Reef Tanks

A curated tour of 74 documented reef tanks — from the hobby's most influential builders to our own Project Atlantis. Every build breaks down the full equipment list and links to where you can buy it, so you can reverse-engineer the methodology for your own tank.

Project Atlantis

★ Featured build · new pick daily 60 gal

Spotlight tank

Project Atlantis

🌏 Atlantis Reef Keeping · Southeast Asia · est. Feb 2026

Our own build — engineered brand-by-brand around best-in-class gear from Fauna Marin, Tunze, Illumagic and Neptune Apex. Every dose logged, every result on TikTok.

$3,915 in gear 62 products LPS dominated

Explore the full build & gear list

74 of 74 tanks

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Featured Builds

5

The tanks we've documented most deeply — full equipment breakdowns, live pricing, and husbandry notes.

Sanjay Joshi's 700-Gallon SPS Reef

Sanjay Joshi's 700-Gallon SPS Reef

Dr. Sanjay Joshi

🇺🇸 Pennsylvania, USA · est. 2009

The tank that proved metal halides aren't obsolete. Joshi's PAR data shaped how the entire industry approaches reef lighting.

BRS 160 — The "Real Reef" Mixed Build

BRS 160 — The "Real Reef" Mixed Build

Ryan Batcheller (BRS)

🇺🇸 Minneapolis, MN, USA · est. 2019

Every product on this tank was A/B tested on camera before being added. The closest thing the hobby has to a peer-reviewed reef build.

World Wide Corals HQ — 4,000-Gallon Twin Reef

World Wide Corals HQ — 4,000-Gallon Twin Reef

World Wide Corals (Orlando)

🇺🇸 Orlando, FL, USA · est. 2019

Twin 2,000-gal displays linked into one 4,000-gallon system. 250+ EcoTech Radions across the facility. Reef Octopus SRO 9000EXT skimmer.

CoralVue HQ — 1,200-Gallon In-House Reef

CoralVue HQ — 1,200-Gallon In-House Reef

CoralVue (Slidell, LA)

🇺🇸 Slidell, LA, USA · est. 2021

CoralVue's in-house showcase for the brands they distribute — HYDROS, Reef Octopus, IceCap, Maxspect all running side-by-side.

Mr. Saltwater Tank — 450-Gallon Mixed Reef

Mr. Saltwater Tank — 450-Gallon Mixed Reef

🇺🇸 Tennessee, USA · est. 2016

6× EcoTech Radion XR30 Pro, 4× VorTech MP60, Bubble King SuperMarin 200. Fully Neptune Apex-controlled.

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Curated Tank Tours

31

Hand-documented reef systems — every piece of gear identified and linked to where you can buy it.

Andrew's 1000-gallon Mixed Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas

Andrew's 1000-gallon Mixed Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas

This video tours Andrew's impressive 1000-gallon mixed reef aquarium in Las Vegas, which has achieved significant growth in just two years from frags. Andrew details his husbandry philosophy, emphasizing high light and flow, consistent larg

Mark’s 12-Foot "Step-Down" Reef

Mark’s 12-Foot "Step-Down" Reef

Mark provides an in-depth tour of his impressive 987-gallon custom peninsula drop-off reef tank and the meticulously designed fish room that supports it. He shares the journey of building a house addition to accommodate the tank, including

Evan Luo's 350-Gallon SPS Reef

Evan Luo's 350-Gallon SPS Reef

🇦🇺 Australia

This video tours Evan Luo's stunning 350-gallon SPS dominant reef tank in Sydney, Australia, highlighting its unique 'lifted aquascape' and vibrant coral collection. The host, Jake Adams, delves into Evan's advanced equipment setup, includi

The 20-Year-Old 180-Gallon Reef

The 20-Year-Old 180-Gallon Reef

Top Shelf Aquatics

This video tours Joe T's impressive 17-year-old reef tank, showcasing a mature and thriving SPS-dominant system. Joe shares his philosophy on stability, natural methods, and the challenges and rewards of maintaining a long-term reef, includ

Minnesota's 2,000-Gallon SPS Reef

Minnesota's 2,000-Gallon SPS Reef

BRStv tours Sean's 2000-gallon, 22-foot-long SPS-dominant reef in Minnesota, billed as the biggest in-home saltwater tank on the channel. Hosts Randy and Ryan walk through the display's lighting, flow and livestock before heading into the f

Ryan's 1,000-Gallon SPS Reef

Ryan's 1,000-Gallon SPS Reef

Tunze wave boxes are installed in sectional overflow dividers with output plumbed through the tank side, completely hiding them while delivering surge flow. Presenter had never seen this done before.

