Guides
Guides, by tank size and build stage.
Equipment lists and decisions organized around your actual setup — the long-tail forums own, done properly and linked to the tools that size each piece.
30 Gallon Reef Tank: Setup, Gear List & Cost
The smallest forgiving size — the honest sump-or-no-sump answer, one-fixture lighting, the discipline stocking list, and real 2026 costs.
Guide40 Gallon Breeder Reef Tank: Setup, Gear List & Cost
The best beginner reef, fully specced — why the 40B wins, the complete gear list, a realistic cost breakdown, and the calculators to size your pump and skimmer.
New55 Gallon Reef Tank: Read This Before You Buy One
The most-discounted tank in the store and the most regretted reef size in the hobby. The 13-inch problem, when a 55 still makes sense, and how to build one well.
New75 Gallon Reef Tank: Setup, Gear List & Cost
The hobby's sweet spot — four feet long, a real 18 inches deep, and stability you can't buy smaller. The full build, sized piece by piece.
New120 Gallon Reef Tank: Setup, Gear List & Cost
What the second foot of depth changes about lighting and aquascaping — plus floor loading, evaporation, and the logistics smaller-tank guides never mention.
GuideKalkwasser Dosing: The Complete Guide
Mixing ratio and saturation limit, the stirrer requirement, ATO-synced vs pH-gated dosing, overdose risks, and how it compares to two-part.
GuideCarbon Dosing: NOPX, Vodka & Vinegar Explained
How feeding bacteria strips nitrate and phosphate — the three methods compared, the ramp-up protocol, and the bacterial-bloom risk to avoid.
GuideDC vs AC Return Pumps: Which Should You Buy?
Controllability, noise, efficiency, price, and the failure-mode most people miss — with the calculator to size whichever you pick.