need advice on equipment

[eddiebfl]

hi! i'm very new to the sw family and am eagard to get my 55 gallon tank ready for some sealife. what do i need. i can tell you what i have;

1. 55 gallon tank w/ stand

2. pro heat 200w ic aquarium titanium heater.

3. 1-48" deluxe hood w/ 1-48" 40 watt aquarium lamp.

4. hydrometer

5. 45 lb of figi live rock that is in the tank curing.

6. 40 lb of sand.


id like too be able to use the live rock as my filtration. how much more live rocks should i purchase? can i mix different kind of live rocks? should i buy some anemones or will they grow from the rocks? can you recomend a good protein skimmer? i was looking into the Bak Pak 2, is it good?

[eddiebfl]

i also have a rio 2500 pump to circulate the water in the tank.

[OrionGirl]

If you intend on having a reef, you must upgrade your lighting--40 watts on 55 gallons won't cut it for even the lowest light needing critters.

For live rock, another 15-30 lbs should be good. Mixing rock from different places gives you more diversity, which is a good thing. Do not buy an anemone. They have distressingly short life spans in the aquarium, and especially in new tanks. Best advice I've heard--by the time you realize all the reasons why you should never have an anemone in your tank, you're close to being able to handle one. Anemones require feeding, good tank conditions, stable system, and more light than you have.