The bug bites again...

[eledile]

i have been a reefer in the past, and with life changes and what not had to put the hobby down for a while but i am back in a position to get the tank back up and going again. i have a 50 gal rimless cube that's been stored away for the last 6 or so years, and want to get a nice little mixed reef tank going. looking to go more heavily on LPS and soft corals, but would like to have a nice SPS or two in there. i am unsure of what lighting i want to go with. a lot has changed since i was in the know, and thinking about going LED but not sure what i might need. dims of the tank are 24x24x20. if anyone has any good suggestions i would greatly appreciate it!

 

[eledile]

got the scape pics figured out. no idea why they were mega res photos

 

[reefing102]

Tank and scape look good. The MP10 with proper placement should be sufficient. As corals grow in it may not be adequate.

 

[griss]

24x24x20 is roughly 50 gallons. So, anything (IMO) 4,000 - 5,000 gph would be fine for a mixed reef.

 

[eledile]

and i'm just gonna guess that whether on the back or on the side will depend on how the corals are doing once i start to put them in?

 

[griss]

I would start back middle and adjust as needed.

 

[eledile]

so back middle wont work very well because that would put the dry side in the overflow box. i guess i could have mentioned that from the beginning tho.

 

[griss]

so back middle wont work very well because that would put the dry side in the overflow box. i guess i could have mentioned that from the beginning tho.

I have no experience with these but I suppose you could put it on one side to the overflow or another. Or, get 2 smaller ones and put one on either side of the overflow. Thinking out loud here.

 

[eledile]

yeah i have been dancing with the ideas in my head the last couple days. not sure what to do really but i do agree that 1 would work for the time being

 

[reefing102]

If mounted on the back, I’d have it on the opposite side of your return.

 

[eledile]

If mounted on the back, I’d have it on the opposite side of your return.

it has a dual return. they come out the sides of the overflow box and are the loc line type

 

[griss]

If mounted on the back, I’d have it on the opposite side of your return.

Good thinking

 

[eledile]

this is what the tank looks like closer up

 

[griss]

I don’t remember if it was this thread or another but someone mentioned plasti-coating the dry side to allow you to put it in the overflow. No personal experience with that but, it’s an idea.

 

[reefing102]

Hmm, rear mount would definitely be more aesthetically pleasing.

It’ll likely just need to be adjusted height wise as corals grow in. You may find you end up needing more or a stronger one later on

 

[eledile]

i was thinking that since i can do different flow programming i could probably get it to work

 

[kharmaguru]

You could try a gyre vertically on one side of the back rather than an mp10. The AI Orbit 2 work in Mobius I believe.

 

[griss]

You could try a gyre vertically on one side of the back rather than an mp10. The AI Orbit 2 work in Mobius I believe.

Good thinking.

 

[eledile]

that is a decent idea. would also be nice and hidden from view since it will match the black background. the only difference between the 2 and the 4 is what size tank they are rated for right?

 

[kharmaguru]

that is a decent idea. would also be nice and hidden from view since it will match the black background. the only difference between the 2 and the 4 is what size tank they are rated for right?

Yep, looks like higher max flow and has a stronger magnet for thicker glass and a bit larger overall. They both start at 20 gallons so I guess the minimum flow is the same.

 

[eledile]

now i guess the question is which of the two would be the better option? gotta measure the glass to see if my tank rules out the 2. but i doubt its thicker than 1/2 in. glass