High Tide Aquarium

High Tide Aquarium is Tallahassee's dedicated saltwater destination, and the reviews make that crystal clear — this is a marine-only shop that has earned a devoted following stretching across north Florida and into south Georgia, with customers regularly driving two hours or more just to browse the coral selection. And what a selection it is. Reviewers consistently single out the corals as the store's crown jewel — SPS, LPS, bubble tip anemones, and everything in between, with the owner reportedly knowing the Latin names of every specimen.

The shop also stocks captive-bred seahorses, a variety of saltwater fish, crustaceans, sponges, reef-safe nutrients, pumps, and other marine equipment. If you're looking for freshwater supplies, though, you'll need to go elsewhere — High Tide is unapologetically all saltwater, all the time. The store's physical appearance comes up in nearly every review.

Customers call it the cleanest fish store they've ever visited, with one reviewer favorably comparing it to ATM's showroom in Las Vegas. The display tanks are immaculate and serve as living showcases of what a well-maintained reef system can look like. It's the kind of place where even non-hobbyists stop to stare.

Scott, the owner, and staff member Chad are the names that come up most frequently. Scott is described as a "coral meister" who genuinely cares about the long-term success of each customer's reef system — offering acclimation advice, troubleshooting ich outbreaks, and even following up with phone calls. Chad gets special praise for his approachable demeanor and patience with newer hobbyists.

And then there's Bailey, the resident Jack Russell who greets visitors and reportedly receives as many compliments as the livestock. Pricing is another recurring theme. Multiple reviewers note that High Tide's coral prices rival or beat what's available in the more competitive Central Florida market, which partly explains why people travel so far to shop here.

For reef keepers anywhere in the Florida panhandle or southern Georgia, High Tide has firmly established itself as the store worth the drive.