About
Set against the red rock of St. George, UT, Salty Fins is the saltwater and reef destination southern Utah hobbyists keep coming back to, with some driving from Cedar City and three and a half hours out just to walk the aisles. Owners Jen and Mike have spent the better part of two decades in the hobby, and that depth shows the moment you start asking questions.
As one longtime reefer put it, the greatest wealth of knowledge he has gained came from Jen, who guided him from a first 13-gallon nano all the way up to thriving 60- and 150-gallon display tanks. This is a dedicated marine shop, and the livestock reflects it. The rotating selection of corals, invertebrates, and marine fish for sale in St.
George, UT is kept in clean, healthy-looking systems that make browsing genuinely relaxing. Reef keepers searching for vibrant corals or a clownfish near me find Jen happy to special-order specific fish when they are not already in stock. Need cleanup-crew snails, color corals, or your first clown?
She will talk it through honestly. What sets this aquarium store apart is the coaching. Jen and Nick walk first-timers through the parts of the hobby that trip people up: drip acclimation, quarantine, managing salinity and alkalinity swings, and patiently riding out the uglies while live rock matures and a tank stabilizes.
Free water testing and frank troubleshooting are part of the deal, and customers describe staff like Nick and Alex as funny, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in each tank's success. The shop also handles custom aquarium builds with matching cabinetry made to your specifications. The hours are limited, and a recurring wish in reviews is simply that Salty Fins were open longer, but for anyone running a reef in southern Utah, this shop turns a demanding hobby into something personal.
If you are considering the leap into saltwater, this is the St. George store to start with.
What they offer
Fish & livestock for sale at Salty Fins Saltwater Aquarium store in St. George, UT
Salty Fins Saltwater Aquarium store stocks corals, reef fish, invertebrates, clownfish and saltwater fish for sale in St. George, UT. As an aquarium store serving St. George, UT, it also offers aquarium setup, custom tank builds, water testing and aquarium consultations.
- Livestock & products
- Services
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Owners Jen and Mike bring nearly two decades of reefing experience, guiding hobbyists from first nano tanks up to 150-gallon reef builds
- Dedicated saltwater shop with a rotating selection of corals, invertebrates, marine fish, and clownfish kept in clean, healthy systems
- Hands-on coaching on acclimation, quarantine, and water parameters, plus free water testing and honest troubleshooting
- Custom aquarium and cabinet builds made to customer specifications
- Draws loyal reef keepers from across southern Utah, including Cedar City more than three hours away
From keepers
Customer reviews
“I absolutely love salty fins. Jen is an absolute god send, she’s answered every question I have that I was unable to find an answer to online. If you want to have a tank thrive salty fins is your best bet.”
— Blaine5.03 months ago“This is only the second review I've ever done, but after seeing a one star for Salty Fins, I had to rebut. I've only been reefing for almost two years now. I'm 54, have a BS in Biology, taught Life and Physical Sciences in a past life, and have been a waterman, fisherman, and surfer all my life on the East Coast (Outer Banks). I can say that in two years of learning about reefing, I've only scratched the surface of knowledge in the hobby. But I can safely say that greatest wealth of knowledge that I've gained, and the greatest service that I've received in that time has been from Jen at Salty Fins. With over 18 years of experience in the hobby and business, her and Mike have helped me to navigate and progress from my first 13 gallon Nano tank, to now my two pride and joy tanks - 60 gallon and 150 gallon. They've guided me right every time, from dealing with the uglies, managing water quality and parameters, helping build a healthy ecosystem, and doing the best to have tanks that I enjoy, but also provide a healthy habitat for all inhabitants. I don't know (and other established reefers would agree as well) how someone who's only had a tank setup for 2 months, and is listening to AI guidance on the Internet is even qualified to write a poor review for the established professional reefer here in our St. George community. What gives? I spend a lot of time in the store just chatting with Jen and learning, and after two years I'm starting to get a grasp of it, and really understanding how these complex ecosystems work *after they get established*. Two months isn't even long enough for live rock to come alive... Jen has *ALWAYS* treated me fairly, and that's why I come back day after day, week after week. Not everything has always survived that I've purchased and put in my tanks. Sometimes it's my fault, sometimes it wasn't a healthy specimen to begin with, and just as life teaches us, sometimes it's not anyone's fault. It's just life. But I've always taken the time to talk with Jen about it, and we've always come to a satisfactory resolution. She's kind, understanding, and really, really wants the best for her customers and the living things that she sells. Swing by Salty Fins, get to know Jen, and start your journey with saltwater reefing, and you'll see what I mean. Great products and service, and a wealth of knowledge is why I keep coming back.”
