i went to menards and got one of them 50 gallon rubbermaid stock tank for this 160 pounds of live rock i have im going to be running a 1 horse return pump  and a skimmer with 2 power heads plus 2 x 175 watt mh on it how far do i want the metal halide off stock tnak its 25 inches deeep thanks so much

A 1 hp pump seems like overkill to me... What are you keeping in the prop tank?

On my 20g reef, my 175w halide bulb is 6" from the surface using a lumenarc mini reflector. I have m. digitata growing within an inch of the surface too.

didnt use the pump it was a pump off a pool a guy gave me i ended up just leaving it a closed unit with a skimmer and power heads just going to grow soffties and lps in it maber sps

I wouldn't even bother running the light until you actually do have corals in it, but otherwise I would place the light fairly low for as deep as the tank is.... You won't have very good luck growing out corals with a 175w halide if they are placed 25" below the water surface... so definetley keep the corals towards the top/middle of the tank and probably but the light 8-10" above the surface.

i have a dule 1 75 watt on the prop tank with all the live rock the corals are mabey going to be 12- 15 inches down this is more for a place to put my coral so i can move my tnak then ill grow out of it mabey some 400s on it down the road

are you sure that is a 50 gal tank? also.....you packed 160 lbs of rock in a 50 gal tank? you should have corals comming out of the water with that much rock

a 50 gallon stock tank from menards and yes the rock fit 160 pounds is not that much rock in a stock tank this is fugi live rock and good size peaces the stock tank is full im useing it to cure the live rock till i can get time to move my tank to basment

I was just curious as a 50 gal stock tank is only around 16 inches deep.

i was told it was 25 but your right i went and took a tape its only 12 inches deep

i took a buch of pics dont know how to post them