Red Sea REEFER 170 Review – Exploring Features, Operation and Effectiveness.

No matter how many blogs you read, books you study or discussions you attend, without a solid reef aquarium setup, your efforts are futile.

This goes without saying, but finding the best reef tank for your unique setup sometimes feels harder than finding a public restroom in New York City. You know they exist, but store after store fails to offer exactly what you need.

Recently, I was asked what separates an acceptable reef tank from an amazing aquarium? This is a surprisingly tricky question to answer. Not because the fundamental pillars of a solid tank are some mysterious etherial concept, but terms like “amazing” and “best” are too subjective. In short, the difference between an acceptable tank and a superior setup boils down to your personal preferences, well, mostly.

Imagine buying an aquarium is like purchasing a new car. If you haul a large family around town, then you’ll be interested in larger vehicles, like a minivan or SUV. Same is true for middle-aged men feverishly grasping the last strands of youth. These peculiar car buyers may sway toward a two-door roadster, or a similar style that’s reminiscent of the rebellious follies of yesteryear.

While these imaginary car buyers are complete opposites, the baseline of their search is universal: quality construction, minimal maintenance and superior performance.

As reefers, we’re not too dissimilar than these fictional characters. Our ideal tank is one capable of satisfying both appearance and function.

If you’re searching for a mid-sized reef tank designed to streamline and support your growing hobby, then you may find the Red Sea REEFER 170 as illustrious as headphone connections are to family minivan drivers, or glove compartment toupee adhesive dispensers is to midlife crisis guy.

The Elegance of Superior Design - Red Sea REEFER 170.

My history with Red Sea goes back many years. Originally fascinated by their commitment to streamline hobbyist tanks through ongoing biochemistry and engineering research, they combine my love of science with the ease of user accessibility.

While I’ve heard great things about their REEFER systems from colleagues and fellow hobbyists, I didn’t realize the expertise built into their tanks until I used one myself.

Of course, it’s not all sunshine and roses, but what in life is truly perfect? However, after working with my personal REEFER 250 tank, which is essentially a larger version of the REEFER 170, this system offers comprehensive control without unnecessary complexity.

As we’ll uncover deeper into this review, the Red Sea REEFER 170 isn’t just another acceptable reef aquarium. Rather, it’s a portal into the mysterious realm of oceanic beauty.

A Design Worthy of Praise - REEFER 170 Appearance.

The biggest mistake is purchasing a reef aquarium simply because of its exterior design. Don’t get me wrong, the design choices of a tank either highlights or detracts from the beautiful intricacies of its occupants. However, a brilliantly constructed aquarium is useless if its hidden components are incapable of sustaining coral, fish and other inhabitants. 

But, as we’ll continue to uncover, the Red Sea REEFER 170 isn’t a standard tank. One of my least favorite visual elements of almost every tank is visible seams along the corners. While not the biggest design blunder, seams create a visual stop.

The first design element that captured my attention with the REEFER 170 is how they crafted its glass corners. Unlike almost every reef tank, its seams actually enhance the overall elegance. When illuminated, the black seams enhance the “wow” factor we all strive to achieve. Combined with the beveled edges, this aquarium truly looks like a piece of art. And, in reality, it is.

I remember the first time I saw this tank displayed in a fellow hobbyists home. My eyes were instantly drawn to not only its shape, but the clarity of its low-iron glass. Words fail to describe the dynamic appeal of the glass. It’s as if Red Sea used high definition glass. If you stare long enough, it’s as if the tank isn’t contained by glass.

The base of the REEFER 170 serves a dual purpose. It not only draws your attention to the tank with its modern pedestal design, but also hides various operation components. Aesthetically, I love about the base is how it looks like a museum pedestal for ancient statues.

However, like I mentioned above, aesthetics are only as good as the internal system they cover. Open the base, and experience one of the most thoughtful sump layouts I’ve come across. Before discussing the professional-grade sump system, the base cabinet doors are coated with epoxy. I personally appreciate this feature as it safeguards doors against water damage.

Overall, the REEFER 170 construction is solid and designed to prevent damage from random water spills. With proper care, the cabinetry should last for many years.

As the saying does, it’s the little things that truly matter. When it comes to this tank, Red Sea really focused on not only major system functionality, but also secondary features. For example, located along the top and bottom of the stand is a dense, but soft, black foam designed to keep the tank perfectly leveled.

Along with built-in foam leveling, assembling the stand is a breeze. The instruction manual is simple to follow. From start-to-finish, it took me around 30 minutes to assemble.

While this reef aquarium is visually stunning, I’d be a fool to not mention the lack of a tank cover. Regardless of species, you’re bound to have a curious fish who jumps out of the water. Thankfully, Red Sea addressed this concern with their customizable aquarium net cover that you can purchase separately. Not only does this keep your precious inhabitants where they belong, but its really cool looking.

Of course, you can always enhance the visual appeal, and fish safety, with a custom acrylic lid.

