New Tank questions

[Aquattro]

Find some really nice porous rock. It's the pieces that surprise you because you thought they'd be heavier. Go for about 30 pounds minimum. I use about a half pound per gallon, works fantastic. Don't pile it in a mound, leave room for water to flow around the rock.
Next, watts per gallon is fabulous rule when you were buying that 10g Hagen tank for the guppies. It does not apply in reef tanks. Your tank is what, 18" deep? Depending on what you want to keep, I'd look for a 4 bulb T5 fixture. Sure, you might get away with less, but you'll want more one day soon and not get your initial money back trying to sell something less. There are usually a lot of 4' coralife 150w MH/PC combos for sale here, they go pretty cheap. Not the best light in the world, but certainly not the worse. You'd keep pretty much anything under them in 18" of water.
Ideally, try and see some tanks in person, or browse the pics here to see what works for what you think you might want to keep.

Base rock is not my preferred method for rock, but if you really really can't afford 30 pounds of real rock, then I'd say no more than 10 pounds. It won't act as a filter for a long time, and won't contribute to the biodiversity in the tank.

[Reefer Rob]

"Base" rock to me is the petrified rock that is as hard as glass and about as impervious. I still have some in my garden from my first tank Dry rock like Marco rocks is soft and porous, and will eventually work just like live rock with time. I don't like to fill the tank up with rock so there's no room for the fish to swim, so I don't see the need for "base" rock.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Reefer Rob

"Base" rock to me is the petrified rock that is as hard as glass and about as impervious. I still have some in my garden from my first tank Dry rock like Marco rocks is soft and porous, and will eventually work just like live rock with time. I don't like to fill the tank up with rock so there's no room for the fish to swim, so I don't see the need for "base" rock.

Agreed. To me, "base rock" is just filler. And I've discovered that it isn't necessary. I'm pretty sure the pound per gallon rule was thought up by someone that sells rock I've used half pound per gallon for the last 6 or 7 years, and aside from having nicer corals than ever, I found I still have no measurable NO3, even with a fairly high fish load.
For the OP's tank above, 55g, easily 30 pounds of good quality ocean rock (my new word for real live rock) would be enough to filter the water, provide enough rock to scape the tank well, and leave lots of room for the fish to move around. Even at an average retail price, it's not going to break the bank, and long term, will provide a better base for a reef.

I certainly understand the desire to save money, but if you're deciding to set up a reef tank, there's a certain minimum requirement for expenditures. In my mind, good quality rock is THE most important aspect to spend money on. You can get an awesomely functioning skimmer used/cheap/DIY, and you can ghetto together a lighting system, but skimping in the rock is a great way to sabotage your success from the moment you add water. Yes, you "could" use premium quality dry rock (reefers are known for their patience, right??), but this does not contribute to the biodiversity that I feel is very important. If you seed with top quality rock, and don't mind waiting a very long time, it might be the route to take, but unless you REALLY REALLY can't afford premium ocean rock, I would not use it.

[weyburnt]

I went out shopping today and have 4 t5 fixtures. Now I will need to fashion a canopy. But that wont be too hard. Another live rock question. The LFS, which unfortunatly is 100km away, and the only one that carries live rock, is stocking the aquascaped live rock. It seems pretty porouse compared to other live rock Ive seen, has some coraline algea, etc. However aparantly its coral skeleton or whatever that was put back into the ocean to re culture. They are asking 9 bucks a pound. Is this stuff as good as traditional live rock. Would I be better to have rock shipped from another supplier?

[Aquattro]

That's expensive, especially for aquacultured. I'd look at shipping in from other vendors.