first FOWLR tank. Advice needed.

I'm going to be shutting down my 55g high-tech planted tank in the next few weeks. I'm just tired of it. I want to turn it into a FOWLR tank instead. I have a few questions about set up and stocking.

-Do I really need to run a protein skimmer on a fowlr? If I have any corals at all in here it may be just an umbrella leather so I can watch it get gargantuan.
-I'm planning on filtering it with 2 Eheim canister filters. Is this okay?
-I was leafing through "Marine Fishes:500+ essential-to-know aquarium species" by Scott Michael and it says that Volitan Lionfish can go in a 55g tank. Is this true? I would love to have one but it seems that a 55g would be too small for a 15" fish.
-If I got a Volitan what else could I stock the tank with, if anything? I was thinking a Humuhumu trigger or maybe a basslet or hamlet of some sort.

Thanks in advance everyone!
Scott

 

No you don't "need" a protein skimmer, but it will help keep your tank water cleaner and extend water change time. IMO prob worth it, but since you're just starting you'll have 6 months of slowly adding fish.

And I've never had canister filters, but i hear much more neg about them than pos. They require high maintenance and can become nitrate factories from what i've heard. IMO you'd be better off ditch those and running a GFO and carbon reactor or even an aqua clear filter. You're main filter is going to be your live rock, which you should get at least 50 pounds.

and yeah that lion is gonna get too big for that tank and really limit any future inhabitants.If it can fit in a lions mouth, eventually it will.
check out these, most of them would fit better.
Live Aquaria

 

+1 Canister filters can work as long as you keep up with the maintenance on them but I absolutely agree with Cosmo that there are better alternatives. Triggers are also a no go for your size aquarium. Cosmo also provided you with a good link to help you research fish and tank size requirements.

 

I run my 55g reef with 1 large canister Eheim Filter and 65 pounds of live rock...

clean the filter every 2-3 weeks, and do a 40-50% water change about the same, and I've been good to go

never had any issues a year and a half up...

If I can do a reef with that setup, you can def do a FOWLR

55g Reef Tank Feeding Time - YouTube

if it were me, I'd stick with the canister filters, and spent the 'Skimmer Money' on a better Lighting system, allowing you access into keeping the easier corals. Softies and the like, if you get a small frag for $15 once, you'll be hooked.

 

Thanks for advice. I'm already hooked on corals. I bought close to $200 in chalices and acans yesterday for my reef tank.

 

Thanks Cosmo. After doing some more research I came to same conclusion. I'll save the lionfish for a much larger tank.