It’s been six years since Red Sea changed the way we do reefing by providing a stripped-down, bare-bones, but beautiful tank that we could all play with. And in that time the Reefer has grown in number and dimensions and evolved along the way to better accommodate its users from adding a sump space for macroalgae to adjustable feet, net covers, media cups, and more.
But with news of the ReefMat roller filter last Christmas we assumed that a V4 roller-ready sump (or something,) would emerge soon after, and this Easter, in 2022, it has. The new, refined Reefer G2 majors on that one exact feature – the ability to swap out the supplied filter socks with automated mechanical filtration via the ReefMat, only without having to take a blade to the Reefer Sump baffles like before. So that’s a big tick, and the upgrade we all assumed would naturally occur in the future.
Thicker glass, stronger cabinets
But instead of just integrating a V4 sump, other upgrades have been introduced from thicker glass to fortified plywood cabinets, upgraded pipework, a better gate valve, and the ability to extend the warranty from three to five years. It’s still a Reefer, it still looks like a Reefer, but it’s been subtly improved due to user feedback to better reflect how we run modern reef systems and in short, to make a better, more feature-rich, more appealing tank.
Own a Reefer or talk to Reefer owners and inevitably the gate valve will come up in conversation, and its ease of adjustment. The Reefer G2 now comes with a larger, redesigned gate valve for even finer adjustment than before. Then those who used to swap out the gate valve inevitably changed some pipework with it and the new Reefer G2 pipework not only allows for both metric and Imperial pipe retrofitting, it also comes in shiny red livery that you probably wouldn’t even want to swap out because it matches Red Sea’s Skimmer and Roller filter. Bring on a Red Sea red and black return pump…
Twin outlets on 350 up
The bulkhead locking nuts are now more robust too. And after Cabinet-Gate the cabinets have been redesigned literally from the ground up, now all being made from plywood for better strength and protection from water ingress, with the largest models also integrating that metal, vertical support bar too. All models from the 350 up now come with twin, side situated returns and inside the weir, they’ve redesigned that downflow system for quieter running.
So has Red Sea delivered all the improvements we could ever wish for? Pretty much, as it’s now stronger, quieter, and even more versatile than before. A good product should actually be judged by its lack of feedback, its components left to carry out their jobs silently in the background, without becoming a distraction. So let’s see.
The Red Sea Reefer has always enabled us to create our own personal piece of the reef, not just through fish or coral choice but also via equipment choice. The G2 serves to further smooth out user experience right from set up to day-to-day running, to the longevity of the product itself. And that can only be a good thing.
