55 Gal Start Up

[Dan XVI]

Hello Everyone,

Long time lurker, first time poster. So I have been trying to do some research on how I would like to set up the 55 gallon (48x12x21) tank I recently got my hands on and have found some differing advice around the boards I have been checking. I want to set it up such that the only filtration I have is from the Reef Octopus HOB BH100F I am getting and from the live rock I will have in the tank.

I have read various reports stating that anywhere between 1-2 pounds per gallon are sufficient to provide the biological filtration I need to house a FOWLR set up, and would just like some concrete answers as to how I should go.

Secondly, the lighting situation has always been, and I think always will be, a mystery to me. If I am just trying to keep the basic LR going, with maybe a featherduster in the tank, would a 48" 2x65W Actinic, 2x65W 10000k Power Compact Fixture be enough?

Thank you in advance for your advice.

 

[thominil]

Those lights will be fine, you may even be able to keep soft coral in the middle-upper regions of your tank with them. 1-2lbs. of live rock per gallon is fine. You could mix live rock and base rock to save some money. Welcome to AA!

 

[melosu58]

Read our equipment thread on what you`ll need.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f14/stock-list-and-tips-for-maintaining-your-sw-tank-73477.html

 

[juice28]

light should be fine for FOWLR, as far as the LR goes, Id go for volume before LBS, I started out going by weight of the rock then I just stopped and started getting nice pieces here and there, the more surface area on your LR the better because you have more good bacteria. IE we both have 55 long tanks you have 100lbs of LR that is made up of small pieces that take up say1/4 of the tank and I have 85 lbs of large rock that takes up 1/2 of my tank, my tank would have a larger base for filtration(melosu 58 or anybody else, correct me if im wrong!)

 

[melosu58]

There is just different rocks with different weights. Ten pounds of fiji rock will not weigh the same as Caribbean LR. Also you want to make sure of how pourous your LR is. But basically yes you are right.

 

[Zer0]

Don't get the caribbean lol, it sucks. Not very porous either, but i guess it does the job. Still, fiji is better.

 

[Dan XVI]

I was planning on getting a 35 pound box of Fiji base rock from Drs Foster and Smith, and a 45 pound box of either the standard or the select fiji premium from the same place. My other thought was just getting 80 pounds of Fiji from Marco Rocks, but I figured the first would seed faster (and I think it ends up being a good deal cheaper).

Thank you all for your advice.