Sca 50 cube, choosing lighting and substrate help

[MPevine33]

just picked up a new tank after 4 or so years of not having a tank set up. I got a sca 50 cube off a local reefer that upgraded to a larger tank.

I have some equipment and plans for more once budget allows ill list them below, but the debate is between lighting and substrate. Can't decide on a light and not sure if I want to go bare bottom or sand. Any help or sheading light on the subject would be greatly appreciated


Plans:
-Sca 50 cube [24x24x20]
-sump that came with the aquarium
-Sicce Syncra 6.0 wifi return pump [ordered]
-2 mp10 power heads [already have]
-Skimz monster sm121 skimmer [already have]
-kessil h160 refugium light [maybe, may be to large for my small refugium]
-2: 4 inch filter socks with felt 200 micron socks [ordered]
-tunze ATO [already have]



Sorry for the poor photo but have it in the basement to rebuild the plumbing, do some intricate cleaning and a leak/silencing testing before the permanent set up.

 

[Spare time]

I always recommend sand as it adds biodiversity and is an enormous amount of surface area for nitrifying bacteria. Just get something to move it around as well as good scavengers and you don't need to clean it. Just avoid the really fine sand. The only reason to not get sand is if you want an extremely turbulent flow for a heavily packed SPS tank.


As for the light it depends on what you want from it and what you plan on keeping. You could so a single kesil a360 (we or x), an ai prime or hydra 32, etc.