Blaine's 100-Gallon Soft Coral Reef

Blaine's 100-Gallon Soft Coral Reef

Runs a soft-coral-dominant tank at a premier SPS retailer, deliberately ignoring the SPS hype to keep what he actually enjoys.

Bahama Llama's 45-Gallon Coral Farm

Bahama Llama's 45-Gallon Coral Farm

Bahama Llama Coral

Bahama Llama Coral tallies the full equipment cost of his Deep Blue 45 gallon frag tank coral farm, arriving at about $3,160 not counting livestock or coral. He argues reefing is affordable if you buy used gear and start small, and shares t

The Bulletproof 150-Gallon Reef

The Bulletproof 150-Gallon Reef

Keeps Cipro/antibiotics readily available and doses at the first sign of cloudy water or a low-pH alarm to halt bacterial crashes. Credits this with saving the tank through six major crashes.

Graham Stephan's 310-Gallon Reef

Graham Stephan's 310-Gallon Reef

Leaves filter socks uncleaned for weeks and only cleans one at a time, deliberately building nutrients because the low fish load kept the tank too clean and caused SPS tip burn. Corals grew healthier once he stopped obsessively cleaning.

The NYC 75-Gallon Reef

The NYC 75-Gallon Reef

Uses fluorescent AB+ (and powdered food) to visualize flow direction over several days, then places stinging corals (gonies vs Bernardpora) so their tentacles sweep opposite ways and coexist.

Matt Schmidt's 80-Gallon Reef

Matt Schmidt's 80-Gallon Reef

A removable pump runs ~1 hr/day to re-suspend detritus that collects in the center of the dual-island peninsula aquascape so it reaches the overflow and sump.

Cris Capp's 500-Gallon Reef

Cris Capp's 500-Gallon Reef

Runs a calcium reactor alongside a Kalkwasser/Nilsen reactor so the calcium reactor's pH-lowering effect is offset by the Kalk reactor's pH-raising effect, letting him dose more Kalk for its added benefits (raising pH, adding calcium/alkalinity, precipitating phosphate).

The 120-Gallon Multilevel Reef

The 120-Gallon Multilevel Reef

Recognized his Magnifica anemone was starving from too-low phosphate/nitrate and dosed them upward; it began growing again after three years of decline.

Mike's 30-Gallon Nano Reef

Mike's 30-Gallon Nano Reef

Cut the bottom out of an Innovative Marine skimmer and drove it with a wood airstone instead of a pump for simple, quiet skimming.

The 1-Day Nano Reef (2-Year Update)

The 1-Day Nano Reef (2-Year Update)

Tank was aquascaped and stocked in a single day, then left almost entirely alone — no water changes or intervention for a full year, proving stability through simplicity.

The Reef That Thrives on the Basics

The Reef That Thrives on the Basics

A pair of large ReefWaves reverse direction every five minutes, spinning the whole water column each way for even, gentle flow across the peninsula.

Mark Esquenazi's 240-Gallon Reef

Mark Esquenazi's 240-Gallon Reef

Doses vinegar as a carbon source but mixes amino acids into it, so as phosphate drops he supplies coral-usable protein/nitrate to keep levels from crashing.

Richard Miller's 220-Gallon Reef

Richard Miller's 220-Gallon Reef

Swapped in-sump refugium for an external Pax Bellum turf scrubber that grows roughly 10x more algae, driving nitrates to often undetectable levels.

The Flagship Peninsula Reef

The Flagship Peninsula Reef

Deliberately cycles for algae and biofauna rather than bacteria, keeping Radions at 10% for weeks to exhaust nutrients before reefing out — reducing future algae battles.

The 40-Gallon Reef Showcase

The 40-Gallon Reef Showcase

Repurposed an undrilled 36" Amazon freshwater tank into a meticulous reef using an external overflow box instead of a drilled sump.

