How much lighting do I need for my 55-gallon saltwater tank?

Starting a saltwater aquarium please help me.?

• Hi, I'm looking into starting a aquarium with my dad. I want to have a salt water aquarium with live rock and fish and coral. I've never had a saltwater tank before only fresh water. I had very good success with my fresh water tanks. But I am looking for something new. I had done some research on saltwater aquariums but I am still unclear about what I need for supplies to start one and have it run successfully. If you could make a list of things that I need it would be so much help. I have a few questions. For a saltwater tank do you need to have a special kind of filter? I have seen people start a saltwater tank with just the regular standard power filters but I have also seen people make refugium filters which I am considering. I don't know which would be better. Also what kind of lighting do I need to have coral and live rock and fish? If you could give me examples or links to lights I would be very interested in looking at them. I have a 55 gallon tank that I am going to start my saltwater tank in. I don't know how much of each supplies I will need. If you could give me some tips on what would be a good amount of filters and power heads and lighting, ect. would be very helpful. Also any tips or tricks that you have learned from having a saltwater tank would be awesome. I am very interested in starting one and any information that will help me would be awesome. Thank you so much for any information you give me. It is very much appreciated.

• Answer:

  With the outstanding assortment of beautiful saltwater fish to choose from, it is no wonder that so many hobbyists dream of maintaining a marine aquarium. Most modern aquarium equipment is designed to be functional in either salt or fresh water, but it is important to select quality, reliable supplies. It hardly pays to save six dollars on a heater or ten dollars on a filter system and risk the loss of twenty or thirty dollar fish. Contrary to some opinions, undergravel filters are not essential in saltwater aquariums. Many of our customers have had success using the sort of equipment that we include in our "PRO" setups; deluxe heaters, outside power filters and airstones. The only necessary additions to a good freshwater setup are special gravel (crushed coral), sea salt mix, and a hydrometer. Almost any size aquarium can be used, but generally a larger tank will be easier to keep chemically balanced and has a lot more options when it comes to fish compatibility. On the other hand, assuming the household budget is a factor, it is better to set up a medium-sized tank with good equipment than to attempt a larger tank with inadequate equipment. Many of the most popular saltwater sizes are in the 30 to 55 gallon range. Saltwater aquarium technology has come a long ways in the last few years. Plug N' Play nano tanks and cubes from 2 to 34 gallons, complete with built in filtration and reef grade lighting systems are available at prices never seen before. You can buy and compare prices on salt water aquarium by visiting the following link. http://www.saltwateraquariumstore.com