Rivers To Reef

I was visiting from out of state and specifically went to this store due to the good Unilocal ratings, I totally lucked out because they had one of the species of cichild I wanted (a green terror), they had some species I wasnt familiar with and felt they were very honest as to what would get along with what, Im pleased with my purchase and so far (knock on wood) all is good in my tank

My bf and I come here almost every week! We absolutely love this store.
Even though the majority of the store is freshwater oriented, I was glad that they had a decent sized saltwater section. This place has everything we need for our saltwater tank; we got ALL of our fishes here. To my surprise, they even had a blue mandarin dragonet for sale, a fish that I only dreamed of having for a long time. I was so excited when I saw it swimming around the coral section.
And even when we don’t intend to get anything, my bf and I always enjoy seeing all the different selections of fishes. The place has a great variety of fishes at all price points, from expensive rare coral/​fish to affordable ones.
The owner is really friendly and seems to really know his stuff about all fishes. He was really informative and helpful.
I think we just found our «primary» aquatic retailer, haha!

Great store to learn and buy any and all your suppies and upgrades, without feeling like your being taken advantage of!

I called in regards to betta fish on 25Sept15 to see if they had any available. I asked what time they closed, and I asked if they honored their Unilocal discount of 15% off after a certain amount… Soon after I received a few calls from a Phoenix number– being out of state I forwarded it. Then I received a text from an unknown email saying «who is this». Then another call… So I answered. An extreme RUDE woman from a GROUPON rep saying «who is this» «what are you doing calling about a groupon» and other secret squirrel stuff I’m not going to mention for respect of the owners. But, She did say that I called them– and they gave my number to her for whatever reason, so thanks for handing my number out… You’ve lost my future business from this ordeal.
IF YOU PLAN TO GO TO THE STORE:
The guy who answered the phone was polite. The store was clean and the wife is by far the friendliest woman I’ve come across in the «fish community.» They have a great display tank, neat «oddball» fish, I personally enjoy that they have a spawning pair of jacks and their cichlids! I wish y’all the best with your business and such.

Awesome place with a healthy and diverse collection. A cozy mom and pop feel with excellent customer service! I drive a ways to come here but it’s so worth it. And they have Embers! :D

Surprisingly large aquarium in downtown Davis.
The tanks were clean and well taken care of but there were pretty much no guppies.
I am sure it is a good place for fish and plants but since we only like guppies we won’t be back

They have a nice selection of different kinds of saltwater and freshwater fishes, but not too many. I insisted my boyfriend to drive all the way here from Elk Grove to see if they have any Betta fishes, even though he already found one at PetCo that he liked. It was pretty disappointing that they only had around 6 betta fishes compared to PetCo’s 40 – 50 fishes. They’re also not that great. As for the other fishies and the place, it’s pretty clean.

Happy happy healthy fish. That’s all y’all need to know. I got some panda corys last month and they’re the happiest buzzing corys I’ve ever had in my tanks. And James is cool too, very knowledgable and friendly staff.

Great prices, great selection and even better advice. If your even just thinking about getting into aquariums, stop in and talk to James (or anyone else in the store) — he gives his honest opinion (even if it doesn’t result in a sale).

Love this store. Always helpful and informative, great selection including some uncommon things I couldn’t find any other place in the area! I go back frequently even though they’re fairly far away (about 30 – 40 mins)

I love Rivers to Reef! It’s always fun to see all the fish they have. I was amazed that they had so much variety of fish when I went there for the first time.
The owner is very nice and kind. I like him because he is honest and not pushy at all! He is super helpful and knowledgeable about fish and everything about having fish like water quality, water tank, feeding etc… I highly recommend this store!

Great local business! They’re knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly. I’ve brought my kids in a few times, and they’re even good with them too. Prices tend to be a little more than the big brand petstores, but the quality and service makes it more than worth it.

This place is amazing, It may be small, but that is only because they value quality over quantity. Compared to (almost) every other aquarium store, their stock is healthy and thriving. Assuming you have the means and experience to care for your purchase, James’s keen eye in selecting his livestock will nearly guarantee your new vertebrate/​invertebrate/​plant/​macro algae’s success.
James (the owner) is a great guy and he will make sure you know how to take care of your new pet (unlike other places that will straight up lie to you about an animal just to make a buck).
I won’t name names, but there are other stores in the area that sell stuff with a 5% chance of survival and a 50% chance of introducing parasites into your tank but Rivers to Reef is a respectful establishment that won’t sacrifice a customer for a buck.
If there is something you want that is not in stock, they can order it for you at competitive prices, but if it’s livestock be prepared to wait because James won’t purchase any livestock that looks unhealthy in any way, and his customers appreciate that.
Support small business owners, give Rivers to Reef a try!