Ancient Mariner's 100-Gallon Acropora Reef

Ancient Mariner

This video showcases Ken Figueroa's 'Ancient Mariner' 100-gallon SPS-dominant reef tank, which was selected as Reef of the Month for May 2023. The tank is custom-built into a staircase landing with a unique slide-out feature for maintenance

Tidal Gardens 700-Gallon Coral Farm

Tidal Gardens 700-Gallon Coral Farm

🇺🇸 Copley, OH, USA · est. 2012

A coral farm disguised as a display tank — and the best reef cinematography in the hobby.

ReefBum's 187-Gallon Mixed Reef

ReefBum's 187-Gallon Mixed Reef

Keith Berkelhamer (ReefBum)

🇺🇸 Connecticut, USA · est. 2016

Proves that simple husbandry + consistency beats expensive automation. The 'big water change' school's flagship tank.

Jake Adams's Reef Builders Lab Tank

Jake Adams's Reef Builders Lab Tank

🇺🇸 Reef Builders HQ, USA · est. 2020

The industry's most influential product-review platform. Equipment in this tank shapes purchase decisions for tens of thousands of reefers.

Nathan's 200-Gallon Mixed Reef

Nathan's 200-Gallon Mixed Reef

This video takes viewers on a field trip to Nathan's impressive 200-gallon mixed reef tank, which has been thriving for five years. The host, from Tidal Gardens, highlights Nathan's unique approach to coral collecting and husbandry, focusing on aquacultured specimens and a robust, automated system. The tour delves into the tank's filtration, dosing, water change routines, and lighting, offering insights into maintaining a densely packed SPS-dominant reef.

Dwayne's 4ft Waterbox Reef

Dwayne's 4ft Waterbox Reef

This video tours Dwayne's award-winning 4ft Waterbox reef tank, crowned Australia's Best Reef Tank 2025 by Monsoon Aquatics. Dwayne shares his journey in the hobby, the detailed infrastructure and DIY solutions behind his successful SPS-dominant system, and showcases his vibrant corals and diverse fish collection. The video concludes with the bittersweet news that Dwayne will be shutting down the tank due to an upcoming house renovation, seeking new homes for his livestock.

Evan Luo's 350-Gallon SPS Reef

Evan Luo's 350-Gallon SPS Reef

This video tours Evan Luo's stunning 350-gallon SPS dominant reef tank in Sydney, Australia, highlighting its unique 'lifted aquascape' and vibrant coral collection. The host, Jake Adams, delves into Evan's advanced equipment setup, including a powerful lighting array and diverse flow pumps, as well as his detailed husbandry practices. Evan shares his philosophy of consistency and minimal intervention for maintaining a thriving reef.

The 1,000-Gallon 15-Year Reef

The 1,000-Gallon 15-Year Reef

This video tours George's meticulously designed 1000-gallon mixed reef tank, a project 15+ years in the making. The tank features a stunning peninsula design with intricate rock work, a diverse collection of SPS corals, and a legendary 10-year-old clam. All the tank's equipment and filtration are housed in a dedicated, remote sump room, ensuring a quiet, clean, and aesthetically pleasing display in his living space.

The 20-Year-Old 180-Gallon Reef

The 20-Year-Old 180-Gallon Reef

This video tours Joe T's impressive 17-year-old reef tank, showcasing a mature and thriving SPS-dominant system. Joe shares his philosophy on stability, natural methods, and the challenges and rewards of maintaining a long-term reef, including his unique approach to sand bed maintenance and nutrient control.

Andrew's 1,000-Gallon Mixed Reef

Andrew's 1,000-Gallon Mixed Reef

This video tours Andrew's impressive 1000-gallon mixed reef aquarium in Las Vegas, which has achieved significant growth in just two years from frags. Andrew details his husbandry philosophy, emphasizing high light and flow, consistent large-volume water changes, and the benefits of a large refugium. He also discusses his approach to fish health and automation to simplify maintenance.

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Community Video Tours

37

Auto-indexed from the hobby's best YouTube channels — specs and gear pulled straight from each build.

Every Display Reef Tank at World Wide Corals!

