Help me plan my SPS office tank

DesktopReefer · Mar 31, 2022

Hey folks. Well I’m at it again. I dipped my toe back in saltwater reefing and I’m in too deep. After a roughly 10 year hiatus, I got back into reefing with my 2 gallon cookie jar build. Then my wife pushed me further by egging me on “you love aquariums, why don’t you get a bigger tank for your home office?”

Well you know where this is headed. I immediately got out the measuring tape and got to researching. Comfortably the spot I have for the tank would fit a 24” cube. I’ve been looking at the Waterbox Marine X 60.2 and the Red Sea Reefer XL200. Long ago I had a 12 gallon bio cube and actually really loved the square shape. I know people say it’s harder to scape, but I actually think most come out really nice.

Anyhow, I’m not planning on getting the tank anytime soon, probably a year or so out, so I’m really just in planning mode. I’ll go ahead and pose some questions here to get a flavor.

The Tank
I can comfortably fit about 30 inches wide and 24 inches deep without the thing looking really awkward in the space I have. I’m leaning towards the Red Sea over the Waterbox given the slightly larger display volume in the Red Sea, the age of the companies, and I’ve heard some horror stories of WB servicing. Thoughts on other options. I’m not super restricted on budget, I want this to be at least a 5 year tank, but I’m also a cheap a**.

Lighting
Given that it’s going to be an SPS tank, lights are going to be important. From most of the PAR ratings I’ve seen others post on similar tanks, even a single xr15 probably won’t be enough. I’m leaning towards 2 ai primes about 12 inches apart evenly spaced. I’m sure I’m not going to be running them at 100% but I feel like just one light isn’t going to cut it. Thoughts?

radreef02 · Mar 31, 2022

I just sold my AI primes to have only one XR15 blue for my 200xl , the primes will have better spread because you have 2 but you might not be able to get the depth

I plan to do a few SPS with lps and softies

DesktopReefer · Mar 31, 2022

radreef02 said:
I just sold my AI primes to have only one XR15 blue for my 200xl , the primes will have better spread because you have 2 but you might not be able to get the depth

I plan to do a few SPS with lps and softies

Yeah my other thought was dual xr15s but wasn’t sure if I could get away with the cheaper primes.

radreef02 · Mar 31, 2022

bank3r said:
Yeah my other thought was dual xr15s but wasn’t sure if I could get away with the cheaper primes.

If you can afford it , go for it. I would probably suggest just a XR30 instead but that is just me

DesktopReefer · Mar 31, 2022

A third option is the hybrid t5 option with a 24” t5 with single led supplement.

radreef02 · Mar 31, 2022

bank3r said:
A third option is the hybrid t5 option with a 24” t5 with single led supplement.

Not sure what advice I can give on the t5 but I prefer a smaller light fixture and something that won’t blind me. So I go towards the XR15 as I can keep it lower than I could with a hydra 32 because the XR has better spread

Acros · Mar 31, 2022

A single XR15 will not work for a 24” SPS dominant cube. I have an IM25 lagoon and had to supplement my XR15 G5 Blue with two 24” led bars for good coverage.

If budget permits, I would suggest a single XR30 or a single XR15 with led supplements. This is what mine looks like.