CoralBay UK | Route Finder guide
Find reef shops, corals and equipment along your journey
Already travelling somewhere in the UK? Discover reef shops, Community Corals and Marine Marketplace listings near the roads you plan to use, or search around a single town or postcode.
CoralBay's Reef Route Finder brings UK reefing opportunities into one interactive map and results table. It helps you see what is nearby before deciding whether a collection or shop visit fits your journey.
Why use it?
Make a journey work harder for your reef
Instead of travelling separately for one coral, one piece of equipment and one shop visit, check what might be available near a trip you are already making.
Planning a longer journey?
Enter a start and destination, such as Reading to Bristol. The tool calculates a road route and finds mapped reefing opportunities within the off-route distance you choose.
Just looking locally?
Enter your town or postcode in Journey start and leave Journey destination empty. The tool searches around that one place instead of calculating a journey.
Useful for collections: You can discover hobbyist-grown coral frags, nearby equipment, livestock or complete tank breakdown listings. Always arrange collection directly with the seller before travelling.
Getting started
How to search along your route
These steps reflect the controls in the current Reef Route Finder plugin.
- Open Reef Route Finder. Go to Reef Shops Near Route.
- Enter Journey start. Use a UK town, location or postcode. Alternatively choose Use my location and allow location access in your browser.
- Enter Journey destination, if needed. Add an end point for a road-route search, or leave it empty to search near the start.
- Choose Max off-route distance. Select how far from the road route, or from your chosen place, results may be located.
- Press Check what's available. The tool loads the map and the results table, including eligible shops and listings.
- Refine and explore. Use the result-type switches, filters and Visual filter to find the items you actually want to investigate.
What's included
Three types of reefing results in one search
After a search, the Show controls let you switch Reef shops, Community corals and Marketplace items on or off without needing to run the whole route search again.
Reef shops
Find shops and visitable home-grown sellers with suitable public locations. Use their shop details to check opening arrangements, stock and how to contact them.
Not every online-only retailer appears: the route finder prioritises visitable locations.
Community Corals
Discover active, mapped coral listings where collection is offered, including listings that allow both collection and delivery.
Great for finding local coral frags and arranging collection with another UK reefer.
Marine Marketplace
Look for reef equipment, aquariums, livestock and tank breakdowns. Active and reserved listings may appear, so check availability before making plans.
The tool also identifies tank breakdown listings and displays auction ending information where applicable.
A result appearing on the map does not guarantee it is available for collection. In particular, confirm collection arrangements for Marine Marketplace items, and verify shop opening hours or appointment rules with the retailer.
Make results relevant
Filter by the type of coral or item you want
Open the filter panels after a search. You can narrow the visible results without changing your journey.
Community coral filters
- Search text, such as torch, acan or zoa.
- Coral category and subcategory.
- Price range.
- How recently the coral was listed.
Marketplace filters
- Search text, such as skimmer, clownfish or tank.
- Marketplace category and price range.
- How recently an item was listed.
- Tank breakdown only to focus on breakdown listings.
Travelling to Manchester and interested only in a used skimmer? Search your journey, untick Reef shops and Community corals if they are not relevant, then use the Marketplace keyword and category filters.
Shortlist by photograph
Use the Visual filter to narrow a busy map
The Visual filter displays the photographs available for matching Community Coral and Marine Marketplace listings. It is designed for browsing listing photos, not for selecting shops.
- Run your route or local search. Apply any category, price, keyword or listing-age filters first.
- Open Visual filter. This option appears when suitable listing photographs are available.
- Select the photos you like. You can shortlist several corals and marketplace items.
- Choose Show selected. The map and results table focus on your selected listings. Use Clear selection to return to the broader view.
Why this helps: When many similar listings are near your journey, seeing the actual photos is often faster than opening each listing separately. Check each full listing before contacting the seller.
Understand the results
Explore the map and sortable table together
The map
Shows the road route or the area around your chosen place, along with the eligible mapped shops and listings. Use it to understand which stops are near your journey.
The table
Shows the shop or listing name, item type, details, location and off-route distance. You can sort table columns, including auction-end information where relevant, and restore the original order.
About the result count: The summary explicitly says "results found excluding reef shops". It counts Community Coral and Marketplace listings, so do not mistake it for the total number of shops plus listings on the map.
Arrange collection
Contact more than one seller without a group message
Once you have narrowed your final shortlist, the tool can help you enquire about several CoralBay listings.
- Finish filtering your search. Your current visible shortlist determines which listings are included.
- Find Message sellers. Open the section beneath the results table. It shows the number of distinct sellers and shortlisted items.
- Log in if requested. Sending private CoralBay Messages requires a member account.
- Write your subject and message. Ask whether the items are still available and when collection would suit.
- Send your enquiry. CoralBay sends one private message to each seller, with the relevant listings linked in their message.
Before travelling
Practical checks that save wasted journeys
Confirm availability
Published items can be sold, reserved or otherwise unavailable by the time you travel. Check with the seller before setting off.
Confirm visiting arrangements
Contact shops for current opening hours, appointment requirements and actual stock. A mapped location is not a promise of walk-in access.
Plan the real detour
Use directions to calculate your actual travel time. The on-screen off-route figure measures map proximity, not a guaranteed driving diversion.
Livestock collection: Prepare suitable temperature-controlled transport and agree collection times in advance. Avoid making assumptions about holding times or the condition of livestock from a listing photo.
For sellers
Help other reefers discover your listing on their route
Route discovery works alongside CoralBay's Community Corals and Marine Marketplace listings, rather than creating a separate route-only advert.
List a coral for collection
Choose Collection or Both as the delivery option, and provide a valid listing location. Eligible, active Community Coral listings can then be found around that area or on a route.
List aquarium equipment or a breakdown
Use Marine Marketplace and make sure your listing has a usable location. Eligible active listings, including tank breakdowns, can be discovered in route searches.
Location privacy: Route discovery uses the mapped listing area. Confirm the actual collection address privately with the buyer; do not put private address details in a public listing description.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to enter a destination?
No. Leave it blank to search within your selected distance of the journey start. Enter both locations to see results along a road route.
Does off-route distance tell me how many extra miles I will drive?
No. It measures approximate geographic distance to the route. Real-world roads and travel time may make the detour longer.
Why is a particular coral or shop missing?
It may be outside your search distance, hidden by a filter, missing usable location data, not eligible for collection or no longer active. Online-only shops are not the main focus of this visit-based map.
Can I search as a guest?
Yes, you can use the route search without sending a message. You need to sign in to a CoralBay account to contact several sellers through CoralBay Messages.
Can I search outside the UK?
No. The current plugin is designed for UK journeys. Very long journeys are limited to around 500 miles between start and end in a straight line.
Does finding a listing mean the item is definitely available?
No. Availability can change, and some reserved Marketplace listings may still be shown. Confirm the status and collection details before travelling.
See what's available along your next journey
Search one location or an entire route, browse the map and contact reefers when you find something worth collecting.
Guide to CoralBay UK Reef Route Finder features. Shop details, listing status, route results and distances can change; always confirm arrangements before travelling.