Filter for my first salty tank (55g)

[BLUElobster99]

Ok so I'm setting up my first salt tank and I'm now diving into the wide variety of filtration options available for saltwater aquaria.

My tank is planned for:
1 dwarf zebra lionfish
2 tuxedo urchins (will be added after the algae population is established)

One of the new things I'm learning about since my transition to saltwater is live rock/sand. I understand that these can are essential for fish only tanks like this one. How does LR and LS benefit my aquarium? And I know that Live rock can be spread to dry rock so how much live rock should I start with an how much dry rock? Does live sand work the same way? Can I use mostly normal aquarium sand and then add live sand in the hopes that it will spread?


Now that that is out of the way I'm looking into the best option for mechanical filtration

Are skimmers superior to canister, HOB filters, ect. ?

And what would be a good recommendation if I do get one? And what would the price range be for a good one?

 

[TimaT]

well, first of all i would recomend to use ro/di water to control the algae outbreaks. then i would use dry rock and dry sand. this way you avoid the beginners mistakes with picking live rock. most on the local pet stores that sell "live rock" are selling Sh... in all honesty that is all you basically need if you only want to keep 1fish.
keep up with regular water changes and you will be fine. make sure to cycle the tank.