Red Sea Max E 170 Aquarium - Black

The Red Sea Max E 170 Aquarium - Black is a premium 170 litre / 45 gallon all-in-one reef aquarium system built for hobbyists who want a clean, compact, high-performance reef display without having to piece together lighting, filtration, circulation, cabinetry, and control hardware separately.

Designed as a complete Red Sea MAX-E plug-and-play reef platform, this system combines a rimless ultra-clear glass aquarium, black marine-spec cabinet, integrated rear sump, Red Sea ReefLED 90 lighting, REEF-SPEC filtration, dedicated protein skimmer, integrated power center, and modular sump expansion capability. The result is a polished reef-ready system that looks clean in a living room, office, condo, or dedicated aquarium space while still giving serious reef keepers room to grow.

Red Sea MAX E-170 Compact Reef System

• Complete 45 gallon reef platform: The MAX E-170 is built around a 170 litre total system volume, giving you the stability and visual impact of a mid-size reef aquarium in a compact 60 cm footprint.
• All-in-one simplicity: Lighting, filtration, skimming, circulation, power control, cabinet, rear sump, and key filtration media are designed to work together from the start, reducing the guesswork that often comes with custom reef builds.
• REEF-SPEC design approach: The system is engineered around Red Sea’s reefkeeping standards for coral-focused lighting, circulation, filtration, and system stability, making it suitable for mixed reef aquariums and carefully planned SPS-focused setups.
• Rimless open-top presentation: The clean, contemporary glass design keeps attention on the aquascape, coral colour, fish movement, and shimmer from the included ReefLED lighting.
• Black cabinet finish: The black exterior gives the aquarium a modern, furniture-style look and helps equipment, shadows, cables, and internal cabinet space visually recede.

ReefLED 90 Lighting and ReefBeat App Control

• Included ReefLED 90: The MAX E-170 includes one Red Sea ReefLED 90 light, giving the aquarium a purpose-matched reef lighting solution rather than a generic strip light or entry-level fixture.
• Coral-focused spectrum: ReefLED lighting uses a REEF-SPEC Blue channel, a white channel, and a dedicated 3W moonlight channel to support coral growth, colour rendition, daily viewing, and low-level night viewing.
• Clean shimmer and blended output: The ReefLED optical-glass hollow lens is designed to create a homogenous spread with a natural shimmer effect, helping reduce harsh colour separation and spotlighting in the display.
• Wi-Fi control through ReefBeat: Lighting is controlled through Red Sea’s ReefBeat app, allowing convenient setup, scheduling, acclimation programming, cloud effects, and lunar cycle moonlight control from a compatible smart device.
• Great for new coral additions: The acclimation features help reduce lighting shock when introducing new corals or moving livestock from lower-light systems into a stronger reef lighting environment.

REEF-SPEC Filtration Built Into the Rear Sump

• Integrated rear sump: The built-in rear filtration compartment keeps core equipment hidden behind the display, preserving the clean look of the aquarium while keeping filtration accessible for routine service.
• Surface skimming intake: The rear sump draws water from the surface, helping remove surface film so gas exchange, light penetration, and overall water clarity remain strong.
• MSK-900 protein skimmer: The included adjustable skimmer provides 900 lph / 240 gph water flow and 250 lph / 66 gph air flow, helping remove dissolved organic waste before it breaks down into excess nutrients.
• Media rack and carbon filtration: The rear sump includes a media rack for the supplied Red Sea REEF-SPEC Carbon, with space for additional chemical filtration media when the aquarium’s needs change.
• Bubble trap sponge: Integrated mechanical flow management helps reduce microbubbles from returning to the display, keeping the viewing area cleaner and more polished.
• Hidden circulation pump: The MAX E-170 uses one 2,150 lph / 570 gph pump to move water through the system, supporting consistent turnover and filtration performance in the compact reef layout.

Modular Sump Expansion and Cabinet Integration

• Start simple and upgrade later: The MAX E-170 can be run with the integrated rear sump, then expanded with an optional Red Sea in-cabinet sump conversion if you want more space for advanced filtration equipment in the future.
• No-cut sump conversion concept: Red Sea’s modular system uses an integrated multiport bulkhead and regulated silent-flow downpipe design, allowing the filtration layout to be upgraded without cutting, gluing, or emptying the entire aquarium when the proper optional conversion components are used.
• Chiller-ready planning: The system includes a dedicated chiller connection bracket and has a cabinet layout designed with equipment planning in mind. Chiller equipment and piping are not included.
• Integrated power center: The cabinet includes a power center with seven individually switched outlets, making it easier to control pumps, skimmer, lighting, and accessories from one organized location.
• Marine-spec cabinet construction: The cabinet uses a marine-spec laminate exterior with weatherproof epoxy-painted doors, push-open hardware, and soft-close stainless steel hinges for a clean, durable reef-system presentation.
• Rotatable rear sump screen: The rear sump cover helps hide filtration hardware while still allowing practical access for service, cleaning, adjustment, and maintenance.