The Silence of Optimum Control - Overflow System.

Given the capabilities of the Red Sea REEFER 170, you’d expect the overflow system to be noticeably loud. However, this aquarium breaks almost any expectation via innovative design choices.

Of course, there’s no such thing as a completely inaudible tank. But, this overflow system is about as quiet as you can get. Designed with a single return, custom dual outlet drain and removable surface skimmer, the real star of the overflow system is the return valve.

This large control knob is a breeze to operate. Simply tweak weir water level by turning the knob only a few millimeters. Seriously, this thing is incredibly responsive. Here’s a breakdown of the return valve functions:

Turn Right (Clockwise) - Raises weir water level.

Turn Left (Counter-Clockwise) - Lowers weir water level.

The most important thing to remember here is you only need to adjust the knob slightly. You know you found the perfect position when the entire overflow system goes almost silent. Of  course, the “sweet spot” depends on your ideal water level.

Ultimately, the overflow system is pretty solid. I really appreciate the set-it and forget-it design. Of course, this doesn’t mean you’ll never have to adjust its settings, but unlike many other systems, you don’t need to babysit the REEFER 170 once its optimal settings are set.

When reviewing aquarium systems, I pay special attention to how easy it is to disassemble and clean. Fighting with a complex disassembly to perform basic maintenance is annoying. What I really appreciate about the return valve is how easy it is to disassemble and clean, and it's the same for the overflow surface skimmer.

Streamlining Tank Care and Maintenance - Sump & Beyond.

Located inside the base cabinet, the Red Sea REEFER 170 sump system is yet another impressive design achievement. Unlike similar tanks, the sump compartment isn’t a cluttered mess of pipes and valves.

Its streamlined design simplifies navigating its various components, and even offers small storage space for additional items, like your additives bottles for example. Included in the system is a professional-grade sump, automatic top-off reservoir as well as all the plumbing required to establish your new aquarium.

The size of the sump is perfect for the tank capacity. A micron mechanical filter sock is included as well. Before water reaches the sump, it passes through this filter. This helps remove debris before water enters the official filtration compartment.

If you’ve ever used a filter sock, you fully understand that while effective, they’re a pain as it requires weekly cleaning. Although the included filter sock is acceptable, there’s a much easier option.

I personally recommend filter media cups with filter floss. All you do is place filter floss in the cup. That’s it! When it comes time to clean, simply discard the floss and refill. Imagine a life free from rinsing fish poo out of a sock? Sounds like a dream, right?

Of course, make sure to regularly check, clean and replace (if necessary) the filter floss in the cup. Trust me, I failed to do this and it resulted in water bypassing the media cup altogether. While this didn’t affect sump operation, it did negatively influence water filtration.

One of the most common issues experienced by all aquarists is evaporation. As you probably know, consistently wavering water levels is detrimental for the native water management systems. Thankfully, the Red Sea REEFER 170 offers a surprisingly stable solution.

The automatic top-off reservoir controlled by a float valve.

While the included ATO is a capable system, I recommend adding a separate ATO with a larger container, I'm using the Smart AWC by AutoAqua so the ATO is included as well. If you choose to upgrade the ATO container to a larger unit, some hobbyists use the included ATO container as a refugium. I think this is a brilliant idea, and it’s surprisingly easy. If you’re interested in this process, find examples of how it’s done, along with DIY instructions, by searching Google.

Important Note: The REEFER 170 overflow is rated for 2000lph/530gph water flow rates, but it’s capable of handling much more power. I recommend setting your return flow pump at 1000gph and then dialing it down as needed in case your setup requires less flow.

The Characteristics of Tank Stability - REEFER 170 Specifications.

The Red Sea REEFER 170 is truly among the best reef aquariums on the market, especially for its price. Obviously, this is a solidly built tank, and one you’ll appreciate for years (trust me, I have two Red Sea tanks and love them dearly). When it comes to streamlining daily maintenance and system stability, it more than satisfies.

While there are literally hundreds of other details and features we could discuss, I find most of them are self-explanatory. However, there are several tank specs I want to go over. These include:

Tank Capacity - In total, the REEFER 170 holds 43 gallons of water. However, this is split between the display tank (34 gallons) and sump tank (9 gallons).

Exceptional Control, Ease and Beauty - Red Sea REEFER 170.

From museum-quality design, to enhanced operation and control, the Red Sea REEFER 170 it’s no surprise why the REEFER 170 is among the most celebrated consumer aquarium tank.

Whether you’re a novice saltwater hobbyist, or an experienced aquarist, my opinion remains the same: this is an awesome tank.

As always, the Reef Hacks team is here to help guide you throughout your underwater journey. If you have questions about the Red Sea REEFER 170 tank, or any other questions about this fantastic hobby, don’t hesitate to visit our Facebook page and send us a message.

P.S. - Do you have a REEFER 170? We’d love to see your setup! Send us picture of your tank and show off your aquascaping skills!

by Yuliya Ivanova for ReefHacks.