Friendly staff who share aquarium hobbies. This store is more salt water based, but is expanding later this year for a fresh water section. Our baby liked the large fish and coral display tanks and the gravel vacuum we purchased was a great price $7 👍

When my wife and I decided to dive into a new hobby that we could enjoy together, we landed on the idea of starting our very own aquarium. Fast forward eight months, and let me tell you, this place has become our underwater oasis! Now, when I first dipped my toes into the saltwater hobby, I had zero knowledge and absolutely no experience. Talk about a fish out of water! But fear not, because every time I hit a snag or needed some advice, this place had my back. It's like having your very own fish whisperers on speed dial. My journey started with this business, and I can proudly say that my first fish and coral are VIPs from here. They aren't just hanging in there; they're thriving and doing the underwater cha-cha! What's their secret sauce? A top-notch quarantine process for all their aquatic buddies, ensuring that I can trust every finned and tentacled friend I bring home. I'm shouting it from the rooftop – this place is the real deal! I 100% recommend it to anyone looking to make a splash in the aquarium world. And guess what? I'm not just hooked; I've leveled up to four tanks. Yep, you heard it right – four! It's like a fishy party at my place, and it's all thanks to the awesomeness of this place. So, if you're ready to turn your living room into an underwater wonderland, take the plunge with these aquarium gurus. You won't just get fish; you'll get fins, fun, and a splash of pure joy

It’s in the back! Just visited here and it was great. They do 3+ week quarantine on fish and coral plus they source sustainably from breeders. Their coral selection was great with a ton of varieties and different grades of quality and size. Offered excellent advice on how to properly cycle my tank as well as correct some of the misconceptions I had. Will be buying most of my fish from here.

I drove nearly an hour to get to this store. It looked like a great spot thanks to the good reviews. When I pulled up, I though it was a bit odd that the store was around the corner in the back of the building, but I wanted to give it a shot and try to support small business. I was in the store more than 30 minutes, and not one person acknowledged me or my partner. Not even a “Hello”. Sometimes they looked up at me then turned away. I needed some help as I’m getting started with my new reef tank and wanted to spend a lot of money on it over the next few months. Oh well. The store is very small. Not a lot of fish in stock. The fish that were in the front looked good, the ones for sale in the back looked miserable. The equipment looked old and dusty and not a very wide selection. I honestly don’t know how this place has good reviews, though perhaps other types of people get better service here if you know what I mean. I left disappointed, and drove to a different store that had better selection of coral and fish, a welcoming atmosphere, and some actual customer service.

I drove 30 minutes to get here. I’m always looking for ways to support small businesses, and I had wanted to try this shop out. I was there probably 20 minutes, and out of around 6 employees in the store, not one person acknowledged me. Looked at me then turned away. I needed some help and I was going to purchase something. Oh well. The store is very small. Not a lot of fish in stock. There were a couple of display aquariums in the front that looked decent, but in the back the tanks were in poor shape. And with all the people working there, you’d think they could remove the dead fish. Also there’s a tank in the front that’s overrun with guppies. The tank was dark and miserable. I know they breed profusely, but if you’re going to keep them, then provide proper care and manage them. I honestly don’t know how this place got good reviews. I went up the road to a different store where I at least got decent customer service.

Best salt water store around, the employees are incredibly helpful. The fish are clearly treated well and quarantined with care.

Reef Escape is the best Marine fish , Corals & inverts store in Fairfax perhaps in whole state of Virginia . Employees are very cultured ,knowledgeable ,especially PJ, the guy is professional with good personality , very attentive. The design of the store ,and display tanks are just perfect .Special Thanks to the Owner ! Please Visit the Store you won't regret it , Satisfaction Guaranteed 100% .

Very helpful staff, they are happy to answer any questions you have. Good selection of fish and coral.

Absolutely love this place! I’m a reefer and I only get my fish here because they quarantine everything no exceptions. PG and Dave are always knowledgeable and very helpful! The store is clean, organized and dog friendly. If you want quality Go See for yourself. Location is a bit of a challenge but worth it. It’s located in the back of the strip mall.

I love this place. We’ve been to several other “reef” stores in most areas of NoVA/DMV as we started our new found salt water aquarium hobby, but all have failed in comparison. P.G., Jay, Lee and everyone else are so helpful in not just general service, but also passing on their knowledge to provide you with most enjoyable reefing experience. Please be patient, the quarantine is essential and won’t be regretted like with other stores of just buy whatever and if it dies, too bad…

The staff at Reef eScape was extremely helpful and patient with us as we looked at possible options for a new salt water tank set up. They answered all our questions and provided suggestions based on our expected budget. We would recoomend Reef eScape to anyone looking for a new tank or if they are looking for specific fish or corals.

Amazing place, both the retail store and their services. Employees are true enthusiasts and experts who can help customers design, maintain, and correct when needed salt water aquariums.

