About
Kung Fu Corals has built a devoted following in San Diego and well beyond, largely on the strength of owner Danny's deep reef-keeping expertise and genuine care for every coral that leaves his facility. Operating by appointment only, this isn't your typical walk-in pet store — it's a serious coral operation that doubles as one of the most trusted online coral retailers in the country, shipping healthy livestock to reefers as far away as Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The selection leans heavily into high-end euphyllia — torches with massive, colorful heads are a signature — along with stunning zoa gardens, acanthophyllia, and Malaysian acropora.
Reviewers consistently note that the corals arrive with more flesh, better color, and bigger polyp extension than competitors charging premium prices. Danny's proprietary "KFC dip," a prophylactic coral treatment for disease and parasites, has become something of a legend in the reef community, and customers credit it with keeping their tanks free of brown jelly and other common ailments. What truly sets Kung Fu Corals apart is the customer service.
Danny sends personalized videos and photos of individual pieces before purchase, responds quickly to questions, and has repeatedly replaced corals lost to shipping delays — even when the issue was clearly the carrier's fault. Multiple reviewers describe him walking them through bacterial infections, medication protocols, and general reef tank troubleshooting, whether or not they've bought anything recently. Shipping is meticulous.
Orders are packed with care that reviewers call "top tier" and "better than most places," and pieces frequently arrive with bonus heads or extra frags. For San Diego locals who visit in person, the coral systems are immaculate and the prices competitive with big-name operations like Top Shelf Aquatics and Aqua SD — except Danny is known for selling colonies at frag prices. If you're building or restocking a reef tank, Kung Fu Corals delivers both online and in the shop with a level of personal investment that's increasingly rare in the hobby.
What they offer
Livestock, services, water
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Proprietary 'KFC dip' prophylactic coral treatment for disease and parasites
- Exceptional euphyllia selection — torches, acanthophyllia, and rare zoa frags
- Ships nationwide with meticulous packaging and next-day replacements for shipping issues
- Owner Danny provides personalized videos and photos of corals before purchase
- Appointment-only San Diego showroom with colony-level pieces at competitive prices
From keepers
Customer reviews
“Danny and his team are great!!! Love the huge selection and quality livestock.”
— chilly cheezer5.0a month ago“Felt like I was not supposed to be there. Only dedicated to online no price on anything and nobody ever asked to help me. Mostly just torch anyway”
— Trinity Brown1.0a month ago“Great variety of zoas!! All the corals are doing great!! Friendly owners”
— Omkar Kale5.02 months ago“Purchased a beautiful acantho and rare zoa frag online from them. They answered all my questions and were more than helpful when it came to tips for future success in my reef tank. I hope to make it out in person to the store one day in San Diego, but for now I found my next online coral website!”
— Lyla5.03 months ago“Placed an order and it was shipped out the next day after a phone call from them confirming that it worked for me. Packaging was top tier, better than most places I've ordered from. Corals arrived healthy and with more heads than I even ordered, very happy with my purchase. I won't hesitate to order from these guys again.”
— Jonathon Blake5.03 months ago“Kung Fu Corals is awesome, walked in there last Friday for the first time, and walked away with some awesome Torches. Their coral selection is some of the best I've seen here in San Diego. Looks like I might have found my new coral shopping spot. 100% Recommend.”
— Gman R.5.0Edited 4 months ago“Great healthy corals, Danny is a super nice and reasonable guy to work with. Would recommend!”
— Connor Ries5.05 months ago“Great service and amazing corals!”
— Dusty Walker5.07 months ago“Danny is by far the best reefer I know! He has a wealth of knowledge and experience and is always eager/happy to help with any questions. He treats his customers like family, and he takes care of the coral even better! I have never seen healthier coral in other reef shops. He takes serious care of all euphyllia and acropora through prophylactic treatment for disease and parasites. It’s obvious that the coral love it! I feel safer buying from him than I have from any other shop. He has high quality coral that compete with big names like Top Shelf aquatics and Aqua SD, but for reasonable prices! Seriously consider buying from him before paying those wild prices. Whatever they’re selling I promise he has. The difference is for the same price he’ll sell you a colony Pics to come!”
— Jacob Perez5.0a year ago“Very helpful. Very cool store.”
— Jaron Hillyer5.0a year 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.