Whenever I happen to be downtown, I always find myself wandering into Rivers to Reef to check out the new livestock and corals that James replenishes almost every week. James’ store epitomizes the combination of personalized customer service and quality livestock that is typically rare to find in a LFS (local fish store). They do their best to make their prices competitive, and for the extra $ 1 or $ 2 you can be guaranteed that you will be getting a healthy fish/​coral. James takes pride in his products and won’t sell fish until they seem healthy enough to survive in a tank system, and also won’t sell you corals that haven’t completely opened. One thing that really impressed me about his business model is that if you are able to find another fish/​coral for $ 5 or more he is willing to work with you on pricing of livestock.
I started coming to this store two months ago while I was setting up my first 20 gallon saltwater reef tank, and had a million questions that James honestly and graciously answered for me. He helped assuage the panic attacks that I would have being a big noob of a hobby aquarist.
Although there is only one room for saltwater/​reef fish, James keeps it pretty well stocked. You can regularly find six-​line wrasses, different cardinals, clownfish (These sell out pretty quick), as well as a mix of hermit crabs, shrimps, and snails. If you don’t see what you are looking for, he is happy to special order fish/​corals wholesale or from ORA. I have been completely satisfied with every purchase I have made here (six-​line wrasse, percula clownfish, LPS corals). James, Steph and Norman are always happy to make recommendations, give advice and look things up whenever you have any questions.
TLDR: If you’re looking for quality livestock and expert advice on starting up an aquarium or just have a random question, Rivers to Reef is the place to go. James is very friendly and willing to do special orders as well as work with you with pricing of livestock.

Friendly, knowledgable, and helpful staff. Clean tanks. Healthy fish. Can also special order fish, reptiles, and custom tanks and stands.

Everytime I go to downtown on my spare time, I hit up Rivers to Reef. This is my go to fish store in Davis. James is very chill and knows a lot about fishes.
This store has mostly freshwater fish in stock but for saltwater, there are corals, live rock, and a few fish.
I bought my 29gal kit from here and got all my fishes from here.
James once gave me the heads up on when he was getting a fresh batch of bettas and I was able to come in and stare at all the bettas to choose the one I have in my tank.
I would highly recommend coming here if you plan on starting a tank. It is a very fun hobby and James can get you started.

The African Cichlids we got from James had a baby! I’d seen them brooding their babies in the 600 gallon tank a few times and it was super exciting to have a brooding mother in our 20 gallon.
All the community fish we got here have been healthy and they had some really ornate selections I hadn’t seen before.
I also enjoy the sea-​monkey type things they sell here for live feeding the cichlids.

Amazing!
Great service! The guy really knows his stuff! He was so helpful and informative. All of his fish and tanks are so clean and healthy it’s awesome how much he cares about the life of the fish. Thanks for all the help with my new tanks Rivers to Reef!

Very small shop, but they keep everything very clean and the fish look perfectly healthy. They have a decent selection of fish and plants. The bettas are GORGEOUS. I will be back to visit on my next trip up to Davis if I have a chance.

Finally a dedicated Aquarium Shop located in Davis.
Whether you are a budding enthusiast or a veteran to the game, the local owners James and Norman (also UC Davis alumni) provide all the essentials to get your tanks ready. Although the store is small, compared to Sacramento Aquarium Shops, this place stocks a variety of rare and interesting fish.
This place stocks Oddballs (newts, cory’s, shrimps), Community fish (tetras, angels), and have a plethora of Cichlids; additionally they also have fancy goldfish, bettas, live plants, and live/​frozen foods. Fish can be requested/​ordered, so long as their suppliers have them in stock.
The quality and care of their stock is of highest quality, and they will not sell you sickly fish unlike other chain pet stores.
Rivers to Reef also has a fish trade in policy, so talk to one of the owners for more information.
From the first to last step, James and Norman will be able to help decide what kind of fish will be best appropriate for your new or already setup tanks. Knowledgeable in all of their fish they will take care of you so that you won’t have any problems maintaining your aquarium.