Matt's Corals & Service

Walk into Matt's Corals & Service in Gahanna, Ohio, and the first thing you'll notice is how immaculately clean everything is. Reviewers consistently describe it as the cleanest fish store they've ever visited — one customer compared it to a science lab. The modern, organized layout stands in sharp contrast to the cluttered feel of many local fish stores, and it immediately signals that this team takes livestock health seriously.

Matt's is a dedicated saltwater and reef shop, and the coral selection is the main draw. Frag tanks are stocked with a wide variety at prices that customers say are genuinely competitive. The fish side doesn't disappoint either — healthy clownfish, tangs, and other tropical saltwater species fill the displays, and the store has been known to carry more unusual livestock like stingrays and seahorses.

Invertebrates and anemones round out the living inventory, while a curated selection of aquascaping rock, equipment, and food covers the dry goods side. What sets Matt's apart in the Columbus area is the depth of service. Staff members like Brandon and Aiden are name-dropped repeatedly for their patience and willingness to walk customers through everything from first-tank decisions to troubleshooting established reef systems.

Owner Matt himself is in the store most days and has made home visits to diagnose tank issues, documenting problems and providing detailed estimates. The shop sells and sets up Tideline aquariums — the 130-gallon and 140-gallon models are specifically mentioned — and offers ongoing biweekly maintenance contracts that customers credit with keeping their systems thriving. People drive well over an hour to shop here, and those returning to the hobby after long breaks frequently cite Matt's staff as the reason they felt confident jumping back in.

The store also fulfills online orders and will special-order items they don't have in stock. For anyone running a reef tank in central Ohio, Matt's Corals & Service has earned its reputation as the go-to saltwater destination.