About
Queen City Corals has become a destination for saltwater reef keepers across the Charlotte metro, and it earns that the moment you find your way around back of the building in Mint Hill, NC (more than one regular warns first-timers to drive to the rear). Inside is a spotless coral farm that reviewers happily lose hours in — one visitor called it "easy to spend hours here," and another drove 150 miles just to browse the racks in person. The selection is the draw: deep frag tanks of torches, hammers, chalices like the Hollywood Stunner, acans, zoas, goniopora and alveopora, Fireworks clove polyps, ricordea and Yuma mushrooms, plus full colonies for collectors chasing something rarer.
If you keep a reef tank, this is the kind of aquarium store you plan a Sunday around. Signature livestock keeps people coming back. The ultra-grade rock flower anemones are a local legend, and reefers regularly walk out with healthy bubble tip anemones, Tridacna maxima clams, and clean-up-crew snails for their display tanks.
Frags here are famously clean — customers note plugs that "look brand new" and pieces that open up within minutes of going into the tank after a standard Coral Rx dip. There are budget soft corals for someone restarting a tank and high-grade specimens for the collector eyeing that next centerpiece, so rock flower anemones and frags for sale in Mint Hill, NC suit nearly every reef budget. What sets the shop apart is the people.
Graham fields endless questions with patience, Andrea walks first-time visitors through acclimation, and the whole crew clearly knows reef chemistry and husbandry. One regular described the "intimate, family feeling" of the operation, and that hands-on guidance is exactly why Charlotte-area reefers treat Queen City Corals as their go-to for corals near me. Drive around back, give yourself time, and plan to leave with more coral than you came for.
What they offer
Fish & livestock for sale at Queen City Corals in Mint Hill, NC
Queen City Corals stocks corals, reef fish, anemones, invertebrates, rare and hard-to-find species and saltwater fish for sale in Mint Hill, NC. As an aquarium store serving Mint Hill, NC, it also offers aquarium consultations.
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Ultra-grade rock flower anemones are the signature draw for in-person reef keepers
- Deep coral farm with torches, hammers, Hollywood Stunner chalices, acans, zoas, Yuma and ricordea mushrooms, goniopora and alveopora
- Bubble tip anemones, Tridacna maxima clams, and clean-up-crew snails available alongside frags
- Knowledgeable staff like Graham and Andrea guide acclimation, dipping, and reef husbandry
- Reef keepers regularly drive 1-2+ hours (and up to 150 miles) to shop the Mint Hill location
From keepers
Customer reviews
“Bought a bubble tip from their website and when it came in it was small so I mentioned it on one of their posts. The company starts commenting suggesting I don’t know what I’m doing. Ok cool customer is upset so the best course of action is to insult them. Of course this is after they sent me a Frankie’s bride bounce a couple months ago that was so small I didn’t even think it was in the container. I just wouldn’t with this company and I’ve given them MULTIPLE TRIES.”
— David Stout1.03 days ago“Order arrived in great condition,extremely well packaged with cold pack.nice stuff too!”
— wayne davidson5.05 days ago“This place is amazing highly recommend them for any coral”
— Dustin Johnson5.0a week ago“By far the best online purchasing experience!!!! Every item was packed perfectly. All four rock flower anemones arrived healthy. Great prices & very decent sized anemones. Queen City Corals truly does an amazing job.”
— Jonathan Fisher5.0a week ago“This is my first time buying from Queen City Corals so I went with a small assortment (5) of frag’s and (5) snails. Graham was very responsive to my inquiries even before I placed an order. He communicated with me during the entire process. The packaging was top notch, the insulated box and gel packs were nice to see. My packing list was correct and on top of the inside of the box. The frags were exactly how they were advertised and priced accordingly. After a dip in Coral RX and Lugol’s iodine not a pest or eggs on any of the frags. They all opened up within 5 minutes of going into my DT. I will buy from Graham again, excellent experience!”
— Kent Crafton5.0a week ago“Queen city corals is a really cool spot in Charlotte. Absolutely blows every other fish store I have seen out of the water! So many options and a very very helpful crew. Check em out!”
— David Dolin5.0Edited 2 weeks ago“Hands down best in the business..each time I order corals they arive alive and healthy. I got my bubbletip anemone yesterday and lemme tell ya ...what a specimen he is ..I absolutely love this place ..I will continue doing business with these guys untill im too old to care for anything anymore..much much love. 10 out of 5 stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟”
— Weld 42005.04 weeks ago“Great customer service”
— dannyd hernandez5.0a month ago“I had a great experience ordering from Queen City Corals. Everything was packed extremely well and looked very professional from the moment I opened the box. The corals arrived fast, healthy, and looking just as good as expected. You can tell they actually care about what they’re shipping and take the time to make sure it gets there right. Great selection, great packaging, and a smooth ordering process. I’ll definitely be ordering from QCC again.”
— Josh Moye5.0a month ago“I normally don't leave reviews but QCC earned this one! I am a Yuma lover but they are VERY challenging to find. Not only did QCC have a great selection, they were also high quality and great pricing! I ordered 3 Yuma's, a Acan, a Torch and a $10 mystery frag. The site was having a 25% off sale but I got so caught up at looking at their corals I forgot to use it and I'm kind of glad I didn't after receiving my order because they earned every penny. The mystery coral did come loose from it's frag plug during shipping but wasn't damaged, all the rest were very well secured. I dipped all the corals in CoralRX and ReefDip not a single pest. I placed them in my tank and they all opened up very quickly. I was beyond surprised by the size of the Yuma's and the Torch, as for the mystery frag I got a Blue Zing Birds Nest. Not too excited at first but you can't go wrong with a birds nest, that was until I looked it up and found the backstory behind this coral now I am very excited to have it in my collection. QCC has definitely earned me as a customer and I can't wait for my next order. Y'all better act quick and grab that Cosmic Ember Yuma before I get my next check or I'll have more explaining to do to my old lady!”
— Zachary Quick5.0a month ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (980) 533-1037 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Queen City Corals.