55 gallon reef tank

[hammerhead trizzie]

I’m getting ready to purchase a 55 gallon aquarium for a reef tank. I’ve done tons of research but i know you guys will have better answers for me. I need some good brands for wave makers, heaters, the best lights for coral growth, filters. I was also curious if a protein skimmer would be needed for a 55 gallon. Just looking for good brands and whatever advice anyone has for me!

 

[Fish Fan]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

I would honestly suggest not getting a 55 gallon for a saltwater thank. The tall but narrow, 12" front-to-back dimensions makes it difficult to aquascape a 55 for a reef tank. It's not to say you can't make a great looking 55 gallon reef, but I think dimensionally a 40 gallon breeder or a 65 gallon with their 18" front to back makes a better choice for a reef tank.

I hope that helps, good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[hammerhead trizzie]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

I would honestly suggest not getting a 55 gallon for a saltwater thank. The tall but narrow, 12" front-to-back dimensions makes it difficult to aquascape a 55 for a reef tank. It's not to say you can't make a great looking 55 gallon reef, but I think dimensionally a 40 gallon breeder or a 65 gallon with their 18" front to back makes a better choice for a reef tank.

I hope that helps, good luck with whatever you choose!

The tank i was looking at was 48x18x16 18 being the height

 

[Fish Fan]

The tank i was looking at was 48x18x16 18 being the height

Well carry on then

Those dimensions would make a nice reef tank, I assumed you were looking into a standard 55 gallon that has a very narrow front-to-back.

 

[hammerhead trizzie]

The tank i was looking at was 48x18x16 18 being the height

Well carry on then

Those dimensions would make a nice reef tank, I assumed you were looking into a standard 55 gallon that has a very narrow front-to-back.

Haha no i didn’t want anything too thin like you said. My whole life I’ve wanted a reef tank so now that I’m finally getting one I’m taking all the right steps

 

[Fish Fan]

Haha no i didn’t want anything too thin like you said. My whole life I’ve wanted a reef tank so now that I’m finally getting one I’m taking all the right steps

Awesome! There's a lot of great members here on R2R that I'm sure will be able to help you get your tank going.

Is that 55 tank you're getting going to be drilled for an overflow, or is this an All-In-One system (AIO), or were you planning on using Hang On Back (HOB) filters and other equipment?

 

[hammerhead trizzie]

Haha no i didn’t want anything too thin like you said. My whole life I’ve wanted a reef tank so now that I’m finally getting one I’m taking all the right steps

Awesome! There's a lot of great members here on R2R that I'm sure will be able to help you get your tank going.

Is that 55 tank you're getting going to be drilled for an overflow, or is this an All-In-One system (AIO), or were you planning on using Hang On Back (HOB) filters and other equipment?

That’s what i was curious about. Will an HOB be enough for a tank this size or should i go the sump route?

 

[Fish Fan]

That’s what i was curious about. Will an HOB be enough for a tank this size or should i go the sump route?

Can you run this tank with ideally a couple very large HOB's like the Fluval AquaClear 110's, yes, absolutely. There's also hang on the back protein skimmers, refugiums and other equipment. A sump is not mandatory.

That said, if you can add an overflow and run a sump, that has some real benefits such as you gain more overall water volume, which lends to overall system stability, you have more room for more equipment, and you can hide all your gear in the sump, often under the tank or even in a separate room. On the other hand, a sump based system is inherently more complicated and more expensive.

Canister filters are also an option, though personally I don't care for them, I find them a pain to clean.

 

[baba.aqua]

I’d look into a waterbox 90.3 search fb market. Throw your tools and rocks in and you’ll be rolling !

 

[Sean Clark]

Welcome, is this a no budget 55 gallon or a saving for college 55 gallon?

 

[chapter7]

As someone who is also a first time reefer, things can be murky if you don't have a clear idea of what kind of tank you want to ultimately end up with - is it a FOWLR you want, a softie tank, an LPS tank, an SPS tank, or a mixed reef?

It took some time for me to decide, but being as impatient as I am, I started my build as a FOWLR and a quarter of the way in after buying some equipment, I shifted to a mixed reef. This was a costly mistake. My suggestion is to take some time to figure this part out. If you already know what you want, awesome! This will not only save you money, but will definitely help guide you better and will help all of us give you the advice you need.

The "thinking" part is excruciating, but the building part is so much fun! If you could give some more details, this great community can definitely steer you in the right direction! Good luck and have fun!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Since this is going to be your first tank. I would take a look at this thread below. It is packed full of good information.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/