About
Kung Fu Corals has earned a near-cult following in San Diego's reef scene, built almost entirely on owner Danny's deep coral expertise and the genuine care he and partner John pour into every piece. This is a serious, appointment-based coral operation rather than a typical walk-in pet shop — the kind of San Diego aquarium store where reefers happily road-trip in, pick up their finds, and end up hanging around for an hour talking shop with a crew reviewers describe as welcoming, patient, and endlessly knowledgeable. The selection is the draw.
Kung Fu Corals leans hard into high-end euphyllia — torch corals with massive, colorful heads are the signature — alongside hammers, goniopora, and acanthophyllia, plus what regulars call one of the largest zoa selections around. Mushroom corals, rare frags, and acropora round it out, and visitors swear the inventory is dangerous: every time you spot a favorite, another piece you 'can't live without' appears. If you're hunting torch corals for sale in San Diego, CA, or a standout zoa garden, this is the room to be in.
What sets the shop apart is health and honesty. Danny is the originator of the legendary 'KFC dip,' a prophylactic treatment for disease and parasites that keeps the coral systems immaculate and the livestock thriving — customers credit it with beating back brown jelly and other common ailments. The corals are full of flesh, vivid in color, and exactly as pictured, with frag sizes reviewers call generous.
Pricing keeps locals coming back: Danny is known for moving colony-level pieces at frag prices, going head-to-head with big San Diego names like Top Shelf Aquatics and Aqua SD. ' For healthy, high-end reef coral available in San Diego, CA, Kung Fu Corals is hard to beat.
What they offer
Fish & livestock for sale at Kung Fu Corals in San Diego, CA
Kung Fu Corals stocks corals, reef fish, rare and hard-to-find species and saltwater fish for sale in San Diego, CA. As an aquarium store serving San Diego, CA, it also carries fish medications and offers aquarium consultations and fish quarantine.
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Originator of the legendary 'KFC dip' — a prophylactic treatment that keeps livestock disease- and parasite-free
- Signature high-end euphyllia: torch corals with massive colorful heads, plus hammers and goniopora
- One of the largest zoa selections in San Diego, with rare frags, acropora, and mushroom corals
- Owners Danny and John run a welcoming, deeply knowledgeable appointment-based San Diego coral showroom
- Colony-level pieces at frag prices, competitive with big names like Top Shelf Aquatics and Aqua SD
From keepers
Customer reviews
“Ordered off palm street for the first time. Was beyond impressed with the corals health and coloration.”
— James Martuscelli5.0a week ago“If you really want to add some 🔥 to your tank this is the spot. Very knowledgeable staff and the largest variety of corals around. Legendary Kung Fu Noodles are a must, and definitely checkout Palmstreet for the best deals!”
— Luke Barrow5.02 weeks ago“All around great business! Great communication and amazing packaging! Buy with confidence. Looking forward to my next package.”
— Jorge Kuzio5.03 weeks ago“Super friendly, knowledgeable and reliable. Wonderful corals, customer service and shipping!”
— S. M. Aubuchon5.04 weeks ago“Awesome zoa selection, great guys!”
— michael nibecker4.04 weeks ago“Steadyowl: best place to purchase corals! JOHN IS THE BEST !!”
— Jigo conde5.04 weeks ago“I’ve had a great experience with Kung Fu Corals. The corals arrived healthy and were exactly as pictured. Their selection is impressive, with a variety of unique and high-quality corals that are difficult to find elsewhere. Communication was excellent throughout the process, and it’s clear they genuinely care about the health of their livestock and the satisfaction of their customers. Every coral I’ve purchased has settled in well and shown great color and polyp extension. Whether you’re new to reef keeping or a long-time hobbyist, I would definitely recommend Kung Fu Corals for healthy, beautiful corals and outstanding customer service.”
— Bryan Solis5.04 weeks ago“Kungfu Corals is dangerous. Not because of anything they do wrong, but because you log into an auction planning to buy one coral and somehow end up trying to explain your purchases to your mother. We road-tripped to San Diego to pick up our auction winnings and ended up hanging around so long I’m pretty sure John started wondering whether we were planning to move in. The entire crew was incredibly welcoming, knowledgeable, and patient, even while I repeatedly attempted to negotiate my way into owning several shrooms that were very clearly outside my budget. To their credit, they politely declined my brilliant proposals involving discounts, sympathy, and what I considered highly persuasive arguments. The coral selection is absolutely insane. Every time you think you’ve found your favorite piece, another one appears that you suddenly “can’t live without.” The auctions are an absolute blast and have become one of the highlights of the hobby. Great people, great deals, friendly competition, and enough excitement to keep everyone glued to the chat. Honestly, they’re more fun than a frat party, and judging by the number of times “explain that one to your wife” comes up in the auction chat, I’m clearly not the only one making questionable financial decisions in pursuit of beautiful corals. Most importantly, the corals are stunning, healthy, and exactly as advertised. It’s obvious these guys genuinely care about quality and about the reefing community they’ve built around their auctions. If you’re looking for amazing corals and an equally amazing group of people, Kungfu Corals is absolutely worth checking out. Just don’t blame me when you find yourself trying to justify another mushroom coral purchase to your family after swearing the last one was your final coral of the year.”
— Erica Cohn5.04 weeks ago“Amazing service, team, products, and live stock. Favorite local fish store”
— Adam Vizcarra5.04 weeks ago“Purchased some torches, hammers and gonis through Palmstreet. All the pieces were healthy and frag sizes were decent. Customer service was also great.”
— Robert Abad5.04 weeks ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (619) 300-1390 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Kung Fu Corals.