About
Fins Up Reef Co. is a saltwater-focused aquarium store on the southwest edge of the Denver metro, tucked just off C-470 in Littleton, CO. Opened in late 2024 by owner Ryan, it has quickly become a regular weekend stop for Front Range reef keepers — Littleton, CO reviewers routinely call it the best saltwater reef store in the state, and one even said it's worth making a weekend trip out of.
Walk in and the first thing you notice is how spotless and well-lit the place is. The coral displays are meticulously organized, ranging from accessible frags to grail-level pieces, and longtime customers still rave about Ryan's OG mushrooms. He's a hobbyist first, and it shows: the saltwater fish and coral for sale in Littleton, CO are healthy, fairly priced — often below what you'd find online — and the selection leans toward the hard-to-find pieces serious reefers hunt for.
If there's a particular fish you're after, Ryan has a reputation for hunting it down. What keeps people coming back is the guidance. Ryan will study a video of your tank and recommend exactly where a new coral should sit, walk you through equipment and water chemistry, and help a nervous first-timer feel comfortable taking on a salt tank.
' That care extends beyond the counter to professional reef services — he and his team handle tank setup and ongoing maintenance, and have transported and reassembled systems as large as 150 gallons full of livestock without a single loss. Several clients have trusted him with their reef tanks for two years running. For reef hobbyists searching for corals or saltwater fish near me, Fins Up Reef Co.
is the kind of local aquarium store that earns loyalty through pristine tanks, fair pricing, and real expertise. Hours are limited, so it's worth calling ahead before you make the drive.
What they offer
Fish & livestock for sale at Fins Up Reef Co. in Littleton, CO
Fins Up Reef Co. stocks corals, reef fish, invertebrates and saltwater fish for sale in Littleton, CO. As an aquarium store serving Littleton, CO, it also carries dry goods and offers tank maintenance, aquarium setup, water testing, aquarium consultations and fish boarding.
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Saltwater reef shop widely praised by Littleton-area reviewers as one of the best in Colorado
- Spotless, well-lit coral displays from accessible frags to grail-level pieces, including Ryan's OG mushrooms
- Owner Ryan gives hands-on guidance — even reviewing video of your tank to recommend coral placement and water chemistry
- Professional tank setup and maintenance, including transporting fully-stocked 150-gallon systems with zero livestock loss
- Fair pricing on healthy saltwater fish and coral, often below online prices
From keepers
Customer reviews
“Best of the best!”
— Mike Lubash5.0an hour ago“I've been using Fins up reef co. to maintain our tank and they have really turned it around! Very knowledgeable, great selection and prices. Thanks Fins up!”
— David Webster5.02 hours ago“Ryan sold a tank to my friend and months after when my friend moved away he helped him move the tank to my house with his things and later fixed my tank issues. His store is very cool and he has helped me feel comfortable taking on a new salt tank. Thank you Ryan, and I highly recommend Fins Up Reef! Also, every fish that I wanted was stocked and when one wasn't stocked it is being delivered so he does a great job of managing the place. I wish it was open on Friday's as well, but the place is awesome enough to make it a weekend trip!”
— Ethan Goodman5.02 weeks ago“Love Fins Up great selection of coral and fish and great prices Ryan is awesome always so helpful!! We have lots of healthy coral and fish from him would definitely recommend checking them out!”
— Adria Kay5.0a month ago“New review update - Ryan is amazing! Looked at a video of my tank and recommended placement of a coral I wanted to buy the day of. Bought the coral and its doing great! Opened right up, very happy in the recommended place. Have bought fish here as well over the past year, doing well also! Highly recommended shop, my favorite around town! Old review - Great shop, Ryan is very knowledgeable! Bought some coral and we were given instruction and recommendations on where they will do best in our tank. Always a good learning experience. Shop is very clean and great selection of fish and coral!”
— Jon C5.0Edited a month ago“Ryan is awesome. He’s a hobbyist first. And he knows his stuff. His shop has some of the best coral around town. His prices are fair and his all around a great guy. So glad he opened his shop and services both of my fish tanks.”
— Jeremias Velis5.0a month ago“Quite simply the best salt water reef store in the state. Shop owner Ryan is an expert in his craft and the most helpful person we’ve met during our saltwater journey. Fins Up has a great selection of healthy hard to find fish and coral for all, but above everything else, you have to appreciate the honesty and quality with which this business is run.”
— Vango M5.0a month ago“Ryan is an expert at what he does and super helpful. Highly recommend!”
— Zach Pacheco5.0a month ago“Awful experience. I would not trust Ryan at Fins Up Reef Co. with a serious reef tank. Since Ryan took over my system in January, the tank noticeably declined after a year of stability. I experienced repeated coral loss, livestock loss, instability, and a steady stream of new explanations while the overall condition of the tank kept trending the wrong way. Expensive pieces died under his care, and I was the one repeatedly flagging concerns about salinity, phosphate, nitrate, GFO, roller media, feeder levels, flow, and general maintenance details. What made the situation worse was how he handled questions. When I raised reasonable concerns about losses and the direction of the tank, the response was not accountability. It was defensiveness. Over and over, normal customer questions were framed as me not "trusting" him, as if asking questions while corals were dying was somehow the problem. There were also reliability issues. Visits were shifted or canceled, communication became increasingly frustrating, and in the end he discontinued service by text the morning he was supposed to arrive. A reef tank requires consistency, attention to detail, professionalism, and accountability when things go wrong. That was not my experience here. My tank suffered, I lost a substantial amount in livestock and coral, and I would strongly recommend that others look elsewhere for maintenance.”
— Andrew Slagh1.02 months ago“Great selection”
— Danielle Kelly5.02 months ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (305) 903-1122 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Fins Up Reef Co..