Our Story
The building was originally a supermarket, then a ballroom. Then Ziggy got hold of it.
Siegfried Gutekunst — everyone calls him Ziggy — was born in the U.S. and moved to Germany with his mother when he was eight. He got his first aquarium at ten: mollies, guppies, gouramis, and plants. The usual start. But it stuck.
In 1987, Ziggy came back to the States and moved into an apartment above his father's barber shop. He met George Kunz, who had a 90-gallon reef tank. "I was hooked the first time I saw an Australian sea apple," Ziggy said.
In 1995, after running a maintenance company (Sealife Aquarium Designs) and a wholesale operation (US Marine Imports), Ziggy opened the original Hidden Reef Aquarium — tucked into the basement of a hardware store in the back of a shopping center in Northeast Philadelphia.
Within a year, the hardware store's dry goods section became The Hidden Reef's. An adjacent store became the fish room. The shop grew from 1,400 to 5,600 square feet, all still technically hidden.
In 2003, Ziggy's friend and partner George died of Hodgkin's disease. George's reef tank and inspiration helped make The Hidden Reef a reality.
Right before Christmas 2005, a fire that started in another store destroyed The Hidden Reef. They lost almost all the animals. They saved most of the corals.
The store didn't have a new home until July 2006. The front of the current location opened in April 2007, followed by the fish room. Today, The Hidden Reef is over 20,000 square feet — 6,800 of that housing 450-plus aquariums: 40 devoted to corals, 145 saltwater, and more than 250 freshwater.
Ziggy credits loyal customers for helping The Hidden Reef survive and grow, especially after the fire.
What Makes Us Different
- Live livestock you can see. Come browse our tanks in person. Healthy fish, coral, and plants — not mystery shipments from a distributor.
- Real expertise. Our staff are hobbyists first. We've dealt with the same algae outbreaks, cycling problems, and equipment questions you have.
- Honest advice. We'd rather sell you the right thing once than the wrong thing twice. If a cheaper filter works for your tank, we'll tell you.
- One stop. Freshwater, saltwater, pond, plants, coral, food, equipment, maintenance supplies — it's all under one roof.
The Store Today
Walk through our doors and you'll find 450+ tanks stocked with freshwater fish, saltwater fish, inverts, corals, and pond fish — 40 tanks just for corals alone. We carry live plants for planted tanks, hardy starter fish for beginners, and rare specimens for experienced collectors. Our livestock changes weekly — there's almost always something new to see.
Pond Season and Beyond
When spring hits, we become the local pond headquarters. Koi, pond pumps, waterfall foam, treatments, and everything you need to open and maintain your pond through the season. Come fall, we help you winterize. Year-round, we're here for water quality, filtration, and fish health questions.
— Ziggy, probably
Visit Us
The Hidden Reef
4501 New Falls Rd, Levittown, PA 19056
Stop by, browse the tanks, ask questions, and take home the right setup. We're here seven days a week.