Every Display Reef Tank at World Wide Corals!

World Wide Corals

This video provides a comprehensive tour of all 37 display reef tanks at World Wide Corals, showcasing a diverse range of setups from massive 1500-gallon SPS tanks to tiny pico tan…

Is the 17,000-gallon Aquarium of Polo Reef the Ultimate Reef Tank?

Is the 17,000-gallon Aquarium of Polo Reef the Ultimate Reef Tank?

This video tours Andrew Sandler's Polo Reef, a 17,000-gallon private home aquarium in New York, highlighting its immense scale, rare fish collection, and complex infrastructure. Th…

Field trip to Nathan's Reef Tank

Field trip to Nathan's Reef Tank

This video takes viewers on a field trip to Nathan's impressive 200-gallon mixed reef tank, which has been thriving for five years. The host, from Tidal Gardens, highlights Nathan'…

Update on Mr. Saltwater Tank's 448 Gallon Mixed Reef Tank

Update on Mr. Saltwater Tank's 448 Gallon Mixed Reef Tank

Mr. Saltwater Tank TV

Mark, Mr. Saltwater Tank, provides an update on his 448-gallon mixed reef tank after a 17-month hiatus. He details the tank's equipment, including lighting, flow, and filtration, a…

Tips for a Euphyllia Dominated Reef Tank

Tips for a Euphyllia Dominated Reef Tank

This video provides an update on Tidal Gardens' Euphyllia show tank, which is now more accurately called a Fimbriophyllia and Euphyllia tank due to the dominance of hammers and fro…

THE BEST AQUARIUM GALLERY IN THE WORLD? Full Tour Of ADG In Houston Texas

THE BEST AQUARIUM GALLERY IN THE WORLD? Full Tour Of ADG In Houston Texas

This video offers a comprehensive tour of Aquarium Design Group (ADG) in Houston, Texas, led by co-owner Jeff Senski, celebrating their 25th anniversary. The tour showcases a diver…

WWC Visits The Largest Private Reef Tank in America

WWC Visits The Largest Private Reef Tank in America

World Wide Corals

This video tours Andrew Sandler's impressive reef tank setup, featuring his 17,000-gallon main display, which is one of the largest private reef tanks in America. The tour highligh…

15+ Years in the Making: 1000-Gallon Mixed Reef Tank with Legendary Clam & Stunning Peninsula Design

15+ Years in the Making: 1000-Gallon Mixed Reef Tank with Legendary Clam & Stunning Peninsula Design

World Wide Corals

This video tours George's meticulously designed 1000-gallon mixed reef tank, a project 15+ years in the making. The tank features a stunning peninsula design with intricate rock wo…

Rare Look - The CoralVue Headquarters Amazing 1200 Gallon Reef Tank

Rare Look - The CoralVue Headquarters Amazing 1200 Gallon Reef Tank

World Wide Corals

This video tours the impressive 1200-gallon reef tank at the CoralVue Industries headquarters, owned by Dave. The host, Vic from World Wide Corals, explores the meticulously design…

Monsoon Aquatics - Australia's Best Reef Tank Winner 2025 - Dwayne's 4ft Waterbox!

Monsoon Aquatics - Australia's Best Reef Tank Winner 2025 - Dwayne's 4ft Waterbox!

This video tours Dwayne's award-winning 4ft Waterbox reef tank, crowned Australia's Best Reef Tank 2025 by Monsoon Aquatics. Dwayne shares his journey in the hobby, the detailed in…

TEN FOOT 1000 Gallon Reef Tank! Anthias Galore!

TEN FOOT 1000 Gallon Reef Tank! Anthias Galore!

Top Shelf Aquatics

This video tours Nick's impressive 10-foot, 1000-gallon mixed reef tank, which is just over a year old. Nick discusses his philosophy on reef keeping, focusing on stability and a d…

$1,000,499,000 HOME AQUARIUM TOUR! - Inside Dubai's *BILLIONAIRE* Palm Island House!

$1,000,499,000 HOME AQUARIUM TOUR! - Inside Dubai's *BILLIONAIRE* Palm Island House!

