SYSTEM BUILDER · SALTWATER REEFS
Build a reef
that works.
A first reef is where a wrong buy stings most — a skimmer that won't fit the sump, a light too weak for your corals, gear you replace six months in. Answer five questions about your tank and get a complete, compatible equipment list — from skimmer to salt, every spec checked against your build.
THE BUILDER WORKS AT DEPTH ↓
8 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 50–150, LPS 100–200, SPS 200–400 — and how many fixtures your tank length actually needs.
Read →WHY TRUST REEFRIG
Every pick is a rule, not an opinion.
Sized by a rule engine
Every recommendation comes from the same rule engine — 8 rule families, 27 compatibility checkpoints — and each rule is written out in plain English on the methodology page. No hidden scoring.
No sponsored rankings
Nothing here is a paid placement or a commission-sorted “best of” list. The only claim ReefRig makes is a systematic spec-and-price comparison, cross-checked against each manufacturer’s own numbers.
Specs you can re-check
Specs come from published manufacturer figures — rated volume, footprint, wattage — and every price carries the date it was last verified. If a number looks off, you can catch it.
- 10buying guides
- 8calculators
- 95products cataloged
- 27compatibility checkpoints
SAMPLE BUILD · FIRST REEF TANK
This is the shape of the answer.
The Builder returns a full system: every line item checked against your tank and budget, every pick explained, one honest total. The build below is a real one — a complete 40-gallon all-in-one soft-coral first reef, sized by the rule engine from catalog data verified 2026-07-03 and totaling $2,602.34. Read the full write-up, or start your own below.