Southwest Marines

Fantastic experience: Very friendly staff The food is amazing

Fantastic experience: Best place in Bristol to get all you need for your marine tank. Matt and staff are always on hand for advice and guidence

Fantastic experience: I always find this shop amazing.. The owner and staff are very helpful and the fish are always outstanding.. Worth a visit won't be disappointed.. Recommend

Fantastic experience: Great place for all your marine needs! We come here a lot for our corals and are never disappointed! They have some beautiful fish there as well. Staff are friendly and very helpful. We recently got a 22 headed acan for £150 and it was originally reserved by someone else but they were very kind and rang us when that person never showed up for the coral.

Fantastic experience: Expert advice, excellent stock coral, fish and invertebrates.

Fantastic experience: Small shop but with lots of coral. All the livestock I saw looked happy and healthy. Would recommend any reefkeeper to pay a visit. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Coral frags starting at £20. Will definitely be going back.

Fantastic experience: Great Marine Stockist, not far from the M5. I’ve been going in here for about 8 years. Always a great selection of fish, coral, equipment and consumables. Matt and the team have always expertly answered my questions right from tank startup, issue resolution and coral/livestock selection. Well recommended

Fantastic experience: Good choice of fish and coral and excellent knowledgeable staff so what else do you expect? The guy who served me did so as the owner of a shop would and so I was surprised to find out he was not the owner well done guys

Fantastic experience: Great place with very helpful knowledgeable staff and reasonably priced stock.

Fantastic experience: Amazing choice of coral and fish. It's easily one of the best marine shops in the UK. Very friendly staff and never try to sell you more than you need. The knowledge is unmatched by anyone around! Great for newcomers to the hobby or experienced reef keepers. The only place I would ever shop at!

Fantastic experience: This small business is amazing - Absolutely worth a visit. It’s not a surprise this store is one of the leading marine aquarium specialist shops in the UK. There is a vast selection of corals, fish, invertebrates and supplies that can keep you browsing for a while! They also have some beautiful display tanks to inspire you to delve deeper into the hobby! Matt and the team at Southwest Marines have been a huge support to me whilst I have been building my first reef tank. They give brilliant customer service and are always happy to take the time and answer any questions I might have. They are also so incredibly knowledgeable and it’s so lovely to pop in, catch up and maybe grab a coral or two. A true gem hidden off the M4!

Fantastic experience: Today me and me husband popped in. We were blown away by the knowlege, the fish and corals looked amazing, and fantastic selection. Friendly staff that take their time explaining to you. We came away buzzing, ready for our marine journey to begin. We will be back. Thank you xx

Fantastic experience: I can't rate SWM highly enough. All of the staff are very friendly and happy to help, the selection of corals and fish is brilliant and its a very welcoming place to visit.

Fantastic experience: Best marine fish shop ever. Great staff very helpful and knowledgeable. Amazing range of coral and fish. The only place I go.

Positive experience: Clean well looked after healthy fish

Fantastic experience: Didnt get the name of the guy that served us, but he spent a good hour talking to us and gave us some absolutely amazing advice! Got some absolutely beautiful corals and a huge selection of them, something for everyone! Also confirmed my suspicions about some of the critters that hitchhiked on some live rock I bought from another company! Will definitely be going again! Could've spent hours there just talking fish and coral! Amazing team and actually really reasonably priced!

Fantastic experience: Great staff experienced and extremely helpful

Fantastic experience: Fantastic advice given by Tania and Matt to a newbie of the Marine aquarium hobby. Brilliant deal given on all the tank and equipment required, and I look forward to returning for corals and fish soon! Highly recommended.

Fantastic experience: These guys, and lady, are fantastic, really helpful and uber knowledgeable, and have no problems with stopping to talk to you about any questions you may have. Prices a little high, but the superior quality easily makes it worth the extra few quids. Their live rock is amazing, as in, instant cycle quality, FULL of life and coralline, and didn't get ANY cyano. Have never lost a fish or coral bought from this store, I would go nowhere else for my stuff, even their premixed salt water and R/O is perfect.

