75 gallon mixed reef build with compatibility checks
The 75 gallon mixed reef is ReefCrafter's best proof point: enough room for a real reef, but enough complexity to punish mismatched gear.
Split heat around two 95 W heaters when possible.
Target the 20-40x band: 1,500-3,000 GPH before placement tuning.
Use bioload headroom rather than the most optimistic number printed on the product page.
A typical 75g footprint needs coverage across about 48 x 18 in and the 150-250 PAR band.
Monthly supplies often land around $60-$120 before livestock and repairs.
The final answer depends on actual equipment, source water, livestock, and maintenance plan.
What this build has to get right
- Use skimmer headroom for medium bioload, not the label on the box.
- Target roughly 20-40x display flow with controllable pumps.
- Use two heaters and check light coverage across the full footprint.
Better than a generic shopping list
A 75 gallon plan can fail even when every product is individually good. ReefCrafter checks whether heater wattage, flow, light spread, nutrient export, budget tier, and livestock intent all agree before the cart becomes the build.