01 / GOAL
Pick the reef you actually want.
Softies, LPS, mixed reef, or SPS — the goal sets your lighting, flow, and filtration targets.
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The free reef tank planner that catches mistakes before you pay for them.
Plan the tank, stocking, and gear together. ReefCrafter runs 23 compatibility and sizing checks on the whole saltwater aquarium build — and shows the true cost — before you spend a dollar.
My 75 gal Mixed Reef
risk reviewTankRed Sea Reefer 250· 65 gal displaybaseline set
SkimmerReef Octopus Classic 110· rated 100gthin margin
Lighting2× Hydra 32HD· covers 60×24 footprintcoverage ok
FlowSicce Syncra 3.5 + 2× MP40· 38× turnovertarget hit
Avoided mistake · undersized skimmerCHECKED 2s AGO
Build checks
23stocking to skimmer
Gear categories
9tank to RO/DI
Price to plan
$0free, no card
Signup to start
nonesave when ready
How it works
One saltwater build, checked as a system.
Tank size, livestock, and equipment all push on each other. The planner keeps them honest together, so the plan survives contact with real gear.
02 / BUILD
Add the tank, livestock, and gear in one place.
Six quick steps from tank size to RO/DI. Every pick updates the same live build.
03 / CHECK
Fix the weak spots while they cost nothing.
Overstocking, fish that fight, undersized skimmers, weak flow, missing gear — flagged with reasons before checkout.
What gets checked
Stocking, compatibility, gear, and cost — checked together.
Most reef mistakes happen between the parts: livestock against tank size, gear against livestock, budget against reality. That is exactly where the planner looks.
Stocking
A stocking calculator that knows the fish.
Bioload, swimming room, and tank-size minimums checked against every species you add — not a one-size inch-per-gallon rule.
Compatibility
Fish and coral compatibility, checked live.
Aggression, reef-safe status, and risky pairings run against your exact stock list. A compatibility checker, not a wall chart.
Gear sizing
Equipment sized to the tank, not the ad.
Skimmer headroom, heater wattage, light coverage, and flow turnover, all sized against your gallons and your goal.
True cost
The real answer to "how much does a reef tank cost."
A priced shopping list for the whole saltwater setup — per item, with quantities — before you commit to any of it.
Vetted templates
Start from a reef that knows its limits.
Open a complete reef tank setup — nano all-in-one to full-size SPS — then swap parts without losing the compatibility checks.
Free, not shady
Premium planning. Still free.
ReefCrafter does not sell tanks or gear — it plans them. No inventory, no markup, no pressure to pick the store that pays best.
No checkout
You buy directly from stores you already trust
Vendor-neutral
The build picks the gear, not the ad budget
Plain links
If a link ever becomes affiliate, it is disclosed
Free to plan
No card, no gate, no countdown timer
Before you ask
Reef tank questions, straight answers.
The questions every new reefer searches at 1 a.m., answered without the upsell.
How much does a reef tank cost?
A beginner-friendly 20-32 gallon all-in-one reef usually lands between $500 and $1,100 with equipment, before livestock. A mid-size mixed reef runs $3,000-$5,000, and large SPS systems clear $10,000. The planner prices your exact build item by item, so you see your number — not an average — before you buy anything.
What do you need to start a saltwater tank?
Nine categories cover it: tank, stand, lighting, flow, heating, filtration or a protein skimmer, rock and sand, salt mix with test kits, and an RO/DI water source. The planner walks all nine in order and flags anything missing, so the first water change is not a surprise shopping trip.
What saltwater fish can live together?
It depends on aggression, tank size, and who claims territory first — not just a species list. Peaceful community picks like clownfish, gobies, and blennies usually coexist; dottybacks, damselfish, and many wrasses need more planning. ReefCrafter checks your exact combination and explains every conflict it finds.
Why do reef tanks crash?
The usual suspects are overstocking, undersized equipment, incompatible livestock, and rushing the cycle — almost all visible in the plan before water ever touches glass. That is why ReefCrafter checks the build as a system instead of approving parts one at a time.
Is a saltwater tank hard to maintain?
Harder than freshwater, easier than its reputation. Right-sized equipment does most of the daily work; the hobby gets expensive and stressful when gear is mismatched to the tank. A checked build is the difference between a weekly routine and a weekly rescue.
Do I need a protein skimmer?
Not always. Lightly stocked nano tanks under about 30 gallons often run fine on water changes alone, while heavier bioloads and SPS-dominant reefs genuinely need skimming headroom. The planner tells you which side of that line your build is on.
Build once, regret less
The expensive part should be the tank, not the lesson.
Plan the reef you want, see what it really costs, and fix the problems while they are still free to fix.