“Quick to process orders but they automatically add their Reef Guard Order Protection service to your order and charge you extra if you don’t notice. Poor capitalistic practice in my opinion (probably quite profitable so good on them). Should be opt in option vs default addition to cart with opt out option
EDIT: Top Shelf Aquatics reached out to me to clarify that it is not automatically added without notice, so just as a PSA, it is in fact automatically added, but with notice, as an optional checkbox (that is checked by default), and with said notice/checkbox hidden under the Order Total (which then requires you clicking a dropdown arrow to show your order summary/breakdown and reveal the said notice/automatically checked checkbox).”
“Top Shelf has some great sales folks and a wonderful coral selection and farm but after spending $100k with them I could not recommend them to install your aquarium unless you were local. Initially they were helpful getting the aquarium operating but after a while they stopped responding or would refer me to the vendor. In the last year I have three requests for help with Hydros programming issues. I don’t think they have the skills in house anymore.”
“I purchased a Tunze Osmolator ATO nano. The auto shutoff on this system can not be turned off, so it’s useless for water changes, and will lock out (requiring a power cycle) if anything go askew with your tank, commonly worsening the problem. In my case, the filter comb got clogged w algae while I was on travel. When it was cleaned, the ato ran for 90 seconds, and shut down. I wasn’t there so it took 3 days to figure it out. Also, the sensor is huge, will not fit under an aquarium cover.
I tried to return this product, TSA sent me to Tunze, who actually hung up on me. I called TSA again, only to be told that the can't offer a refund, as the product has been opened. So, I'm going to pitch it, I'm out $140. I've given them two stars, as the unopened and unused return policy does actually exist on their web site. I'll know better next time.”
Hi there,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re truly sorry to hear about the frustration you experienced with the Tunze Osmolator Nano and understand how inconvenient that situation must have been while you were traveling.
When we spoke by phone, you did confirm that the unit was functioning as designed by the manufacturer and did not have any defects or damage. In cases where a product is working properly but simply doesn’t meet a customer’s specific needs or setup requirements, we are unfortunately unable to accept it back once it has been opened and used. This is outlined in our return policy, which applies to all non-defective used equipment and is available in multiple locations on our website.
We completely understand that certain equipment may not be the best fit for every system, and we truly wish we could offer more flexibility. However, because the item was opened and used, it does fall under the “non-returnable” category as stated in our policy.
For reference, our full return policy can be found here:
https://topshelfaquatics.com/policies/refund-policy
We appreciate your understanding and are always here to help recommend equipment that better fits your tank’s specific needs in the future. Please feel free to reach out at any time — we’re happy to assist.
— Top Shelf Aquatics Customer Support
“Ordered 2 high end acros and they looked like fresh cuts just stuck in glue. they where a almost wysiwyg. I was hoping for a little more from TSA. Good news is they are still alive !”
“The corals were great and thriving in the tank but the snails all died off slowly one by one while in the tank. They were all palced on the back glass which has plenty of algae growth and slowly all but one died over the next two weeks. They would just fall off and never reattach or right themselves. I have 2 nessarius snails too so it is not a water chemistry issue.”
“Not happy at all first set of plankton came late and had to be replaced yet the replacement came on time but it was spoiled within 7 days and yes it was keept cold in the refrigerator as it should be not happy if I wanted to waste money like that I’d just flush it down the toilet . Not happy I’ll never purchase those items again to boot the items and didn’t even have a date on them”
“Shipping was pretty bad
3 corals were floating around in the bags
Not secure in the cups
Favia coral was pretty small but I guess the discount accounted for it. I’ve ordered from here before, first time I say that 3 out of then ten Zoas I ordered were not appropriate for sale. It was a rip off. Zoas that had maybe three heads the size of a pen ball. Not acceptable and I didn’t get an email back from my complaint . They didn’t make it to say the least. I got a decsent torch and hammer , so I let it go and got over it. I had to call them to ship some corals they left out of the purchase also.
This order I had to get a replacement coral floating in the bag that didn’t make it. So I’m not a really big fan.