George Mavrakis

This video tours a massive 10,000-gallon reef tank in a billionaire's home on Dubai's Palm Jumeirah. The hosts, George and Steven, explore the tank's impressive size, diverse lives…

PRIVATE TOUR Inside World Famous LUXURY HOME AQUARIUM! - (12,000 liters)

PRIVATE TOUR Inside World Famous LUXURY HOME AQUARIUM! - (12,000 liters)

George Mavrakis

This video offers a private tour of David Saxby's renowned 12,000-liter reef aquarium system in London, highlighting his passion for the hobby spanning over 40 years. The tour cove…

Everything 300 Gallon Reef | Dosing | Parameters | Maintenance

Taking a look at Rico's Reef Tank - 300-gallon SPS Dominated Reef

Taking a look at Rico's Reef Tank - 300-gallon SPS Dominated Reef

Tidal Gardens tours Rico's 300-gallon Marineland Deep Dimension SPS reef, an Acropora-dominated tank grown from small frags into strikingly colored, carefully pruned colonies. The …

The Euphyllia Dominated Show Tank

The Euphyllia Dominated Show Tank

Tidal Gardens tours an updated ~200-gallon Euphyllia (now partly Fimbriaphyllia) dominated show tank built by Ocean Life Aquariums and plumbed into their shared 2500-gallon coral f…

BRStv Visits Aquarium Artisans | Reefer Profile

BRStv - Saltwater Aquariums & Reef Tanks

BRStv visits Aquarium Artisans to showcase some of their custom reef tank installations. The video features three distinct tanks: a 325-gallon FOWLR tank, a 640-gallon custom aquar…

Expert Tips With MidnightReef | Unlock Mixed Reef Success

Expert Tips With MidnightReef | Unlock Mixed Reef Success

World Wide Corals

This video tours John's (MidnightReef) impressive 200-gallon mixed reef tank in New York City. The host, from World Wide Corals, highlights the tank's dense coral growth, advanced …

DIVING into a 5000 Gallon Reef Tank Tour! Reef Secrets from RAD!

DIVING into a 5000 Gallon Reef Tank Tour! Reef Secrets from RAD!

Top Shelf Aquatics

Blain from Top Shelf Aquatics tours a 5,000-gallon in-home reef built by Jeff Turner of Reef Aquaria Design in South Florida. The dive-in stony-dominant system holds 250+ fish and …

Return visit to this 1000-gallon Reef Aquarium! - Podcast with Ryan Reeves

Return visit to this 1000-gallon Reef Aquarium! - Podcast with Ryan Reeves

Tidal Gardens returns to Ryan Reeves' 1000-gallon SPS-dominant reef in Dallas for a podcast-style update after a couple of years, walking through its husbandry philosophy, filtrati…

The Nano Reef Tank Under Blue Lights & Answering FAQ

The Nano Reef Tank Under Blue Lights & Answering FAQ

This video provides an update on a two-year-old nano reef tank, showcasing it under blue lights as promised to viewers. The host answers frequently asked questions about the tank's…

Setting Up a NANO Tank With Luc Adams

Setting Up a NANO Tank With Luc Adams

This video follows Evan Montgomery from Reef Builders as he helps Luke Adams set up his first nano reef tank, a Red Sea Nano model. The setup includes dry rock aquascaping, transfe…

Vlog 6: The First NEW Tanks - Innovative Marine EXT 75 & 100

Bring the Reef Home With a Clownfish & Bubble Tip Anemone Aquarium!

Bring the Reef Home With a Clownfish & Bubble Tip Anemone Aquarium!

BRStv - Saltwater Aquariums & Reef Tanks

This video from BRStv and World Wide Corals guides viewers through setting up and maintaining a 14-gallon Innovative Marine Peninsula tank specifically for clownfish and bubble tip…

Is This the BEST Reef Tank for Beginners?

Is This the BEST Reef Tank for Beginners?

BRStv - Saltwater Aquariums & Reef Tanks

This video guides viewers through setting up a Red Sea MAX Nano as an ideal beginner reef tank, emphasizing ease of setup, low maintenance, and careful stocking. It covers aquascap…

We Got a Private Tour of a BEAUTIFUL Reef Aquarium!

We Got a Private Tour of a BEAUTIFUL Reef Aquarium!