Fantastic experience: Great stock as always !

Fantastic experience: Nice shop. Tanks/Fish/Coral all look very well cared for.

Negative experience: Tanks full of bubble algae and aptasia. Awful service when something goes wrong and refuse to answer when something dies within one day. Buyer beware. Selling sick fish then ignoring you when it dies!

Fantastic experience: Staff are full of knowledge and are very helpful. Great place to go especially new to the hobby.

Fantastic experience: Love this place. Always keen to teach and if you make mistakes they do not look down their noses at you. Rather with encouragement they help you sort out your mistake and help you prevent the mistake happening again. Unlike other places I been to.

Fantastic experience: Can't rate this place highly enough, everyone here is so knowledgeable and willing to help. Have gone above and beyond on several occasions for me I will never go anywhere else

Fantastic experience: Great reception and good knowledgeable staff. Stock in perfect health as always with South West. I would always recommend if you are into the hobby or just thinking of starting up.

Fantastic experience: Great staff lovely corals and fish stock best marine aquarium store in the South West. Always excited to see there new stock and they re stock twice a week. Thank you for everything and looking after me

Positive experience: Professional service and plenty corals and fishes to choose from. Good prices. Just poorly looking from outside and not easy to find.

Fantastic experience: Excellent customer service. Plenty of time spent explaining things. Great choice of everything. Highly recommended.

Fantastic experience: Amazing!!! Great selection of products and livestock and all staff helpful and knowledgeable

Fantastic experience: Had a great experience visiting Southwest Marines! Me, my partner and 2 children visited on a hot summers day and we wearnt in the building 5 minutes and they offered us a drink and even gave the kids ice lollies made us feel very welcome and even though they didn’t have what we were looking for, I would 100% visit again! Very knowledgable staff with plenty of advise :)

Fantastic experience: Great place for all of your needs, for aquatic things. Staff are very friendly and helpful and knowledgeable.

Fantastic experience: Nice for fish, not cheap though

Fantastic experience: Dedicated a trip from London to here, was not disappointed by the friendly owner.

Positive experience: Small place and they don't have enough fish.

Fantastic experience: Some great corals today,and lovely challises bargain price.

Fantastic experience: So pleased I chose to go to Southwest Marines! Wasn't sure what I needed to buy for my new tank set up first and after explaining I was new to marine tanks I received Excellent advise on what I should get for my tank and it what order. Google is helpful to find information but it doesn't beat having an expert explaining first hand the best way to approach a new tank set up. Very happy with quality of the coral I bought and the clean-up-crew cant wait to go back for some more coral and eventually fish. Thanks for a great experience!

Fantastic experience: So helpful and genuinely care for the customers and the hobby. Amazing corals fish and dry goods. So lucky to have something like this in/near Bristol.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic staff. Friendly and go the extra mile

Fantastic experience: A large selection of aquarium articles. Healthy fish. Professional experienced staff. I recommend.

Fantastic experience: Just got back into the hobby and this is one of the best places for frags of all kinds. Very good quality well worth the trip you won't be disappointed.

Fantastic experience: Absolute gem of a place. Staff so helpful an take time to explain things. Really lovely place and excellent live stock. If they don't have it will try and order it. Thanks guys for being so helpful.

Fantastic experience: Very good selection of corals and fish, staff very friendly matt and Richard always will to help with problems

Fantastic experience: Went in today with my dad met with Matt as i usually see Rich. Both are great guys both very helpful, good knowledge and totally approachable.

Fantastic experience: Very knowledgeable staff with a wide range of excellent products and creatures.

Fantastic experience: 5 stars. I converted to marine about 6 months ago with the help and support from these guys. They couldn't have made it any easier. From the moment you enter and are offered a coffee, you know you're in the place to be! They have a great range of stock and do what they can to assist in getting something specific if you want it. All the staff have tonnes of experience and offer their genuine help and assistance which results in a solid, friendly, perfect service. I go out of my way to use them (40 minute drive one way as opposed to a 5 minute drive to a well known chain store). Thanks to them I'm getting far more out of the hobby than I ever imagined.

