ok im starting a 55 gallon i already got it but im not sure if i should get just a wet/dry and take the bio balls out and put in reef rubble or if i should have a sump with protein skimmer. i would much rather have the wet/dry do to how easy it is but if i have to have a skimmer then i will get one. I plan on having a sand bed and some corals with about 50 pounds of live rock and maybe 5 or 6 fish.
ON the lighting im debating whether or not to get the satellite 2x65 with the lunar lights or a metal halide I REALLY dont want to spend the money on the mh unless i reallly have to have it in order to have some Clownfish based corals.
last but not least is it worth it to purchase a hang on refug or is it ok to go without it. Im not exactly sure what the puropose of it is. I thoght it was to house sick fish or inverts but if thats all it does then i dont want to get it but please let me know if there is something else to it.
I would do the sump. you can have a sump with a refugium, this will increase the water volume and is much better for the tank. and if you are wanting sps corals then yes you would be better off with the MH lighting. that way you will not have to upgrade later on down the road I would do it right the first time and then your set to go.
I agree with Greg,your much better off with a sump/fuge than a wet-dry.A 20 gal long($20) should fit perfectly under your stand.Go to HomeDepot,they will cut you some glass panels that you can silicon into the sump/20gal tank to partition it.These partions are called baffles and they can be installed to make a 3 chamber sump.1 for the skimmer,1 for the refuge,and 1 for the return pump area.The DIY sump should ony cost you about $35 to build.Thats alot cheaper than any wet-dry i've seen(its gonna be alot more effective too).For lighting,I'd recommend a 4 bulb T5 setup.If you have a canopy for your tank and are a DIY guy,buy the 4 bulb T5setup as a retro(ballast,bulbs,reflectors,endcaps).That way if you ever upgrade,all you have to do is remove the componenets and re-install them in your larger tank.If you dont have a canopy and you dont feel like building one(I built mine for $50),than go with a fixture.Be careful when choosing a fixture,most of them are built with cheap ballasts,reflectors,components so i'm not too fond of them.CoralVue sells there 2x54wT5 retro/fixture for $110(those are the 4' ones perfect for a 55).Get you a pair of those and your all set with lighting($220 is not bad for reef lighting cost)).BTW,a 4 bulb T5 setup like that will allow you to grow just about any coral i've tried to grow under them.The SPS corals that i've grown under my 4 bulb setup have grown very well,often more colorful than when under MH.
I'd go with lots of live rock (80 lbs.), a DSB sump with macros and mangroves, and a great skimmer like Remora or Coralife Superskimmer. You can check out e-bay for some good deals. Here's a link to a DIYer MH. Two on your 55 would be plenty to keep just about anything.
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