Red Sea Max-E 260 Aquarium – Plug & Play Reef System

A contemporary rimless design, advanced REEF-SPEC® technology, and everything you need to create a thriving coral reef in your home.

The Red Sea Max-E 260 is a 260-litre plug and play reef aquarium system designed to make reefkeeping simple, reliable, and visually stunning. Combining ultra-clear glass, powerful ReefLED 90 lighting, and REEF-SPEC® filtration, this all-in-one aquarium provides everything required to keep even the most delicate SPS corals thriving.

Whether you’re setting up your first reef tank or upgrading to a larger display, the Max-E 260 is designed to let you focus on enjoying the beauty of your reef, not worrying about equipment compatibility.

Key Lifestyle Benefits

• All-in-One Convenience – Everything is included: lighting, skimmer, pumps, filtration, cabinet, and power centre. No need to buy add-ons to get started.

• Perfect for Coral Growth – REEF-SPEC® criteria developed over 25 years ensures sustainable success with SPS, LPS, and soft corals.

• Bring the Ocean Home – The rimless design, ultra-clear glass, and natural reef shimmer create a stunning centrepiece in any living space.

• Beginner-Friendly, Expert-Grade – Easy to set up for first-time reefkeepers yet powerful enough for advanced coral growers.

• Future-Proof Design – Modular sump system allows easy expansion when you’re ready to upgrade with extra equipment.

Core Features

• Lighting – 2 × ReefLED 90 units with Wi-Fi control via the ReefBeat® App. Features acclimation modes, lunar cycle, and random cloud cover for natural lighting effects.

• Filtration – Rear sump with REEF-SPEC® skimmer, carbon media, sponge filtration, and media rack. Optional upgrade to a full in-cabinet sump.

• Circulation – 2 × 2,150 LPH European Eco pumps provide 4,300 LPH total flow, ensuring no dead spots.

• Glass – Ultra-clear, 12 mm glass with smart bevelled edges for a clean rimless look.

• Cabinet – Marine-spec laminate with epoxy-painted, soft-close doors. Available in black or white.

• Power Centre – Integrated, 7-outlet control panel for all electrical components.

Technical Specifications

• System Volume: 260L (69 gal)

• Display Tank Volume: 213L

• Rear Sump Volume: 47L

• Lighting: 2 × ReefLED 90

• Skimmer: MSK 900 (REEF-SPEC® rated)

• Circulation Pumps: 2 × 2150 LPH

• Dimensions (L×W×H): 90 × 57.5 × 55 cm

• Total Height (with cabinet, excl. lights): 142 cm

• Glass Thickness: 12 mm ultra-clear

Who is the Max-E 260 For?

• Reefkeepers who want a plug-and-play reef aquarium with all equipment included

• Hobbyists aiming to grow and display SPS corals successfully

• Aquarists who want a modern, rimless display tank that looks incredible in a home or office

• Beginners who want confidence and experts who want reliability
  
  

Further spec details 

The MAX® E-Series incorporate the all-new Red Sea ReefLED 90 lights which are designed to ensure optimal coral growth and maximum rendition of their vibrant colors. 

At the heart of the unit is a compact Led array that provides a reef-safe range of REEF-SPEC light through a single REEF-SPEC Blue (23,000 Kelvin) channel that consists of an optimum combination of ultraviolet, violet and blue LEDs and an 8,000 Kelvin white channel. In addition, it has a separate dedicated 3W Moonlight channel to provide the low levels of light for reef-safe nighttime viewing.The ReefLED includes a single optical-glass, hollow lens that creates a homogenous light giving a dramatic coral coloration and a gentle shimmer throughout the aquarium.

ReefLED is controlled by Red Sea’s ReefBeat® App which provides a wide range of easy to use functions such as random clouds, acclimation for new installations and a lunar cycle for the moonlights.

The LED unit is firmly bolted to the aquarium and can be rotated to give easy access to the rear sump for all of the regular maintenance requirements or for reefscaping. The MAX® E-260 reef aquarium system uses 2 ReefLED 90 units


MAX® E-Series Revolutionary Modular Sump system

Dual sump options for total flexibility. The MAX® E-Series feature a unique sump system, enabling simple conversion of the integrated rear sump into a fully operational stand alone in-cabinet sump.

Start your reef with the built-in rear sump that houses the complete REEF-SPEC® filtration and circulation systems. If you decide to add additional equipment such as a calcium reactor, the modular filtration system can easily be expanded by installing an optional Red Sea in-cabinet sump.

Red Sea’s unique overflow system, with its fully regulated silent-flow downpipe (as used in the top-of–the-range S-Series), easily connects to the integrated multiport bulkhead without the need for any cutting, gluing or emptying of the entire aquarium.

The optional sump conversion kit includes a customized glass sump with a dedicated constant height skimmer chamber, a flow-regulated overflow system and an integrated automatic top up.


MAX® E-Series Ultra Clear Glass

The front and two side panels of the Max® E-Series are constructed from Ultra-Clear glass for the ultimate viewing experience. The 12mm thickness of the front panel allows us to avoid using bracing bars, enabling a clean rimless design with smart beveled edges top and bottom.


MAX® E-Series Circulation

Twin European Eco pumps used in the MAX® E-260 provide 4,300 l/h (1100g/h)  of water flow, circulating the entire water volume 16 times an hour through the filter system. The flow is returned to the aquarium via the discrete multidirectional “eye ball” nozzles that can be adjusted to ensure there are no dead spots within the aquarium, preventing harmful detritus from building up on the corals.

The MAX® E-Series aquariums are divided into 2 parts – Aquarium and the Rear Sump that discretely houses all of the filtration and circulation systems. The MAX® E-Series sumps contain multistage filtration consisting of a REEF-SPEC® protein skimmer, activated carbon and mechanical filter materials. The sump has dedicated space available for additional chemical filter media as well as the addition of a chiller.

The heart of the filtration system is the protein skimmer. The MSK 900 skimmer implements Red Sea’s REEF-SPEC® criteria for SPS corals, passing the entire volume of the aquarium water through the skimmer at least 3 times per hour and with a 3 to 1 water to air ratio. The design of MAX® E skimmers is not affected by the regular fluctuation in the water level of the rear sump due to evaporation and has an adjustable outlet gate to maintain the optimal skimmate consistency which will vary according to actual water conditions. The new skimmer pump and impellor run cooler and quieter than before and the built in silencer on the air intake does a great job of eliminating skimmer noise.

The rear sump includes a convenient media rack for Red Sea’s new highly adsorbent phosphate-free REEF-SPEC™ Carbon which is supplied with the MAX® E system, and has extra shelves for the easy addition of other chemical filter media.

The Red Sea MAX® E-Series sump has a dedicated place for the addition of a chiller pump as well as a convenient connection bracket for the chiller piping (Chiller and pipes are not supplied with the system).

The MAX® E-Series incorporates the one-plug MAX® concept and features a power center with easy access to 7 individually switched power sockets for all system electrical sub-components. The power center is conveniently located in the cabinet and enables safe and easy control of all of the MAX® sub-systems.

The MAX® E-Series feature a marine-spec laminate cabinet fronted with weatherproof epoxy painted doors with convenient push openers as well as soft close stainless steel hinges. The cabinets are ventilated to provide convection cooling for a chiller. Offered with black or white exteriors, all cabinets have a black interior which maintains its clean appearance over time.