Aaron is awesome and so is Sarah! My hubby has been shopping there since they opened and knew Aaron at his previous place of employment and really like him when he was there too.

The store is smaller than others in Columbus, but the staff is fantastic and the service is stellar. One of the staff members was more than happy to help me with a water test on a new aquarium setup, and then took her time educating me on a plethora of plants to help spruce up my aquarium. Once I get the plants planted and my water clears up, I will definitely be back to purchase some fish.

The staff was pleasant and helpful. There were too many dead fish in the tanks, though. Enough dead fish to make me double check their return policy should something go awry. I ordered a couple types of plants and when I got home, while I was charged for two bundles of a plant, there was only one in the bag. I called and was advised Id have to come back into the store for a refund. Nothing could be done over the phone. That adds a wasted 40 minutes to my life

Best local fish and aquarium business I know of. Although this store is small, it is filled to the gills with beautiful and healthy fish. They have a knowledgeable staff and the owner is always there and always friendly. Dont be fooled by the size of this tightly packed boatload of fish, they have an impressive selection. Freshwater, saltwater, and brackish fish are always in stock. They also have a beautiful display of coral species. The fish are never over priced, like at those large retail stores, and I always seem to save more when I go there, which for me still goes to them in the form of an unexpected purchase. Some of their supplies are not cheap, but this is because they dont sell junk or low end equipment. Only top of the line is sold there.My only gripe is their narrow isles, but that isnt much of a bother and shouldnt be a mark against how a business operates. I would advise to wear light clothing or prepare to downgrade layers of clothing, as it is a bit warm and humid inside. This is primarily to keep the fish happy (helps reduce loss of heat and moisture of the many aquariums).So, if youre looking for a new addition and not sure what route to go, stop in and see Aaron (the cool owner) and he and his staff will happily assist you in your next purchase or just answer any questions you may have.*DISCLAIMER* I am not affiliated with Rivers To Reefs Aquariums, as Im sure my overly enthusiastic post may suggest to other skeptics. I merely LOVE this business and all they have to offer to the community. Take pride in buying local.

Excellent reef shop. Very informative and patient for someone just getting info the hobby.

Amazing selection of fish, plants and all the other things that go with them. Knowledgeable staff and way better prices compared to that Hilliard store!

I was really looking forward to going when we were in town and they had some amazing frags at great prices but the female employee had a terrible attitude and when we mentioned a few of the saltwater tanks had ich she kept changing subject and gave me quite the attitude. We still bought a few frags but not really impressed with the amount of ich in the tanks

Excellent small store. Tanks are very clean. Knolegable staff.

Consistent new, rare, and healthy fish. The best staff.

This is the only fish store you need to go to in Columbus. They have a great variety of fish/plants/equipment with very knowledgeable staff. Questions are always welcomed, and if the staff dont know an answer, they wont mislead you. Ive been coming here for years with never a bad experience to report.

Very knowledgeable and good selection

My experience here was fantastic! I went in for the first time today and received help from a very knowledgeable staff member right away. He worked with me and answered all of my questions (I had many). He also seemed like he was excited to help me with my project and that he enjoyed being there. I will be back for more supplies for my aquascape projects for sure.

Wonderful people, good selection, but wish they had more saltwater tanks.

Overpriced hardscaping stuff (rocks and driftwood) and live freshwater plants are covered in algae. Looks like they mainly geared to sell aquarium kits and cater to large tank owners.

Far and away the most interesting, hobbyist focused aquarium store around. Professional, but very friendly and low key, staff who know what theyre talking about, and who are more than willing to take plenty of time to help you. Many of the animals and plants are species you just cant find in other stores- lots of rare types. Most of the tanks are self contained too, so in effect the fish are quarantined from others for better control of their health and environmental needs. The prices are way better than that big store on the West Side, even when that place runs a sale. RTR provides high quality livestock and equipment without gouging the customers. This is definitely a store to check out, and is well worth even a long drive from outside Columbus.

This is a premier aquarium store. As the title suggests, the store owner (Aaron) and staff have expertise on all aquarium environments from fresh water to salt reef set ups. They can assist with successful set ups from nano to pond.

Very friendly and knowledgeable staff, great selection of fish (fresh and saltwater) as well as plants.

The only place I will purchase fish or supplies from locally.Extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Five Stars!

Always amazingly informative & helpful staff! Excellent selection of fresh & salt water fish, snails, plants, coral, live rock, & tank supplies. Our go-to for aquarium advise & stocking in Columbus.