55g setup - advise please

[c_scherer123]

I have a 55g tank and of course I wish to convert it to saltwater (why else would I post here? :biggrin:). I have experience with freshwater, but I find little of my experience is carrying over.
I need some advise on stocking, corals, and especially on the lights and skimmer. I apologize for the length, but I want to be certain before spending so much money.

I have read some online (and have 7 books coming in the mail...).

setup ideas:
50-60 lbs of LR
1"-2" of aragonite sand
aqua-scaping: curved wall with holes, and an arch over a mini mountain
(I have several ideas to ensure lots of pods for a future mandarin)
unfortunately no sump or refugium - just no room...

corals: (probably one or two of each, but I bet I will never find half in local stores...)
colonial polyps (zoos and zoas) various colors.
mushrooms (smaller ones like blue-purple), various colors.

blue ridge coral
pipe organ
xenia
long polyp leather
tree sponge
maiden's hair
favia (perhaps, perhaps not...)

plate coral (perhaps one - not sure - need to do more research)(can all plate species sit on the sand?)
frogspawn
torch coral

I would really like but not sure my planned lighting is up to it:
acropora
staghorn
birdsnest
(are there any LPS that are hard and have that bushiness like birdnest?)

perhaps a small clam (tough finding a non-giant around here though...)

Fish: (not sure how many I can have, I will likely need to slim down the list more)
clown fish Ocellaris x2 (pair)
royal gamma x1
green chormis x3
bartlett's Anthias x2 (pair)
neon goby x2 (pair)
Mandarin (when tank is over 1yr mark and lots of pods - I will be trying to train to pellets and frozen - will live grindal worms or white worms also work?)
I doubt there is room, but is it possible to add a blue hippo tang?

Inverts:
peppermint shrimp x 3-5 (how well do they eat aipista anyway? the live rock around here all tends to have it...)
cleaner shrimp x1
astrea snails x3-5
cerith snail x3-5
bumble bee snails x5-8

maybe a hermit crab? I am unsure which kind is best for reef tanks...


Lighting: (need serious help here... I am pretty clueless...) :yield:
My tank is 48" long and has a center brace. Not sure how the brace will affect the lights or how the light falls...
I am looking at (but I am open to suggestions and ideas!)
either two "Coralife Aqualight Pro 24" 1-150W HQI, 2-65W PC, 2-1W Lunar LED" (http://www.petsandponds.com/en/aquarium-supplies/c5813/c267799/p16715917.html)
or one "Coralife Aqualight Pro 48" 2-150W HQI, 2-96W PC, 3-1W Lunar LED"
(http://www.petsandponds.com/en/aquarium-supplies/c5813/c267799/p16715919.html)
They are both wider than my aquarium, which is 12"-13" (depending on how you measure it...

Skimmer: (also serious help here! Suggestions welcome! I have no sump.)
I was looking at either:
Red Sea Berlin x2 Turbo
Deltec MCE600 100-150g (can't seem to find this locally... someone said the European models don't work with Canadian plugins - is this true?)

How noisy are these skimmers? This is very close to a bed - could it be turned off at night if it is too noisy?

Pumps:
2x Hydor Koralia 1 Water Pump 400 GPH (is this enough flow? or should I go with one or both 600gph?)
(http://www.petsandponds.com/en/aquarium-supplies/c7024/p16920367.html)


Any other suggestions/comments welcome!
Thanks in advance!

[dsaundry]

As far as your corals go I would probably narrow it down to going with a SPS, LPS, or softie tank. You will have to pick which way you want to go. That will also determine lighting and flow requirements. Thats a ton of livestock for a 55g tank, or is that just a list of things you like?? If you decide to go with a SPS dominant tank then halides are the way to go..imo...But you will have to really determine flow. Keep most of the softies out, especially toadstools. Don't be shy about asking fellow reefers to see their set-up's, if they are close you can get some great idea's and see what works for other members. I have a Deltec 600 on my 90g and it seems to work fine...if you go with an SPS tank you will have to consider the possibility of how you supplement calcium etc....do your homework and you will be just fine. You will be just as insane as everybody else here about this hobby.:lol:

[tgoeujon]

your gonna need more flow and you might want to think differently for lighting. im guessing its a stardard starter kit 55 gallon? if so i started with the same thing and bought the same lights your thinking about ( the 48" ones). they were too wide and just caused a glare. going with a good tek light with t5s would probably work much better for you. just a few ideas for you, im sure much more knowledgeable people will give you some better responses though. also i kept a blue hippo in my 55 for 2 years and he was happy even though alot of people say it shouldnt be done.

[c_scherer123]

It is more a list of what I like (really narrowed down to boot!)
If I had to rule out a fish... I would have to go with either the neon goby or the anthias... which is more visible, easygoing, easy to keep (I hear some anthias tend to eat shrimp...)? What kind of stocking is advised?

I would really like to do a mainly softie with a couple LPS (or other hard branching coral - preferably really bushy ones). I really like the looks of torch coal and frogspawn though.
Is there a coral which resembles birdsnest but isn't sps? I kind of want to avoid sps.

But I really want help with the lighting and skimmer. I am kind of clueless there, especially with which are recommended brands, and which people tend to stay away from.

[tgoeujon]

from what i hear you should avoid coralife skimmers, i use one but people are constantly complaining about them

[Trigger Man]

I would eliminate the anthias as it is a tougher fish to keep. You should have no problem going softies with lps. For flow I would agree you will probably need some more flow or you will get detrius buildups occuring. If you go with atleast a 4 bulb 48 inch t5 unit you should be able to keep a birdsnest in your tank, it will just be a matter of directing the powerheads correctly. With that lighting you would have many options as you can see if you check out my signature.

[c_scherer123]

Ok, I will remove the anthias from my "wish list". How many fish can I have in the 55g anyway?

I can get two 600gph pumps or do I still need to go bigger?

Will a 4 bulb t5 light be enough for softies as well as frogspawn and torchcoral?
I can't find any Tek "Hot5" around here, but I did find "Current USA Nova Extreme 48" T5 Fixture With 4 - 54W HO Bulbs" I notice there is only one reflector - will that do, or does each bulb need its own reflector?

The ones (lights and skimmers) on this site are mostly whats available in stores around here "http://www.petsandponds.com/en/aquarium-supplies/c5813/c293075/index.html"

As for the skimmer, I noticed that some weren't too happy with coralife. What can you recommend? (I have no sump)
Would a Deltec MCE600 work? It has awesome reviews, but tough to find. I may be able to special order it in.

[michika]

Skip the small clam as well. Smaller clams have more complex requirements that you might be better off avoiding while you're just getting into it. Down the road however you might want to try a clam that is at least 3", croceas are good little clams, often coming with lovely blues, purples, and teal greens.

Regardless though, you're probably a year out from after you switch your system over from adopting a clam.