Whooo! Slow down there.
Let's evaluate your system:
55
GAL tank will need a minimum of 550GPH filtration.
The skimmer does not account for that, but it is a must to have one on any
SW system.
A power filter might help, but won't completely do the job for you. For best filtration,
LR and a good skimmer would be very helpful.
Man made white rock will not turn live on its own. You will need to get real
lr to seed the existing rock that is in there provided the white rock is porous enough.
10 days of cycling with what you have is not cycling at all. You need to put in a piece of raw shrimp, and let it cycle with that for 2-3 weeks. Or, if you can get some
lr, you can use that as well.
Brown algae is common in most
SW tanks. Even with the best filtration, it manages to survive and thrive due to excess nutrients and lighting. Lighting is a choice at this time provided you are only doing a
FOWLR or
FO tank.
Lastly, don't take the advice of a
lfs unless you know the reputation is consistent with experienced shops. You will learn quickly that a
lfs wants your money at any cost (most of the time).
I would not add anything live to the tank until you get a test kit for
SW and test. You can even post your parameters here and everyone can assist you.
Also, you will need a heater to keep the temp consistent. Most people don't think they need one in the summer time, but the water cools down at night enough to stress your little friends out. What kind of sand bed will you be using? I would use a fine sugar like grain and no
CC.
This is only the beginning my friend, but if you take your time and research, you will be successful in this hobby. Post back anytime. I'm sure others will add to this as well here. :P
HTH
Mike
{ the LFS might think that but dont forget they just want to .. most of the time anyways ... just sell you fish or the most expensive thing they carry }
... then it sounds like everything cycled and the rock did a good job
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