If I get that light I have to get a top. And the light: will it spread all the way across my tank? It would be like this ____---____ The three dashes are the light. So it would spread?

No, unfortunately, I have to keep reminding myself to post exact stuff. It won't sit on your tank, you would have to retrofit it in the canopy. So if you can't, you don't want to go that route.
But, I wouldn't go with the Finnex, although a good light, at 7000k its not what your going to need. Same unit with more Blues at a higher K range and your good. 7-10k are for planted tanks, not reef tanks.
Such as this one:
Finnex 23" LED Moon Light 9 x 1W Coral Fluorescent Blue with Dimmer - AquaCave.com

Ugh that price range though. I have about $240 now. I have not bought anything yet. Anything cheaper? This is harder then I thought. lol

My bad, i was posting a Fennix light, a light that was usable in the Kelvin range. No, you don't have to use that light by any means. So we just want a 20" LED light for around ??
Ok, this is all I got left. Ya gotta ask for the Blue Actinics one when you order, if you go with this one.
Beamswork 1300 LED Light 17" 21"inch 45 55cm Coral Reef Marine Planted Aquarium | eBay
(We also have 1Wx [email protected] actinic blue 460nm and 1w x [email protected] 10000K day light, please contact us!!!)

Okay thank you! I defiantly want this one! I can not thank you enough. You truly help everyone. Thank you.

EDIT: it says 1w? Sorry! Just want to make sure it is perfect.

Looks to me like RM put ya on a good light , that light has lenses , so being 1w at the relatively shallow depth you should be ok .
That's a good price , lighting is IMO the first most important piece , without good lights it just won't work out. This would be a great investment towards your pico reef , I did exactly what your doing now a wile back , its doable on your budget , and a 20lb bag of reef crystal will last you for a good wile at that size.
It's a bit more pricy in comparison to fw when getting set up , but smooth sailing once its established and so very worth it.
I spend hours daily looking at my live rock and coral , i get excited for each new polyp or critter I find growing.
On another note I'd urge you to join the ARC ,Atlanta reef club ,almost 900 members all in the Ga area , I'm only 25mins from the city but there are members scattered all over Ga , the forum is free as well as the meetings , but you can join if you want there are some nice perks to being a member , but the reason I say check it out is there are a whole bunch of resources there to tap , weather it be cheap or free frags to populate your tank or just a good place to ask questions.
There are always member weekly tearing down or combining tanks so I'd think live rock you could get cheap if not free , also I know u could get free argonite sand ppl throw it away regularly , the trick is just meeting the few ppl around ya that keep marine tanks and this could be the way.
Iv gotten and given a few freebies members are eager to help , and the sponsors are top notch , I get an extra 30% off at most every marine shop in Ga being a member.
And just as a side note , if you make it up my way some time (maybe for the august meeting bbq frag swap ) I'll give you some softies , iv got some nice stuff most I was given or bought for less than half of retail price.

Thank you! I will check that out today. Alright I am buying that light. And my main problem is that I am only 15. When I get my license next summer then it will be a whole new ball game. My family is not very supportive of my fish. And they wonder why I do not spend time with them. Half the time I just think of quitting and giving up. I just have no support.

At first it started for me that way. My dad always had a 55 set up through my childhood. It sat empty for a few years (I was 17) and one day i decided I was going to set it back up. I called him at work and asked, He was hesitant but gave me the OK. Almost 3 years later I have 5 tanks running and he just helped me dig a 700 gallon pond in his backyard. Give it time. The first year was slow. But now my whole family is in to fish and my sister even just set up her own tank. I've been working at a fish store since a few months after I set up the 55. And my sister actually just got a job at another LFS. My dad thinks my SW tank is "cool as sh!t" and likes the other tanks and got really into the pond. I hope you have a similar experience with your family. Now it was probably a little easier for me because I was already driving and could go to the fish store and whatnot on my own accord.

