pm3009 wrote:

What would you recommend for the following based on a 55 gallon tank ?

First off, most people find it difficult to stack enough live rock in a 55
gallon tank. They aren't wide enough from front to back to leave much sand bed
after the rock is in. YMMV.

Protein Skimmer

I have no recommendation here.

Power Heads

Hagen heads are very good quality, but I just replaced all of mine with a Tunze
6060 circulation pump, and I've very pleased. The circulation might be a bit
much for a 55, though. I have a 125, and I sometimes wish I had bought a larger
Tunze. Advantages to the Tunze are that it uses less power and heats the tank up
less than power heads for the same water flow. For only your left arm, you can
even buy a housing for the thing that looks like a chunk of rock.

Heater

I've had Tronic heaters for over 10 years now and like them very well. They're
submersible and easy to adjust. You want two of the 100 watt units for a 55. Two
heaters will give you redundancy if one fails, it's impossible for one to boil
your fish if it goes haywire, and it's easier to control the tank temperature
with two.

Do you have a good online resource for acrylic tanks, and the above
equipment?

Here are a couple ....
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/Shop.cfm?N=2004
http://www.marinedepot.com/homepage.asp

Aquariums are usually better bought locally, though. Shipping is a pain.


If I go with live rocks and live sand, is the Protein Skimmer and
Power Heads adequate, or do I also need a mechanical filter?

You don't need a mechanical filter.

Do you feel that 2lbs of live rock per gallon is necessary? I've
heard numbers between 1lb and 2lbs, so figured right in the middle
might be good.

I've got a little over 1lb/gallon. I like the effect so far, but it doesn't seem
to be handling the nitrates.

Does the live rock decrease the amount of fish you can have in your
tank? If a inch of fish requires 3 gallons of water, but I have
80-110 lbs of live rock in a 55 gallon tank, do I need to treat it as
if it were only a 30 or 40 gallon tank ?

Yep, but you might consider getting a sump or setting up a refugium. Your sand
bed can go in there, and it increases the gallonage (and capacity) of your
system. Your skimmer can also go in there. One of your heaters can also go in
there (I wouldn't put both in the sump myself). All this hides under the stand.

How close to the wall can the tank be, to allow room for the protein
skimmer/power heads ? (will make a difference on where I can fit the
tank and what size/shape I get).

I find that 6" is about right.

George Patterson
No one ever says "It's only a game." when his team is winning.