Marine Product of the Year Awards 2025

I’ve been wanting to do awards since I first set up Fishkeeping News. As a previous award recipient, I know how much it means to the people behind the brands, while simultaneously putting a stamp of approval on a product and enabling potential purchasers to make a more informed buying decision.  

The following awards are not limited to products that launched in the last 12 months. Instead, I’ve given these awards through actual experience of using, fitting, retailing and recommending, and I wouldn’t run a reef tank without them. Whether you’re a marine store, a coral farm, a beginner, or an avid hobbyist, invest in these, and the runners-up, and you won’t go far wrong.  

Here are my best marine products of 2025:

Best light – EcoTech Radion G6

I’ve used every generation of EcoTech’s Radion since Gen 1, and although the generational changes have appeared more subtle lately, the Radion remains the most solid choice in high-end LED lighting, the most widely used, and with the most proven results worldwide. 

The Mobius App gets a bad press in America, but I’ve never had a problem connecting or using it, and Bluetooth connection for the Radion and other EcoTech products is way easier than faffing with Wi-Fi. 

Get a Radion XR15 or XR30 Blue, set to AB+, sit back, and forget, as you won’t have any hassle from them on, and you will grow corals from mushies and zoas to fleshy LPS, and the most tricky Acropora.

I’ve been experimenting with the G6 Pro on all channels lately (much whiter light overall) with great results and a much more realistic shallow water look, and although I first found overall par disappointing for deeper tanks, the Radion High Intensity Lens Kit makes a huge difference, once again punching through and penetrating at depth like previous radion generations did. 

Runner Up – Aqua Illumination 

Aqua Illumination lights are the brothers of EcoTech, as AI and EcoTech merged before being bought out by Aperture Pet and Life. Aquaillumination doesn’t make a bad light; in so many ways, they are as good as Radions, and I use and sell Hydra, Prime and Blades on a daily basis. I like the high par and punch of the Hydra, the fanless splashproofing and slick, modern profile of the Blade, and the AI Prime is still probably the best small reef aquarium light that has ever been made.    

Best wave pump – EcoTech Vortech

Like the Radion, I’ve been lucky enough to use the EcoTech Vortech wave pumps from generation 1. The first ones were noisy as hell, with wires sticking out of the control boxes, but that wireless mag-fitting patent has still not been surpassed, meaning it’s still the only light with a wireless wetside, and I’ve run the stalwart MP40 in home, retail and commercial situations for over a decade without problems. They hardly ever need cleaning either. 

Like other long-term users, I would of course like to see a directional cage option with a guard to stop it from slurping air in shallow water situations, and even a waterproof wetside so that the “dry” side could be clamped inside weirs or used on oscillating devices. But put a gun to my head, and I’ll choose the MP40 every time, budget permitting. It’s a great (unique) pump that has stood the test of time, and single-handedly changed the way that we deliver flow to our aquariums. 

 

Runner Up – Jecod SOW Series

Why, with the likes of Sicce, Tunze, and Maxspect, has Jebao’s Jecod made the shortlist for best wavepump? They copy designs, they’re “Cheap Chinese,” and those flimsy-feeling controllers still produce a spark when you connect them to the mains. But they are small, powerful, feature-rich, and above all, offer a lot of  DC pump features at the price of most entry-level, non-controllable AC pumps. 

I’ve found them the easiest pump by far to create a standing wave, and when you’re trying to convince someone they need more flow, but they don’t want to spend a lot of money, they are one of my go-to pumps that do what they say they do on the tin. They work instantly, with no need for app control.  

Best skimmer – Octo Regal Protein Skimmer S

I’ve been using protein skimmers since the 1990s, with the biggest technological changes being the invention of the needle wheel impeller and cone-shaped designs, which concentrate the foam. Octo’s Regal S combines both features along with good looks, a super quiet, controllable DC pump and excellent performance across the range. Some mid-range AC skimmers are too fiddly with too many points of adjustment. Others are prone to overskimming, or the collection cup is stiff and difficult to remove for maintenance. In my own tanks, tanks I maintain, and in the commercial situations I work in, the compact Regal S performs day in, day out, is the easiest to use, and is my go-to mid-range protein skimmer. And despite not even being new, the Regal is well worth your consideration in 2026. 

Runner Up – Bubble Magus Curve

The cone-shaped AC-powered Curve range from Bubble Magus is one of the most reliable, hardest working, best value skimmers I’ve ever worked with, and my own C3.5 little skimmer has travelled with me from tank to tank, job to job, and ran for over 10 years with great performance and very little maintenance. They’re the best skimmers for the money by far.   

    

Best Roller Filter – Red Sea ReefMat

When Red Sea created the ReefMat Fleece Roller Filter, they introduced a lot of features, from flexible hose to app control, but the most important feature for me is the way that you change the roll, by reaching inside it, releasing a plate, and then locking it back in. It reminds me of how you change a till roll, and when I’m out on maintenance jobs, I’m always glad to see one hanging on the front of the sump with easy access. It certainly made roller filters a lot less daunting for many people, and it’s my go-to roller filter.

Runner-Up – Clarisea

Clarisea is an aquatic industry pioneer, and at the time of launch, it changed the game by being the only one which actually worked. It’s continued to refine and upgrade its performance to include a pre-built body, multi-size inlet adapter and easier to load fleece, and it’s the only other roller filter that I use and recommend. 