In my experience, clownfish are happier and healthier when kept in genus pairs. They're a super social fish. I believe a pair could be successfully kept in a 10-gallon environment. I keep several different species of clowns and have grown most fond of the pure and hybrid Ocellaris varieties...they like to have a good time. Wild Saddlebacks are my second favorite. If you're hoping to keep an anemone, I've learned that wild clownfish tend to host almost instantly versus aquacultured clowns as sometimes never. With some coaxing though, many aquacultured clowns will take to an anemone. In my experience, certain anemones can be successfully kept in a properly set-up and maintained 10-gallon tank. Anemones are best kept in a tank that's been seasoned for at least several months.

Beyond that, I'd like to strongly advise against buying a clownfish from a large pet store chain. If you do, consider freshwater dipping them several days in a row...even if they're asymptomatic of disease. If you're willing to spend the extra money it costs to buy from a reputable clownfish breeder, I'd be happy to reference. I've personally found the difference in their clownfish, versus pet store clownfish, in terms of overall health and vitality including deformity and growth potential, to be significant.

I've really enjoyed following this thread...kudos to everyone in it.

Thank you. And Goby- I have been thinking about it and I am leaning towards two clown fish, Ocellaris of course. Maybe a mated pair lol. I know when buying one you buy one that is larger then the other. The larger one is of course female usually. And Anemones would be a lot later down the road. As you said it takes a seasoned tank for them to thrive. My only concern is $$$. Wild caught are a good bit more then tank bred. I would also not want to pay shipping as that is like $30. I was planning on my lfs which regularly has them. But if you could find a breeder for a good price then I would be fine with that.

What do you mean by freshwater dipping? putting them in freshwater?

Tbub- I just signed up for the free membership. When I get a tank going and I figure out I enjoy this, then I will register completely.

If I get that light will my tank just be blue? Like the beginning of the video?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m-j8HQELZ4

Quick explanation of FW dipping


How To Give Fish a Freshwater Dip or Bath
Search "fresh water dipping salt water fish" for more info.

Lights are just set on actinics in the beginning of video and then turned on with all the other leds.
I didn't notice if the light had 2 power cords but if it does you can use timer for both(day evening setting) or you may just have to manually flip the switch.

Most fish stores carry juvenile clownfish only, which are considered male. It's fine and fun to get 2 juveniles and watch as one of them morphs into a female. And yes, shipping is a big cost factor for me too and unfortunately usually goes hand-in-hand with purchasing from a breeder.

Typically, small pet stores get their stock from the same wholesalers as large chain stores, but in my experience, the smaller stores often have a more experienced pool of employees who are better trained to properly acclimate, monitor, and care for the fish...therefore stress and disease is less prevalent.

It sounds like you've got a good plan and handle on your new project. I wish you well!

I meant if I buy the lights RM suggested. Are they just blue? Would my tank just be blue?

What about this one? 20� 30W Aquarium LED Light 2 Mode Sea Marine Reef Fish Coral Aqua Fish Tank New | eBay

I have an EVO Quad Clip on my 10 gallon quarantine tank. It has twenty, 3 watt LEDs and there's nothing I haven't been able to successfully keep under it. It has both white and blue LEDS and there is a night mode for running blue LEDS only. You can get a model with or without a timing option...the timing option is a few dollars more. The fixture clips to the side of the tank...it looks very modern and clean. I actually have 2 of them so if I ever want to use them on a larger system, I can mount them side by side...very modular. The reason I don't use them on my display tank is because I prefer a fixture that's dimmable w/a wider color spectrum...neither of which is absolutely necessary. I paid about $85 for one of the EVO Quad Clips and $75 for the other. I bought one on eBay and another from an online retailer.

Beamswork 1300 LED Light 17" 21"inch 45 55cm Coral Reef Marine Planted Aquarium | eBay
Lights are both blue(actinic) and white.You can switch from just blue to both I believe.