About
Tucked into the Chicago aquarium scene, Tank It Easy has built a reputation among reef keepers for one standout practice: they quarantine their fish before selling them. In a hobby where a single sick fish can devastate a carefully built reef tank, that commitment to livestock health sets them apart from many competitors in the area. It's the kind of detail that earns loyal customers.
The shop focuses squarely on the saltwater side of the hobby, carrying a wide selection of coral, anemones, and marine fish alongside dry goods and equipment. One of the more impressive aspects of their operation is that they propagate their own corals and anemones in-house, giving customers access to specimens already acclimated to aquarium life. Their display tanks are well-maintained and serve as genuine inspiration for anyone building or upgrading a reef setup.
James is the staff member reviewers mention by name, and for good reason — he's described as deeply knowledgeable and genuinely helpful when guiding customers through fish and coral selections. That kind of personalized attention matters, especially when you're making decisions about compatibility and placement in a reef system. Tank It Easy also builds custom tanks and operates service vans around Chicago, handling maintenance and delivery for clients who need hands-on support.
They're clearly invested in the full lifecycle of the hobby, from initial setup to ongoing care. It's worth noting that some longtime customers have observed a smaller coral selection recently compared to earlier visits, along with some price increases — particularly on colonies that once drew regulars in frequently. The shop's coral inventory appears to fluctuate, so timing your visit or calling ahead for specific pieces is a smart move.
For Chicago saltwater hobbyists who prioritize healthy livestock and appreciate a shop that grows its own corals and quarantines incoming fish, Tank It Easy delivers where it counts most — at the tank level.
What they offer
Livestock, services, water
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Quarantines all fish before sale to ensure healthy livestock
- Grows their own corals and anemones in-house
- Custom-built tanks available
- Knowledgeable staff — James frequently praised by name
- Service vans for maintenance and delivery across Chicago
From keepers
Customer reviews
“I haven’t ever done business with this company but how you behave while branded with a company logo is important. That being said: there’s an intersection by my business that is ALWAYS blocked. Usually blocked over a crosswalk, too. To make the left turn I have to wait for a whole traffic light cycle or two because people rush to a red light only to block said intersection. But why are they rushing to a red light in the first place? Anyone? Anyone? Blocking intersections is illegal factually everywhere so I don’t know why people do it. They look like morons doing it. Not unlike leaving shopping carts out and about in parking lots. Looking at all you Costco shoppers who think it’s okay to hook them to the curbs by the trees. Maybe once a week some smart person doesn’t block said intersection. Today that was a Tank it Easy van. I tried to give the guy a thumbs up but I’m not sure if he saw me. Never heard of you before this, just looked you up and will refer you to anyone who so much as mentions the words fish, tank, shark or similar.”
— Julijana Tkalec5.06 months ago“Tank it easy. Very nice place. The display tanks looked great. James helped me with my selection of fish and coral. He's a good sales rep. I won't hesitate to come back next time I need anything.”
— Chris5.09 months ago“I use to come here often to see the corals since their prices were good for the corals such as the colonies. Recently they have been having less variety and recently came in to see some of the coral prices have gone up. It seems its not so much worth coming in for anymore. was a regular but not sure if I'll be coming as often due to the place prices being higher.”
— john K2.010 months ago“Went in to look for some fish for my tank and this place has such a great variety of fish and coral and anemones. They actually grow their own coral and anemones which is awesome. James helped us out while we were there and he really knows his stuff and was a great help in finding what we needed. This is also the only place I know about that quarantines their fish before putting them in with the others which makes sure you get a perfectly healthy fish that won’t infect your tank. Overall amazing experience and definitely using them for all my aquarium needs. Great pricing too!”
— Matthew Loarie5.010 months ago“No longer my go to store. The coral selection isn’t great and Apple Pay sometimes works and other times doesn’t.. it’s been years with that problem..”
— Nelson Irizarry1.0Edited a year ago“Nice staff and take care of customers they explained all my question. A lot of corals and variations of fish I will come again to buy some corals”
— Dan Lnn4.0a year ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (312) 600-8265 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Tank It Easy.