A confused noob with an empty tank :(

One thing is their is no such thing as low maitenance for a tropical saltwater tank but i also have a 55g reef tank. i used a filter for a while and it was causing me huge algae problems. i got an in refugium and HOB skimmer and everything has cleared up. ive never used a sump some people swear by them but i dont view them as an essential thing for a tank especially if you want to keep your maitenence and costs low. as long as you have skimmer and refugium you should be set

 

Thanks for the advice! I can't wait to get started. I will post back as soon as I get updates. I went to the LFS yesterday to check some prices out and it looks like I'll be ordering online ;P

But my next step is to design the sump/refugium. I'll post back.