Pure Reef

Address:	12900 GA-9, Alpharetta, GA 30004, USA
Phone:	+1 770-754-7971
Site:	purereef.net
Rating:	4.7
Working:	11AM–7PM Closed 11AM–7PM 11AM–7PM 11AM–7PM 10AM–6PM 1–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 6

Mark Scott

I recently restarted my tank after moving back to Georgia. I have had aquariums for years and got into saltwater about 2 1/2 years ago. I had not completely emptied my tank and still had live sand and live rock so the tank did not cycle. I filled the tank with pre-mixed saltwater purchased from a local aquarium store and temperature and salinity was within parameters. The second or third fish I bought was a blue tang from Pure Reef. I saw white spots on another one in a different tank in the store and should have known better but I brought one that looked healthy home. Long story short it developed full blown Ich (or something similar) in about a week and despite treating it and the tank with several remedies it eventually died but not before giving it to every other fish in the tank resulting in a total die-off. This cost me around $300. I went back to the store and asked for the manager, who I later learned was the owner, Jorge. I told him the story. I was matter of fact and did not raise my voice. His reaction was defensive and while he apologized, all he could say was that he had been in business for a long time and that many other customers had a positive experience. He did not offer to accommodate me at all. I posted an earlier version of this review on Yelp and he reacted defensively again with a response where he accused me of approaching him "aggressively" and saying that if I had not done so he would have offered to replace my fish. At the time, however, he made me no offer to do anything for me at all. Another review appeared on Yelp in response to mine and I wonder if Pure Reef put him up to it to counteract my negative review. I understand that an aquarium store cant offer an unlimited guarantee because they have no way of knowing what kind of water quality or environment that the fish is/are going into. I would have been happy to supply a water sample. But Jorge didnt even ask or offer to help me with water testing or troubleshooting. I was clearly not happy when I spoke to him but I was not aggressive - nor do I think that at all of 56" I am threatening or imposing physically. Maybe I caught him on a bad day. But if he had reacted differently, I would not be posting poor reviews. I wont be back... Ive been told by other stores that the copper that they put in their water suppresses disease while the fish are there but can leave them susceptible once they are in copper free water. No other store in the area that I am aware of does this. It seems to me that this just passes on the problem to the customer and is a poor business practice. That combined with the defensive attitude of the owner resulted in a very bad experience. Its a beautiful looking store but I wont go there again or spend another dime there and I dont encourage anyone else to either. If Jorge wants to talk and make this right, Im happy talk to him. That would change the end of this story and would result in a positive experience.

Jonathan H

Pure Reef sold me a coral that had obvious damage to the exoskeleton. I asked the manager if that damage would be an issue, he said that it would be absolutely fine. I telephoned the business within 24 hours and explained that the coral NEVER opened and that the damage that I had pointed out inside the store seems to be an issue. They told me to watch it several more days which I did. It died within 7 days and I drove it back to the store and explained the situation to the owner. The manager accosted me at the front desk and stated that the damage wasnt his problem and was very rude. When you pay much higher prices, you expect quality and you expect that the business will stand behind their product. In this case, I got neither. Pure Reef refused to issue a refund for the defective coral. There are many other local fish stores in Atlanta that stand behind their coral and have much better customer service, and they arent as hostile. In addition, after comparing Pure Reefs prices to several other fish stores over the last several months, the business would be more adequately named "Pure Markup" rather than "Pure Reef".

Derry Duncan

This is hands down the nicest store in Atlanta Ive ever been to for the aquarium hobby. I have been a customer here for over 5 years and I have never been disappointed. The aquarium hobby is tough. Lots of things can happen. Thats why its a hobby. There are many reasons that your fish or corals may not survive but it not because of Pure Reef. They keep the cleanest and nicest store in town. Jorge runs a "tight ship" here and demands a lot from his employees. They make going here an experience not a task. They have always been available to answer all my stupid questions and never made me feel less important because of them. There are many stores I could choose to spend my hard earned money at but I will drive past many other stores to do business with Pure Reef

Hayes Hollibaugh

I completely disagree with the previous review. They are awesome at Pure Reef. I was having issues with my tank and having extreme algae issues and the entire staff went completely out of their way to help me out. The owner personally came over to my house and rebuilt my tank with new rock, sand, and coral without charging me a dime. Now my tank is doing extremely well without any issues. Without the great employees of Pure Reef I would have given up on my fish tank. I would recommend them to anyone who is looking to start a tank or who has one already. Every time I walk in the store I know I will be taken care of and they know all their regular customers by name. I wouldnt shop anywhere else for my fish tank needs. A big thanks to everyone who works there.

Ryan Holt

WOW is first word that came to mind when I walked into Pure Reef. New to the area I was visiting local aquarium shops and was lucky enough to stop in there. I stopped in on a Thursday late afternoon store was busy. I was greeted by a gentleman who worked there asked if I needed any help and when I let him know I was new to the area he shared a wealth of info regarding local clubs etc... he gave me a quick tour of the store. This store was immaculate display tanks incredible. Fish looked healthy. I was amazed at how reasonable their pricing was and the amount of fish, corals, and supplies they stocked. I will be making this my go to fish store when I get my 210, 150, and 55 set back up.

Steve Marshall

Ive been considering the conversion from fresh to salt water for a very long time. Finally decided to do it. I had a 1,000 questions and Pure Reef has been incredibly patient with me. I am sure they answer the same questions every day, but they have been so engaged with me they have made me feel like a valued client. Angela took a long time to help my wife and I select decorations for the tank and she helped me steer clear of some rookie tank-starting mistakes. Steven helped me start thinking about filtration which I knew would be my first hurdle. I cant thank my new friends at Pure Reef enough. I look forward to many years of building our salt water aquarium together.