Setting up a tank means a long list of purchases that all have to suit each other. A filter that is too weak or a light that misses half the tank costs more to fix than to avoid.
Pick a style and a tank size. The planner sizes every item for that tank, chooses one we stock and adds up the bill. You can swap any item, drop what you already own, and send the whole list to your cart or to us on WhatsApp. It covers freshwater planted tanks, community, shrimp, betta and cichlid setups, and marine tanks from fish only to SPS reef.
Build your aquarium
How we size it
Every figure below is a rule the planner applies. Where a maker publishes a rating, we use it. Where it does not, the line says “size by rule of thumb”.
Litres come from the listed size, so 90 x 45 x 45 cm is about 180 L. Marine builds assume a sump, which adds 25% to the water volume. We do not sell sumps, so there is no sump line on the list.
A freshwater filter needs flow of 3 to 8 times the tank volume an hour, depending on the style, and we count only 75% of the maker’s rated flow because media slows the pump. The filter must also sit inside the maker’s own litre range.
Heaters get one watt per litre. Over 150 L the watts are split over two heaters, so one failing does not leave the tank cold. Oversized heaters are left out.
A freshwater light has to fit the tank length first. After that we compare watts per litre with the style, from 0.15 to 0.4 for low light up to 1.0 for high tech.
Substrate is length times width times depth. Soil is bought by kilogram or litre as the maker sells it, and sand and gravel are counted at 1.5 kg per litre. CO2 gets a 1 L cylinder up to 100 L and a 3 L cylinder above that, with a regulator that matches the cylinder.
Total marine flow is 10 times the tank volume an hour for fish only, 20 times for soft and LPS and about 35 times for SPS, with the return pump supplying 5 to 6 times and powerheads the rest.
The return pump is judged at the lift it has to work against, which is tank height plus 1 m. We take the maker’s maximum flow and reduce it in a straight line to zero at the pump’s maximum lift. It is an estimate. We aim for headroom.
A skimmer must be rated for the full tank volume for fish only, 1.5 times for soft and LPS, and 2 times for SPS. Some makers list ratings per load. We use those. Where there is one figure only, we apply the same 1, 1.5 and 2 times rule for your tier.
Makers do not list PAR for these models, so coverage and watts set the pick. Coverage comes first, using the maker’s hanging-height figures, then a floor on total watts of 0.1, 0.3 or 0.5 W per litre by tier.
Pulling the water down 6 degrees in 8 hours takes 1.163 Wh per litre per degree, and we add 0.25 W per litre for pump and light heat. The planner skips any chiller rated below that total and prefers the one nearest twice the load. A hot afternoon will not tip it over.
Dosing channels: 2 for medium, 3 or 4 for high. Rock runs 12, 10 or 9 kg per 100 L by tier. Sand is 2.5 cm deep, or 1.5 cm for SPS. Salt is 35 g per litre for the first fill, plus half a fill for water changes.
Planted and marine tanks go up to 10 ft. Past 5 ft the planner uses several units: lights side by side, up to four filters, 300 W heaters in numbers, two or three chillers, pumps or skimmers. If no stocked combination fits, that line opens WhatsApp and we size it with you.
RO/DI is the one line we never size from the tank. The right unit depends on your water source and its TDS, so that line opens a WhatsApp message and we quote it.
UV sterilizers are picked on the system’s litres, sump included. EHEIM ClearUVC is a pond unit, but the lamp works the same on a marine tank, and it is how small builds get a UV line.
If nothing fits, the line says so and offers a WhatsApp message.
Frequently asked questions
Are the prices and stock on the planner live?
Yes. The planner reads current prices and stock when the page opens. Each pick comes from the maker’s rating checked against your tank, and if a pump or light sells out, the next best fit takes its place.
What does “size by rule of thumb” mean?
Some makers publish no rating for a model. In that case the planner falls back on a general rule, such as one watt per litre for a heater, and says so on that line. Treat them as a starting point and ask us if a pick looks wrong for your tank.
Can I buy the whole list at once?
Yes. Add all to cart sends every ticked item to your basket one at a time, then opens the cart. If a product needs a choice such as a size, the planner leaves it out and you can pick it on the product page.