Reef Builders' Evie tours a private client's mixed reef in Minnesota, maintained by Jennifer of New Wave, who has run her reef business for 25 years. The tour covers the colorful m…

The 'Kitchen Sink' Reef Tank - 100 gallons of Diverse Corals

The 'Kitchen Sink' Reef Tank - 100 gallons of Diverse Corals

Jake Adams of Reef Builders gives a long-overdue tour of the studio's 100-gallon 'kitchen sink' reef — an Innovative Marine NUVO 100EXT that started as a soft coral tank and became…

125 Gallon SPS Reef Tank Tour

125 Gallon SPS Reef Tank Tour

Reefer_NYC tours his mentor's ('reef sensei') two-year-old 125-gallon SPS-dominant in-wall reef, which was upgraded from a 55-gallon setup. The video's central theme is budget, old…

I’m Aquascaping a NEW Red Sea Reefer G2+ / Reefmat & Reefer 600 Skimmer

I’m Aquascaping a NEW Red Sea Reefer G2+ / Reefmat & Reefer 600 Skimmer

Reef Builders host Remy documents the early build of his Red Sea Reefer 625 G2+, covering sump placement, plumbing, installing a ReefMat 1200 roller and Reefer 600 skimmer, and aqu…

REEF2REEF TV Episode 1 (Tank Series)

REEF2REEF TV Episode 1 (Tank Series)

In REEF2REEF TV Episode 1, Xavier Bruce tours his 45-gallon mixed reef 'Just the Tip' in Aventura, Florida. He emphasizes heavy feeding to support nonphotosynthetic corals and soft…

THE ULTIMATE BEGINNER FRIENDLY REEF TANK! FULL AQUARIUM BUILD START TO FINISH (No skimmer)

THE ULTIMATE BEGINNER FRIENDLY REEF TANK! FULL AQUARIUM BUILD START TO FINISH (No skimmer)

This video documents the creation of a beginner-friendly reef tank over six months, emphasizing a low-tech approach without a protein skimmer and using a freshwater LED light. The …

Amazing Aquariums & Reefs Lives Up To Its Name

Amazing Aquariums & Reefs Lives Up To Its Name

Reef Builders' Jake Adams tours Ali's shop, Amazing Aquariums & Reefs in Tustin, Orange County, ten years after helping build the original store. Rather than a typical retail floor…

Ep20: The only SPS reef tank setup guide you'll ever need! - The BRS/WWC System

Ep20: The only SPS reef tank setup guide you'll ever need! - The BRS/WWC System

BRStv - Saltwater Aquariums & Reef Tanks

This video outlines the BRS/WWC Hybrid System, a comprehensive guide for establishing a stable, long-term SPS dominant reef tank. It distills six months of debate and experience in…

Beginner Saltwater Aquarium – My Way – Episode 1

Beginner Saltwater Aquarium – My Way – Episode 1

BRStv - Saltwater Aquariums & Reef Tanks

BRStv's Matthew kicks off a 10+ part beginner series showing exactly how he sets up and runs his own reef tanks, emphasizing that 'simpler is better' and hands-on time beats high-t…

Sanjay 500 Gallon Mega Reef - Extended 'Reef Nerd' Edition +10 Minutes

Sanjay 500 Gallon Mega Reef - Extended 'Reef Nerd' Edition +10 Minutes

This video provides an in-depth tour of Dr. Sanjay Joshi's impressive 500-gallon Acropora-dominant reef tank, detailing its history, equipment, and husbandry practices. Sanjay disc…

Unboxing the New ADVANCED All In One Reef Tank from CADE, Pro Reef 900 S2

Unboxing the New ADVANCED All In One Reef Tank from CADE, Pro Reef 900 S2

This video features an unboxing and detailed first look at the CADE Pro Reef 900 S2 all-in-one reef tank system. The host, Jake Adams, showcases the innovative features of the stan…

Building the Australian Reef Tank Tank Pt. 1: Installing all the Equipment

Building the Australian Reef Tank Tank Pt. 1: Installing all the Equipment

Reef Builders' Jake Adams installs all the equipment for an Australian-style reef aquarium built around a Cade Australia 105 gallon system with included schedule 80 plumbing and gr…

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