Sounds to me like your LFS either doesn't know what the hell they are talking about--or they are just screwing you out of money. Either way--don't go back and spend anymore money until you know what your after.
We'll help you. Just ask questions here and study up on what you want before you go back and spend money.
One of the BIGGEST mistakes that most of us make, as a newb, is buying equipment that is either not necessary, or not adequate for what we are doing. We buy a little bit cheaper light, and it doesn't quite work as we'd like, so we end up spending even more money to buy the right one. Same with skimmers and refugiums. We buy the cheaper one to try and save $50, but in the end, it just bites you in the ass. You end up spending twice as much money by the time you buy the right piece of equipment. I'm not preaching here--I'm not only the president of the "I bought it cheap club" I'm also a client. :mrgreen: I've spent an additional $500 on my lights and refugium to get what works because I bought what was good enough to "get by" in the beginning.
I know it's tempting, and it's fun to spend money. But, do some homework before you buy anymore stuff.
You need a skimmer. We all know that. But, do you want a skimmer that hangs on the tank? (HOB skimmer) Or do you want a skimmer that fits in the tank? (In-tank skimmer) Maybe you want that refugium with the built in skimmer? Figure out how you want to set it up first.
And stay away from that LFS. They aren't doing you any favors. All they are good for is fish and invertebrates. And you're not even ready for that stuff yet. You can buy all your equipment online for cheaper than retail at a store.
