55g setup - advise please

[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.