Reef Escape is my go to reef shop. Andrew, PG, and Jay (and the entire staff) are very knowledgeable and patient. I knew nothing about the hobby and they have guided me through the whole process and answered my millions of questions! They take care of their customers and look out for making my reefing experience the best it can be without trying to upsell me on everything. I look forward going there (almost weekly) to see what they have and learn!

I have shopped here more than once. I have gotten fish, corals and hermit crabs. I like the staff here. When you ask them a question they take the time to answer. There is a decent selection of corals and some cool display tanks. I think prices are within expected ranges but could use discounts every now and then. Loyalty program would be a nice addition for repeat customers like me.

Local store with mainly saltwater aquarium resources and some freshwater resources. Very helpful and friendly staff and highly recommend it especially once they finish setting up the larger retail space. Jay who helped us was very knowledgeable and kind

The staff here are awesome. Jay is very helpful and our fish, that they quarantine, have been very healthy.

One of my favorite saltwater stores I have visited. Everyone their knowledge of fish is great. My first visit I learned so much information about starting a saltwater tank. I brought a lot of dry rock and salt. They have tons of live rock as well. Store was clean and everyone was friendly. They also quarantine every fish before sold. My only con is when I go back most of the fish are sold already it breaks my heart. Wish they would post online what’s the current stock so I can call in and pay a holding fee. Other then that the shop is great.

We love the staff. PG , Andrew, and others have been so generous with their time, honesty, and advice as my wife and I plunged into the reef tank hobby. We also appreciate their fish quarantine process.

Great store and the staff were very friendly. PG helped me out and did an awesome job answering my questions and helping me pick out some cleaners and fish.

Always adored the ocean, this is my first time jumping into this hobby when I discovered this store and have been successful with Dave and his team. I come here regularly and follow the advice and my reef has been doing well - positive growth (soft/LPS/SPS) and I don’t struggle with maintaining the tank. I have made the majority of my purchases here and will continue to do so (equipment/livestock/food). When I come by, there are usually 2 young guys and they have always been very helpful.

This is now my go to aquarium store for life. I thought i knew a thing or two about aquariums, but Jay was there and he humbled me with his knowledge. He was very nice as well, and i love the fact they actually quarantine their fish before selling. Amazing practices, and amazing place!

Awesome place! They really have a great business concept... they bring the tank and the fish and the coral and then maintain it for you. I think they might be getting into fresh water acquariums soon. Very knowledgeable staff and very friendly too.

I've been going here since 2017. They have a great selection of fish and corals! Staff is friendly and HONEST. All fish in the store are quarantined and are very healthy! There is no better place to go here for saltwater fish and corals than Reef eScape!

Sorry this is a long review. I recently joined the hobby a few months ago and did a lot of research on local fish stores. I found Reef eScape through a video from someone who recommended them as one of the best in the Northern VA area. I initially went in to get information about a saltwater aquarium and quickly realized I needed to start with freshwater. I will get a managed saltwater aquarium at some point but want to learn more in case I need to do something myself. After talking to Noah for an extensive period of time, I made the decision to push the button. With Noah’s tireless help day and night (and I mean day & night), I finally have my aquarium up and running. Noah’s commitment to not only the hobby but his passion for marine biology is evident in how he interacts with his customers. Do you know anyone who will respond to an email or call after hours? Well, Noah would and it was well known by the other employees. I actually now have a planted aquarium as well due to conversations with Noah, Jae and Jonny. Although Reef eScape currently has a small selection of freshwater fish, they are the ONLY freshwater fish store that truly quarantines all their fish (saltwater and freshwater). I tirelessly researched which fish I wanted once my tank was fully cycled after 6 weeks. While I was in the store; Dave, Jonny, Jae and Noah collaborated on what I wanted to order and discussed which fish would work and which would not work. I was truly excited that after 2 months of waiting, testing and waiting again I would finally have my fish. Unfortunately, only one of the fish selections was ordered so I ended up with fish I didn’t necessarily want but was willing to take home. Even though I wasn’t expecting the other fish, they have been fun to observe and I love them the same. I even bought guppies that I didn’t want but only purchased because they were an unexpected unique new addition to the store. Thank you Jae!!! Sadly I just found out Noah is no longer working for Reef eScape. My heart truly hurts that he’s no longer there because it’s hard to find someone who’s willing to go above and beyond to genuinely help a customer. Noah was a great asset to Reef eScape and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors. I know he’s going to do well where ever he is.

Our first visit. The staff was incredibly kind and patient with us. We talked primarily with Dave and then bonded with Jay through a shared live for turtles. They are knowledgeable and informative and will definitely be seeing a lot more of us.

My favorite store in the area! Everyone is really friendly and happy to take the time to explain things. I recently started a 45 gallon saltwater tank and Jae has been a life saver! He does a great job explaining things to a beginner without over complicating it. 10/10 recommend. Can't wait to go back soon.