High Tide Aquatics

High Tide Aquatics in Oakland is the kind of saltwater shop that makes people drive three hours each way and feel good about it. Owner Kenny has built something rare: a reef store where every fish goes through a rigorous, expert-level quarantine process before it ever reaches a customer's tank. This isn't a cursory observation period — reviewers reference the Humble Fish community's endorsement of his QT protocols, and customers consistently report zero disease issues with their purchases.

For reef keepers tired of rolling the dice on new additions, that peace of mind alone is worth the trip. The coral selection is the other major draw. High Tide carries a rotating variety of mostly captive-bred corals — Acropora, softies, and everything in between — at prices customers repeatedly call reasonable.

Regulars who visit monthly say they rarely see the same pieces twice, suggesting Kenny maintains strong wholesaler relationships and a steady pipeline of fresh stock. He'll also source specific livestock on request if it's not currently in the shop. Beyond corals and quarantined fish, High Tide stocks basic invertebrates, chaetomorpha for refugiums, RO water, premixed saltwater, and essential dry goods.

The store also ships fish, with reviewers praising mail-order clownfish — ocellaris and mocha varieties — that arrived healthy and are still thriving months later. The space itself is worth seeing. Kenny's display tanks are stunning showcases of what careful reef keeping looks like, and reviewers describe the shop as a genuinely inviting place to hang out and talk saltwater.

Kenny is clearly a hobbyist first, taking time with each customer to discuss livestock sourcing, tank health, and sustainable practices. He's even been known to point people toward other shops when their needs fall outside his saltwater focus. For the Bay Area reef community, High Tide Aquatics has become essential — a specialty store that treats fish health as non-negotiable and backs it up with results.