Lights

[RayAllen]

Hi all,

I have to say that I have done quite a bit of reading on here and a few other places and I'm still beating myself on the head trying to understand all the different lighting that's out there and what I should look for. My current setup is a regular ol' 55 gallon with crushed coral bedding, running a rena xp2 and a ?koralide? 3 (don't remember the name) for flow right now.

I have no lights or anything covering the top right now. This is what I need help with. What I would like to do is have some live rock and a few fish. I want to start off slow until I get the hang of it. I def don't want to kill stuff right off the bat. My water looks and tests good as the tank has been cycling for about 2 weeks so I'm at a point where I can bring things in but I need the lighting.

Can someone steer me in the right direction? ****, if anyone has anything that will work for me that they would like to sell I'd be much obliged. Thanks for reading!

Danny

Lets start from the beggining. You sound new to reefs. Your tank at two weeks is not ready for corals, especially since you havnt added Live Rock. The rock you buy will most likely be uncured meaning that it will have die off that will take the tank through a few weeks timed cycle. If you buy cured rock it will save you some time but you will be paying a premium price usually $8+ per lb. For a 55g you will need at least 60lbs of rock more is better. Live rock provides vital filtration for your tank and its inhabitants. We are all going to suggest adding a protein skimmer to your setup. This is widely considered the most important peice of equipment in the hobby. If you truely want happy critters, invest in a decent skimmer. You may also look into running a sump which will provide more water volume, placed to hide equipment like skimmers, heaters etc.... As for ligting - this depends on what you plan to keep. As a beginner I would say Softies and some LPS. Power compacts, VHO, and T5 are perfect for these. You usually want to try and have more than 3watts per gallon. Closer to 4 watts is better. Keep reading and researching so that you learn as much as possible and please let your tank cycle properly and give it time before adding anything. You will be much happier with the outcome...

Ray