Need help with new 55 gallon tank setup* Lighting/Filtration

[lovetron]

I have a new 55 gallon aquarium that I am setting up. I have a small nano tank, but christmas was kind this year, so we are upgrading to a 55.

Here is the plan:
55 gallon with center brace on top (already have)
90lbs of live rock
120-150lbs of playsand
Coralife Aqualight 4x65w power compact lights with legs/stands
Protein Skimmer w/ Air pump
3 Powerheads

So here are the questions:
I have been reading and a few places say that with that much live rock and a protein skimmer, I will not need another form of filtration. I do have a filter that is brand new, but would rather get rid of it and just use the skimmer and the live rock to filter. Is this ok?

I am getting the PC lights and was wondering if I need a glass canopy b/w the water and the lights. I have also been reading that it is best for gas exchange in the tank if there is no canopy and the tank is open to the air. I would prefer this, but I have also read that the PC lights shouldn't be put directly over the water(the stands that come with them site a few inches above). So...? Now, since my aquarium has the center brace, I was wondering if I could just make a canopy out of plexiglass or acrylic, with a hinged front on each side to open it up, or if the PC's would melt it or make it too hot.

Are the 3 powerheads enough for the 55 gallon tank?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Dubge]

If it is a GOOD skimmer you can go w/o another filter. What kind of skimmer is it?

 

[hillbilly]

Go get a cheap 10 or 20 gal. tank and use it as a
sump to put stuff in. To have stuff in and hanging
on the tank is ugly and will drive you nuts! Make
sure you have a high quality skimmer from the
start. It will make life easier. If you run a sump,
you can use your return instead of powerheads.
If you plan to get sps, think about MH. You can
hang them above the tank and use eggcrate on
top of the tank and it will still be open for gas exchange. I think I would use less than 90lbs.
of live rock in a 55. You need room for the fish to swim. 60lbs. should be plenty. IMO.

 

[hdtran]

Don't use playsand, use aragonite sand. Playsand is just plain old washed silica sand, and adds no buffering capacity. Aragonite sand (a bit more expensive) is calcium carbonate, in a form which dissolves fairly readily in saltwater, giving you buffering capacity.

Correct, 90 lbs of LR, a sandbed (colonized with microcritters), and a protein skimmer will provide you all the biological filtration you're going to need. The rule of thumb on LR is 1.25 to 1.75 lb/gal. Some folks go to the light side if they have a DSB, as the DSB adds biological filtration capacity.

PC's get hot, but I don't know how hot. Seems to me an open top or open on the back with a fan would be fine, but I think you're just going to have to try it yourself & see how hot it gets.

 

[Anonymous]

Lovetron,
I've got a simular setup..55g, I opted for the glass canopy, I have an all-glass unit, so, i needed 2-24" pieces because of the center ribbing on the top of the tank. Then, so that I didn't cook the tank, I elevated my coralife pcs (4X65) about 1/2" off the glass, just enough to get some circulation from the lighting fixture and the glass canopy (used small, flat, black river stones on each corner for this). I also didn't want it too high so that I lose intensity, but also I don't want to blind the people viewing the tank. If you have the coralife, it should also have built in fans for when the 10k lights are turned on. I didn't want it open, because the tank is on a newly painted wall, and didn't want "salt spray" and "salt creep" all over it over time. There are some holes in the top (I don't have a drilled tank, so I used the spill-siphon method, that pours into my sump below), but for the most part the tank is covered.
My sump, located in the bottom cabinet, is fully exposed to air, so this along with my "in-sump" skimmer, gives me enough air circulation. I'm sure some would disagree, but for now, it's working for me.
I'm using no power heads, only the return of my sump, which is rated at 400 gph. For now, it appears to be moving the water just fine.
Hope this helps.
~wings~

 

[shr00m]

actually playsand works fine. you really shouldnt be depending on the sandbed to keep your PH in check anyway. a properly maintained tank will have the correct PH. some people cannot find southdown and its insanity that lfs charge like 30 bucks for a 10 LB bag when you need like 50-60 lbs of the stuff. the only downside to playsand is its brown. sometimes you can get lucky and find white sand... i got some WHITE BEACH SAND... collected from the gulf coast.. it is just playsand and my sandbed is full of life.

edit: i paid 3 dollars per 20 lb bag also... looks great works great, believe me i wanted aragonite but not enough to order a pallet of southdown or paying nearly the price of a pallet for the amount i needed from my lfs.