Red Sea Max E 170 Black Specifications

• Total system water volume: 170 litres / 45 gallons.
• Display aquarium volume: 140 litres / 37 gallons.
• Rear sump volume: 30 litres / 8 gallons.
• Display dimensions: 60 cm L x 57.5 cm W x 55 cm H / 23.6 in x 22.6 in x 21.6 in, excluding light.
• Total system height: 142 cm / approximately 56 in, excluding the LED light unit.
• Glass: Rimless ultra-clear glass with 12 mm front and side panels.
• Lighting: 1 x Red Sea ReefLED 90, 90W nominal total output.
• Lighting control: Wi-Fi control through the Red Sea ReefBeat app.
• Circulation: 1 x 2,150 lph / 570 gph pump.
• Protein skimmer: Red Sea MSK-900 adjustable protein skimmer with 900 lph / 240 gph water flow and 250 lph / 66 gph air flow.
• Power center: 7 individually switched outlets for system components and accessories.
• Chemical filtration: Supplied with Red Sea REEF-SPEC Carbon.
• Cabinet colour: Black exterior with matching clean reef-system styling.

Red Sea MAX E-170 Application Notes

• Best use: Designed for saltwater reef aquariums, mixed reefs, coral displays, and aquarists wanting a polished all-in-one system with premium included equipment.
• Upgrade path: The built-in rear sump is suitable for a clean plug-and-play start, while the optional in-cabinet sump conversion gives advanced hobbyists room to expand filtration later.
• Chiller compatibility: The system is designed with chiller installation planning in mind, but the chiller, pump, and external piping are sold separately.
• ReefMat planning: ReefMat 500 use is modification-dependent, so filtration upgrades should be planned before purchase if automatic roller filtration is part of the build.
• Not included: Livestock, rock, sand, salt, heater, test kits, dosing equipment, wavemakers, optional sump conversion kit, chiller, and additional filtration upgrades are not included unless purchased separately.

Red Sea MAX-E Series Product Video

Setup and Installation Notes

• Plan the location first: Position the aquarium on a level, structurally suitable surface with access to power, water-change space, and enough room behind and around the system for service.
• Follow the Red Sea manual: Assemble the cabinet, aquarium, rear sump components, skimmer, circulation pump, power center, and lighting according to Red Sea’s instructions before filling.
• Leak and function check: Before adding livestock, confirm that the rear sump, skimmer, pump, surface skimmer, power center, and return flow are operating correctly.
• Use proper reef water: Fill with properly mixed saltwater or natural seawater of suitable parameters, and use RO/DI water for evaporation top-off and salt mixing.
• Use light acclimation: When starting a new reef or adding corals, use the ReefBeat acclimation features and increase light intensity gradually to reduce coral stress.
• Cycle before stocking: Allow the aquarium to establish stable biological filtration before adding fish or corals, and stock slowly to avoid nutrient and stability issues.

What’s Included

• Red Sea MAX E-170 rimless glass aquarium in black configuration
• Black marine-spec cabinet
• Integrated rear sump filtration system
• Red Sea ReefLED 90 lighting system
• Red Sea MSK-900 adjustable protein skimmer
• 2,150 lph / 570 gph circulation pump
• Surface skimmer
• Multidirectional return nozzle
• Media rack
• Bubble trap sponge
• Red Sea REEF-SPEC Carbon
• Chiller connection bracket / fittings
• Integrated power center with 7 individually switched outlets

Shipping Notes

• To avoid delays, please order Red Sea aquariums by themselves. If you are wishing to order multiple things, please place two separate orders: one for the aquarium and one for the rest of your products.
• Please call for a shipping quote if ordering from NWT, YK, or NUN.
• All Red Sea aquariums are brought in and shipped out on an as-ordered basis. The average turn-around time to ship an aquarium to you is two business days, except where noted below.
• All shipments outside of the Vancouver area are shipped via trucking company with residential and power tailgate delivery, and are fully insured.
• Tanks ordered within BC and, in some circumstances, Alberta may take an extra 5-10 business days to process. Systems ordered from Alberta and east of there usually ship within two business days direct from the distributor in Ontario.
• If you are ordering for pick-up from our store, please select in-store pickup to avoid delivery charges. You will be notified when the tank arrives, usually within 5-10 business days.
• Red Sea Max S Series aquariums are always special order and will take from 3-6 weeks to ship.
• Please note the freight company is only responsible for getting the aquarium to the destination address and off-loading it. They are not responsible for carrying it inside.
• All freight charges have been greatly subsidized to help you get up and running with your new Red Sea system.