SYSTEM BUILDER · SALTWATER REEFS
Build a reef
that works.
Answer five questions about your tank. Get a complete, compatible equipment list — from skimmer to salt — with every spec checked against your build.
THE BUILDER WORKS AT DEPTH ↓
14 COMPATIBILITY RULES
EVERY SPEC CHECKED · EVERY PICK EXPLAINED
Guides
Reef tank equipment list: what you actually need
A first reef needs nine things — tank, light, flow, heaters, ATO, RO/DI, tests and salt. A skimmer joins only once you go past soft corals. The full list, with sizing rules.
Read →Best protein skimmer for your reef tank (by size)
Size to 1.5–2× system volume × bioload, then check the footprint and rated water depth actually fit your sump — including the Reefer G3 depth trap.
Read →Best reef LED by coral type
Match PAR to coral: softies 50–100, LPS 100–200, SPS 200–400 — and how many fixtures your tank length actually needs.
Read →YOUR BUILD · A PREVIEW
This is the shape of the answer.
The Builder returns a full system: every line item checked against your tank, sump and budget, every pick explained, one honest total. The build below is a sample — start yours to get your own.