— Emil Moster5.03 months ago“It appears that many of the issues people experience stem from a lack of personal accountability. Proper acclimation and quarantine procedures are well-established best practices in this hobby, yet it is often easier for individuals to place blame on the store rather than evaluate their own processes. There is an abundance of reliable information available, but in my opinion, the most valuable guidance comes from individuals with firsthand experience. For saltwater aquariums, Salty Fins has consistently been an excellent resource. Over the past seven years, their advice has proven dependable and has never led me in the wrong direction. In saltwater systems especially, a few things make a huge difference: 1. Quarantine is huge Even reputable stores can’t guarantee fish are disease-free. Parasites like Marine Ich or Marine Velvet often show up days after purchase. A simple QT tank for observation and treatment saves a ton of headaches. 2. Proper acclimation matters Salinity differences between store water and your tank can stress fish fast. A slow drip acclimation or gradual salinity matching can make the difference between a fish thriving vs. crashing in a few days. 3. Tank maturity & stability A lot of new hobbyists add fish too quickly before the system is really stable. Even if ammonia/nitrite read zero, swings in salinity, temperature, or alkalinity can stress new arrivals. 4. Good sources of advice help a lot Local experts and specialized shops are gold in this hobby. Shops like Salty Fins that focus on saltwater usually give way better guidance than big-box stores because they’re dealing with reef systems every day. And honestly, learning from people who’ve done it for years is usually better than random forum advice.”
— Nick Buoy5.0Edited 3 months ago“I’ve had such a great experience getting my saltwater tank through her. She’s been incredibly helpful from the start and always takes the time to answer any questions I have. Anytime I’ve needed help or guidance, she’s been there and super knowledgeable. Saltwater tanks aren’t an easy hobby and it can be hard to keep everything alive sometimes, so when I’ve had a fish die it definitely wasn’t due to anything on her end. Even then, she was still very accommodating and helped me figure things out. She’s always professional, easy to work with, and I’ve never had any issues. I genuinely appreciate how helpful she’s been and would highly recommend her to anyone looking to get into saltwater tanks🤘🏻”
— Lillian5.03 months ago“Over the past few months, we've spent many thousands of dollars at Salty Fins and visited almost weekly. We enjoyed Jen's input and loved supporting our local shop. Unfortunately, our experience has gone downhill. We ordered three Frostbite Clowns from Sea & Reef Aquaculture (Maine) and picked them up at Salty Fins straight from FedEx. One looked off in the bag, but the shop was slammed with arrivals, so we didn't flag it to Jen - our mistake in hindsight. At home during acclimation, that clown was immediately on its side and in clear distress, the other two were fine (see attached photo: acclimation cup with the struggling clown). We texted Jen photos right away, and when it died shortly after we messaged again with no response. The next day in the shop, Jen was harsh, said nothing could be done for the DOA fish and her tone made it feel like she no longer wanted our business. We were stunned after what we thought was a good relationship. We almost stopped going but gave it one more try. We bought items including Trochus snails (bagged by Jen herself) Soon after adding them we saw several covered in Red Turf Algae - a tough nuisance algae and hard to eradicate once in the tank (see attached photo: snail with Red Turf Algae). We texted Jen photos and received no apology - only a defensive reply suggesting we shop elsewhere (see attached screenshot: text exchange). Jen, we could've bought the same Sea & Reef Frostbite Clowns from Cultivated Reef for $50 each (a savings) with direct shipping and a 3-day arrive alive guarantee - but we chose YOU to support your local business. Same for the cleanup crew snails: plenty of online options with high assurance of clean stock, but we stuck with YOU despite the poor handling of the DOA clown. When picking up the snails, Jen revisited the clown issue, implying we mishandled it and claiming other clowns that day arrived sideways but recovered. (One of your staff credibly refuted that claim - you'll remember the moment) Jen, if you're reading this, sorry if we upset you somehow. We hoped you'd be our go-to local resource long-term. We'll move on, wish you the best and hope the Red Turf Algae doesn't overrun our new 180-gallon reef tank.”
— Rick Coleman1.03 months ago“If you want the real LFS feel this is the spot. Experts, quality, and friends!”
— David Morits5.03 months ago“Very good”
— Nikki Nguyen5.07 months ago“Love the people and Jenn is so helpful and knowledgeable about everything aquatic. Nicely run. My son and I started a saltwater aquarium together 10 months ago and we’re having so much fun thanks to Salty Fins and their expertise.”
— Jodi Gardner5.010 months ago“We LOVE Salty Fins! Jen is awesome! She has helped us get our new tank up and going!She is very knowledgeable, and honest! Our only one stop shop we will ever go to!”
— Megan Fraughton5.011 months ago“Couldn’t recommend enough!!”
— Sarah Jane5.0a year ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (435) 351-3469 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Salty Fins Saltwater Aquarium store.