THE GEAR REAL REEF TANKS RUN | TOURS · EQUIPMENT · GUIDES

ALLCORALS REEF TANKS & GEAR
Back to all tours
★ Featured tour
Sanjay Joshi's 700-Gallon SPS Reef

Sanjay Joshi's 700-Gallon SPS Reef

by Dr. Sanjay Joshi
Volume
700 gal
Dimensions
96" × 48" × 30"
Location
🇺🇸 Pennsylvania, USA
Established
2009
Tank type
SPS-dominant
The tank that proved metal halides aren't obsolete. Joshi's PAR data shaped how the entire industry approaches reef lighting.

The reef hobby's most studied SPS tank. Penn State physics professor Sanjay Joshi turned his obsession with PAR measurement into the industry's leading lighting research — his tank is the lab. Heavy halide + T5 hybrid, intentionally over-illuminated to push coloration on Australian and Indo-Pacific Acroporas.

View original source
Source: Reef Builders feature

Equipment Breakdown

Shop this build · 3 of 8 items priced
Sanjay Joshi's 700-Gallon SPS Reef — Full Equipment List
$1,301
est. build cost
Some links here are affiliate links — AllCorals may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Filtration
Royal Exclusiv Bubble King Skimmer
Royal Exclusiv
Bubble King Skimmer
Protein skimmer
⭐ Premium pick
The German benchmark skimmer, scaled to 700 gallons of heavily illuminated SPS.
In our catalog →
Lighting
IceCap Metal Halide ballasts
IceCap
Metal Halide ballasts
Display lighting
🏋️ Workhorse
400W and 250W double-ended halides, intentionally over-illuminated to push SPS coloration — backed by Joshi's own published PAR data.
Modern equivalent: EcoTech Radion XR30 G6 →
ATI Sunpower T5 fixtures
ATI
Sunpower T5 fixtures
Supplemental T5s
Eight T5 bulbs spread between the halide points — the hybrid layer that evens out coverage across a 700-gallon footprint.
Flow & Circulation
Royal Exclusiv Red Dragon Pumps
Royal Exclusiv
Red Dragon Pumps
Return pumps
Same German workshop as the Bubble King — Royal Exclusiv's signature quiet, efficient DC pumps on return duty.
EcoTech Marine VorTech MP60
EcoTech Marine
VorTech MP60
Wavemaker
EcoTech's largest wavemaker — about the only powerhead class with the output to matter inside a 700-gallon SPS display.
$836.99 Buy → at Bulk Reef Supply Details →
Monitoring & Control
Neptune Systems Apex Controller
Neptune Systems
Apex Controller
Controller
The hobby's standard controller, running the tank that has generated more published reef data than any other.
$399.95 Buy → ⚠ Out at Bulk Reef Supply Details →
Water & Salt
Tropic Marin Pro Reef Salt
Tropic Marin
Pro Reef Salt
Salt mix
$63.89 Buy → at Bulk Reef Supply Details →
Dosing
Custom calcium reactor
Ca/Alk supplementation
🔧 DIY mod
Custom-plumbed to feed the Ca/Alk demand of 700 gallons of stony coral — at this scale, two-part dosing stops being practical.
Modern equivalent: GEO's Reef CR618 Calcium Reactor →