New 55 gallon setup help...

[my5girls]

I am ditching my freshwater to get back into saltwater. I did saltwater from 1996-1999. Things have changed a lot since then though. I have 55 gallon that I am going to convert for now. I want to go 125+ in the next year or so. (As soon as we put hardwoods down, don't wna to have to move it to do it). I used to run a wet/dry filter.
I have been reading and don't want to use that again. I want to have a sump and skimmer and use live rock. My goal is to make it a reef tank. I have been looking at the Berlin systems at Life Reef dot com. I am not a do-it yourselfer so that looks good to me. Any other suggestions? I am going to go on and order the equipment for the bigger tank so I don't have to upgrade it in a year or so.
how many pounds of rock should I start with? I plan to use the HI rocks as the base and add some true live rock? How many pounds of each should I go with? I don't want any unwanted hitchikers, what kind of a dip do I need to do on the live stuff and for how long?
What about sand? Should I get some live sand or just let it mature with the tank and live rock? How many pounds of sand for a shallow sand bed?
Water turn over??? how much flow for the 55? Can I just use the powerheads and arrage them on alternate sides of the tank? Do I need thm at all levels of the tank?
Lights...I know about MH but the spectrums and watts I have no clue?? what for a standard 55 that will eventually be a reef tank. I want a natural look.
Do you fill your tank initially with regular tap water or go RO/DI from the get go. We are out in the counrty and don't have access to it. I plan to buy a unit for top-offs, but do I need to use it to fill it up initially? When one says it is 25 gallons/day..does that mean if you ran it all day it would only put out 25 gallons? I am pretty clueless about that also.
If I decide not to go with the Life Reef berlin system, How do the overhangs work? hiow would I anchor it into a sump tank under my display? I plan to put the skimmer, heater and such in the sump and just don't understand wherre the prefilter hose attaches to? the skimmer??
Thanks so much for you help. I can't wait to get back into saltwater now that I actually have the $$ to do it right!!

 

[pfitz44]

Welcome to the boards!!!
your gonna what to have about 50-60lbs of live rock in your tank... B/c your starting it off now, email me at pfitz44@juno.com i got a good site for ya on this, its uncured lr, so u can cycle ur tank with it!!
Put down a sandbed, then add some live sand ontop of that. I'd wait until the tank cucles for taht, but thats JMO
Water turnover for a reef should be 25-30x Youll prob need more than 2 power heads.... put 2 in the corners at the top and one onteh bottom to take care on any crap that falls on the sand
Lights... they are the expensive part.... your gonna want atleast PC lighting... But if i were you, go with a MH and PC combo... do a day-night effect with the timer
I used tap for my initial fill, and then used ro for all of my water changes/top offs after that. Ive had no problems what soever (Except for my diatom bloom... aka "New Tank Syndrome")
Again, Welcome to the boards!!!
~Fitzy

 

[scotts]

Well this is the third time I have recommended this thread in the last 2 days. It might help you out, especially the threads in the second post. https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/80022/advise-for-new-hobbyists
What really drew me to your thread was that I had a 55 and upgraded to a 125. I use the 55 as a sump below the 125. Just something to think about. I also have my tank on a hardwood floor that I just put in.
You really might want to get an RO unit now. I justified the expense by using the fact that salatwater from the floor is about a buck a gallon, and I needed about 120 gallon when I moced to the new tank. So the money would even out in the long run. Plus the convenience is SO worth it!!!