Fantastic experience: To anyone looking for help, advice or starting from new, these (Matt) are the people you need to see! A truely professional well run business with a wealth of experience! They have everything you need and will go out of there way to help when possible! Thankyou Southwest Marines!

Negative experience: Check your bags before leaving! SW Marines failed to give me all the items I had paid for. It could have been a genuine mistake, but I have tried to contact them twice to resolve, and have been completely ignored...so maybe it wasn’t a mistake! (Empty bag should have had a coral in it)

Fantastic experience: Knowledgeable and helpful staff, great selection of healthy looking livestock.

Negative experience: Very dissapointed, especially after seeing all of the good reviews. There was a reasonable selection of livestock, but the shop is not clean at all! Even the display tanks were dirty! I was shocked, as online videos featuring Southwest Marines show clean and well-stocked sales tanks and very well-maintained displays. However, when I visited, there was algae everywhere. The trailer park next to the shop is also an unpleasant place. I will not be returning.

Fantastic experience: Very helpful and friendly staff and all round nice shop to visit

Fantastic experience: Great corals and marine fish shop. Always very happy to spend time answering my many questions.

Fantastic experience: Lots of amazing fish and corals, that along with the advice ....I wont be going anywhere else in future.

Fantastic experience: Always love visiting this Marine shop travel from Wales. All the Staff are very knowledgeable. Stock is changed every week and plenty to choose from

Fantastic experience: Great store froendly and helful staff with a wide range of livestock

Fantastic experience: Great place for anything to do with marine fish keeping. All the staff are very helpful.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic service and these chaps know their stuff!

Fantastic experience: Superb little store Matt really knows his stuff

Fantastic experience: Great selection of stock, excellent customer service, well worth a trip

Fantastic experience: 5 stars all the way for Matt and his team :)

Fantastic experience: Well this is by far the best marine shop in the south west, amazing staff and variety. This people know they stuff!! Would recommend anyone wanting to start a marine Hobby go there first! It is the only shop I trust my tank!

Positive experience: Helpful Staff who are passionate about there work.

Fantastic experience: The best supplier of marine fish, invertebrates, corals & equipment in the area Bristol by far.

Fantastic experience: We visited for the first time today and were both very impressed with the shop, an amazing selection of corals and fish, we will definitely return, all reasonably priced too!

Fantastic experience: Great place for all your marine needs. Helpful and trustworthy staff. If your a chocoholic speak to Rich he may be able to sort you out!!!

Fantastic experience: Brilliant allways so helpful.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic selection and brilliant advice. Friendly staff that take time to get to know about your system. Will definitely return.

Fantastic experience: Excellent livestock and full of knowledge. Highly recommend visiting the shop, whether it's just for a look, advice or purchase. Just bought yet more fish/corals from them.

Fantastic experience: Freidly helpfull and knowledgeable staff ok coffee Great live stock reasonably priced as well as a good selection of dry goods and equipment

Fantastic experience: Amazing selection of fish and coral. What the staff don't know about salt water aquariums isn't worth knowing.

Fantastic experience: My favourite shop in the West Country. I stopped in for a look and ended up spending a few hundred pounds on some elegant fish and spectacular coral. Really worth a visit.

Fantastic experience: Has to be one of the best marine shops in the country with experts on hand from across the hobby specialising in technology, corals and amazing collection of fish. The more questions you ask, the more helpful they get.

Fantastic experience: Exactly how a shop should be. No freshwater or reptile nonsense you walk in and it's pure eye candy, really rare fish at good prices and good quality, they have coffe and hot chocolate which is a big plus. They had so many corals to chose from. I asked and I was helped and they gave me great advice all of which was true, I picked up 2 occelaris clowns a leather toadstool and 2 zoas today. I will be coming back.

Fantastic experience: Best marine shop for miles around helpfull staff very friendly and and accommodating sometimes u have to wait but always well worth the wait great shop all round

Fantastic experience: Brilliant shop. Worth travelling to, first class service and great prices.

