The Little Reef Shop

Tucked into Downers Grove, Illinois, The Little Reef Shop lives up to its name — compact in footprint but stacked with healthy corals, saltwater fish, and the kind of hands-on expertise that keeps reefers driving 35 minutes or more to get there. Owner Joshua and his team, including staff members Parker, Heather, Keely, and Rocco, have built a loyal following by genuinely caring about what happens after livestock leaves the store. Heather is known for asking detailed questions about your tank setup before she'll sell you a pair of bonded clownfish, and Parker has walked countless newcomers through the process of setting up their first reef tank.

The coral selection is the main draw. Rotating frags — sometimes offered at $5 deals — fill immaculately clean tanks free of aiptasia, a detail nano reef keepers will appreciate. Anemones, live rock, and a solid variety of saltwater fish round out the livestock offerings.

The shop also carries some surprisingly hard-to-find plumbing fittings, the kind of slip-by-slip bulkhead pieces you'd normally have to order from Bulk Reef Supply online. What truly sets The Little Reef Shop apart is their quarantine service. They'll hold and quarantine fish for you before you take them home, and if they don't have a specific species in stock, they'll order it and quarantine it on your behalf.

One customer even trusted them to board fish from a 500-gallon tank during a cross-country move to Florida. RO/DI water and premixed saltwater are available for regular pickup, and the store handles tank setups, tear-downs, and cleaning through their maintenance service. The location can be a little tricky to find, and the space itself is modest, but the quality of the livestock and the depth of knowledge behind the counter make it a destination shop for saltwater hobbyists across the western Chicago suburbs.

If you're building or maintaining a reef tank in the Downers Grove area, this is the kind of store that earns your weekly visits.