Best dosing supplement – joint winners

In order to award the best dosing products, I need to first acknowledge that we are comparing apples to oranges here, so I think it’s only fair to break them down into easier categories – their number of parts:

Best one-part supplement: Tropic Marin All-For-Reef

Best two-part supplement: Reef Zlements Complete

Best three-part supplement: Aqua Forest Component 123

Best four-part supplement: Red Sea 4 Part Complete Reef Care

For ease of use and for beginners, All-For-Reef is the simplest and accessible. Reef Zlements has transformed the UK supplement and dosing landscape, and I used Aquaforest’s Component 123 for years with great coral growth and consistently good ICP results. Red Sea’s 4-part can be tricky if you already have high Calcium, but I’ve seen growth and colour improve everywhere I’ve installed it. 

Because I’ve split the winners into four, there are no runners-up in this category.    

Best nano aquarium – Red Sea Max G2

I’ve followed the Red Sea Max since its original conception many years ago, and the current generation remains one of the most complete, equipped small reef tank solutions available. Every Max includes a return pump, skimmer, app-controlled (very good) LED light and a lot of hardware you need to grow corals on a small scale straight out of the box. The ability to upgrade to the NanoMat and ATO+ further entices serious reefkeepers, and the ReefBeat App is one of the best in the industry. I sleep soundly after every Red Sea Max I recommend to first-time reefkeepers.  

Runner Up – TMC First Wave

I can’t ignore what a splash TMC’s entry-level nano tank made in the UK in 2025, and I think I could have a lot of fun with the larger First Wave 78. I like the peninsula style, I like the lid to keep fish and evaporation in, and most of all, I like the entry-level price points in an aquarium world when some tank prices are anything but entry level. I like all of TMC’s Nano range, super tiny, super low running cost equipment range to accompany their nano tanks too. 

Best bacterial supplement –  Brightwell Aquatics MicroBacter Purple M

All reefers crave bacterial supplements, and MicroBacter Purple M does what it says it does, with visible results. Instead of all the secrecy, Brightwell declares the species as Rhodopseudomonas palustris, a purple non-sulfur bacteria which lives up to its claims of consuming nitrate and phosphate as well as ammonia and nitrite, and I’ve seen visible results within a day. It clears water, helps to clear up nuisance algae, and reduces nutrient levels, as well as creating a healthier microbiome all around.

Runner Up – Dr Tim’s One & Only Marine

If you want to fishless-cycle a fresh or saltwater tank, Dr Tim’s is still my go-to product; he produces ammonium chloride to accompany it, and the guy has a PhD in nitrifying bacteria to boot. 

Best aquarium – D-D ReefPro 

I deliberated long and hard over this and made my decision based on actual experience as well as overall consumer satisfaction. D-D’s ReefPro is designed and built in the UK, has my favourite sump layout, the cabinet comes preassembled, and every owner I talk to has nothing but good things to say about them. Having wood finishes makes a difference to us in the UK, the 1200 model up has a dry cabinet area for electricals, and corner weirs can be left or right (if specified), and central on the 1800 model. Not the same range, but part of the same family, D-D’s Aqua-Pro Reef 1200 model and up also come with aluminium frame options and adjustable feet. 

Runner Up – Red Sea Reefer G3

The Red Sea Reefer is probably the world’s best-selling reef tank, and it’s the model I’ve come to know the best after years of working with them. I like the improvements to ATO, pipework, valve and general sump layout. I like their look. I love the optional slide-out control panel, and a fully equipped Red Sea Reefer with all of Red Sea’s equipment is both a thing of beauty and has proved very successful, thousands of times, the world over. 

Marine brand of the year – Reef Zlements

The marine supplements market has always been crowded; it’s fashion-oriented, i.e reefers get swayed by the latest swanky-looking trends and ranges, and retailers or hobbyists definitely don’t need any more choice. 

So when Reef Zlements began back in 2020, I admit to thinking the same. Great that it was made in the UK, great that it was based around ICP testing, and great that it championed the two-part, but not much more than that. 

Then, when it launched pH Plus, my acros started to grow tips on tips, we all got to know founder Jose via store visits and shows, we learned from him, and we all got to know what a genuine, sincere and lovely person he was, as well as a super passionate chemist and reefkeeper himself. 

Five years on, Zlements continues to go from strength and strength. It’s the supplements I sell the most, my customers use the most, it’s the quickest ICP turnaround, and (I’m guessing) the biggest selling range of elements in the UK by far.

In December 2025, Reef Zlements founder Jose Duarte very sadly passed away, so I think it is very fitting to award him a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award, and his brand Reef Zlements is my 2025 Marine Brand of the Year. 

Marine Brand of the Year Runner Up – Tropical Marine Centre

We would be lost in the UK without TMC. Many of our retailers use them exclusively for saltwater livestock supply, and many marine-only stores only survive because of them. 

TMC is a one-stop shop supplying everything from fish, corals, and mobile inverts to frozen food, aquariums and equipment, and they show no signs of slowing down at fifty years old. In fact, they’re growing their online presence, fully embracing digital and AI, and continuing to grow the market via their entry-level products like the First Wave aquarium. TMC is probably the single biggest factor in the UK marine trade and hobby.