A 55 gallon is a great starting tank for saltwater. Other then the heater and protein skimmer there are a few other things needed if you plan on houseing corals. You will need lights. Depending on the corals you decide to keep will help you choose which types of light you want. You will also need powerheads to move water around in the tank. The ammount of flow also depends on types of coral you plan to keep.
The biggest thing you will need for your tank is live rock. I and many others on this forum see it is a must for any saltwater tank for it offers amazing filtration and gives your tank a great look whether you go with reef or fowlr (fish only with live rock).
The live rock will put your tank through a cycle. Expect it to last around a month. Sometimes less and sometimes more depending on how much die off there is on your live rock. Once all levels are at zero you can add your CUC (clean up crew). Wait a couple of weeks for your tank to get use to the new bio load. AFter this you can add fish slowly. Typically no more then three at a time.
I didn't change water during the cycle, only at the end. I did a 20 percent water change and waited another week before adding a cuc. I however did not see any huge spikes in my parm.
My advice to you is to keep reading threads on this forum and other forums. Go get some book and read some more. And after that, if you still have some quesiton come here and we will awnser them to the best of our ability.
__________________
CollegeReefer
|