I’ve had way better experiences and way better frags elsewhere online. I wouldn’t recommend this place
I think I’m done ordering from here . I said it last time but this time I’m done”
“I ordered a clean up crew for my reef. Not only did a starfish show up totally disintegrated, but the snails labeled as regular were all the size of pencil tip erasers. Top shelf did not mark them as dwarfs nor did they state the tiny size in their description. I've been in this Hobby for 25 years and what a disappointment this was. They are good for supplies but not so much on the live stuff.”
“for some reason you ship corals with chill packs instead of heat packs. the last two orders have arrived with water temps in the 40's F. Due to your return policy you make it impossible to take any corrective measures”
“I don't ever get my stuff on time. The last thing I ordered I paid for 2 day shipping and I still haven't gotten it. I think I'll go somewhere else next time.”
I checked on your order, and it was shipped on the 24th with FedEx 2-Day service. Since FedEx does not count weekends as transit days, the expected delivery timeframe was for Tuesday, which is when it was delivered. I apologize for any confusion regarding the shipping timelines.
Thank you for reaching out. I understand your concern regarding the delivery of your order.
Please note that during checkout, you selected your preferred delivery date, and the order was delivered accordingly on that date.
“Website promotes "next day delivery". You have to go to a different page to discover that this applies to Monday AM to Thursday orders. Friday and weekend orders are received next Tuesday! I think this info should be included beside "next day delivery" banner.”
“The item I ordered came in perfectly fine. I had next day shipping and it took 4 days to receive. I was lucky i did not add in Acros to the order like I originally planned, cause I thought mixing dry and wet goods would be a pain for shipping.”
“Ad says “free overnight shipping.” My tank was down entirely so every hour mattered. Ordered on a Friday and received on Tuesday. Not even close to “overnight!””
Thank you for reaching out, and I’m sorry for the frustration this has caused. I’d like to clarify the situation: your order was shipped using FedEx Priority Overnight, which is our standard for overnight shipping. However, since the order was placed at 6 PM after our business hours on Friday, it was processed on the next business day, which was Monday, for delivery on Tuesday.
If you have any further questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We appreciate your understanding and thank you for your feedback.
“I ordered my Reef Octopus 202s on a Thursday night and expected this to ship on Friday, since I qualified for overnight shipping. The skimmer didn’t arrive until Monday. The skimmer wasn’t going to fit in my sump so, when I attempted to call on the Monday that the skimmer arrived, The online customer service never answered nor did they return ANY of my calls and apparently only respond to emails. I am ok with the shipping delay but not being able to speak with customer service, is irritating.”
“Shipping was fast but not satisfied with the quality of pods. Barely see anything in there and even with taking a sample to the microscope there was very minimal compared to other brands. It didn’t even have a bottle date so unsure how old it actually was. Overall don’t think I would recommend to someone.”
“baby aquacultured angelfish was so small it didnot eat or do well . I think these fish are to small . They tsa gave me a credit which i thought was ok but not what i paid .”
“I gave two stars because they have good stuff. But I paid for overnight shipping at 6am Monday and didn't receive it until Thursday. I had sent an email Tuesday morning telling them it was an emergency. They said there was a hold on my order they didn't tell me about. Clearly it was an emergency and they didn't send it until Wednesday. Low stars because low quality service.”
Hello,
We are sorry to hear that there were issues with your order. After reviewing the transcript, we found that there were multiple failed payment attempts, which triggered a security hold on the order. For your protection, the order was placed on hold.
We responded to your email the following day at 11:39 a.m., explaining the security concerns and informing you that we could ship the order the same day if confirmed. Unfortunately, we did not receive your response until 6:35 p.m., which was past our shipping cutoff time. As a result, we shipped the order the next day.
While we understand emergencies can arise, both we and the credit card companies must adhere to security protocols when transactions are flagged. These measures protect both us and our customers, and have, on occasion, saved customers thousands of dollars from fraudulent orders.
If you have any concerns regarding an order in the future, please contact us by phone so we can address the situation immediately.
“I placed an order for a 10 pack of blue leg hermit crabs and I ended up with 8 very small blue legs, a snail, and an empty shell. Then when i tried to contact Top Shelf Aquatics within an hour of getting them delivered I got no response. Will not be ordering from again.”