Fantastic experience: Really, great shop. Staff are extreamly helpful and knowledgeable. Can seem a little intimidating at first, and you may wait sometime to be servered. Don't let this put you off, this happens when the shop is busy, which it is because it so good, and they treat there valued customers well. I came to them after purchasing live rock from a maine break down, they stored the pieces with livestock on, cleaned the apitasia off with pepermint shimps overnight, came to my house the next day at 8:00pm after a finished worked I get home at 7:00pm. Help me for a reasonable fee to complete a full setup on my tank, they brough everything I need, to complete it and put it on my account. Mark left my house at midnight with everything in order, you can't fault service like that! Next time they adviced me on what I needed to buy, and as I was on a tight budget Matt lent me a pump/powerhead until I could afford to buy one.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely my goto place for marine advice, equipment and livestock. They may be small, but the quality and variety of the animals on offer, combined with the genuine care and personal touch indicative of staff who love what they do.

Fantastic experience: This is easily the best marine shop I've been to. If you want the best advice then don't go anywhere else!

Fantastic experience: South West Marines might not be the biggest of marine fish stores - but it's certainly up there amongst the best. The shop doesn't look like much from the outside, but what it lacks in looks is certainly weighted up by the stock they're carrying - as well as the staff. Everybody there is really friendly and know exactly what they're talking about. Whether you're a pro or beginner they're there to help, give advise and obviously sell - but the good thing is that the sell is secondary - you'd never be given wrong or half hearted advise just to sell you something. Highly recommendable.

Fantastic experience: Southwest marines is by far the best, friendliest well stocked marine aquarium shop i have ever been in. they offer excellent gold standard advice and support from friendly staff who know your name. they are always prepared to get in anything you want for your tank if they don't have it. they have always been friendly and professional and provide an amazing service. southwest marines is devoted to making sure you know what you are doing and they are always helping their customers. they know what tank i have and advise me on what is best to keep my tank happy. I would choose to go to southwest marines over going to a sea life centre any day of the week because of the amazing fish, inverts and corals they have in stock. Thank you all at southwest marines for your continued support. i will see you very soon. Chris

Fantastic experience: After just getting off the phone to Jamie at Southwest Marines – I thought that it was time to put a review on here and I am really shocked to see such a bad review from Roger Smith. Are you sure that this is the same shop?!?!?! My friend and I travel 64 miles to visit this shop after both of us nearly losing our tanks to bad advice from other so called experts! Yes the shop doesn’t hold a big stock of fish but surely this is better than them holding hundreds of fish that don’t get sold? They order the fish in for you and hold them in quarantine before releasing them to you – there are posters everywhere stating this. It is actually nice to see a shop do responsible stock holding! Marine keeping is not cheap and everything that is stocked is at its recommend selling price, and less – yes, places such as EBay is cheaper and Yes they are closing down small businesses – but honestly do you ever get any knowledgeable feedback from these people – like you do from the Staff at Southwest Marine?!?!? I have never seen white spot – the only white spots that I have ever seen are markings of the fish. If you want to see lots of fish then go to Bristol Aquarium! The Staff and the other customers are very friendly and also very helpful with no pressure selling! Nothing is ever a hassle from them! Keep up the good work!!

Fantastic experience: By far the Best Marine shop in the Bristol area! After wanting to own a marine fish tank for a while now I decided to get involved with the Hobby, I then came across Southwest Marines they have given me so much advice over the last few weeks and I certainly would not have managed to set up my reef tank without their help. When visiting the shop for the first time I was pleasantly surprised by just how welcome I was made to feel, this was made possible by the extremely knowledgeable staff, any questions I had were answered in the most informative and helpful manner because of this I feel confident that as a new reef tank owner any question I ask no matter how stupid it may seem at the time will be answered with a smile, I now religiously visit the shop each Thursday as the opening hours are perfectly suited with the later opening times on Thursday and Friday to fit around my working life. All my livestock and coral has been purchased from Southwest Marines with no issues what so ever, a big thank you to all the Staff at Southwest Marines for everything. Dwayne