Lighting Advice!

[RSWrestler]

Hey All...I'm looking long and hard at lighting right now. I have a nice 220cf fixture that seems to only be good for sustaining corals.
I'm looking to GROW them. I'm only into kenya trees, zoos, xenia, mushrooms, etc. Do I need metal halide for this setup? What about t5 lighting? What are pros/cons for what I'm trying to do?

What's wrong with these lights??

http://cgi.ebay.com/175-Watt-Metal-...7QQihZ007QQcategoryZ46314QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Is there a difference in expensive 10000k lights vs these lights? Any explanation would be great.

Thanks!

 

[Edward Smith]

The other reefers will have to comment on the need of halide vs T5's for your softies but the ebay setup your looking at is a decent deal. A gaurentee, ballast, socket, wiring completed, and reflector for $85 (pay the extra 10 for the new ballast). Looks great, although I suspect the bulb will need to be switched out. A quality bulb will cost another $60 and worth every penny.

Although, if you stay in the hobby for any length of time, I PROMISE YOU, you will end up wanting a clam, anenome, LPS or SPS before the year is out. Save money now and if your going to upgrade your lighting, get a setup that can support these animals. It will be much cheaper to upgrade once vs. twice. A 55g sounds like two 250 watt SE or DE setups. Any other opionons?

 

[RSWrestler]

Thanks for your opinion! Just what I'm lookin for! Anyone else??

 

[jjjimmy]

On a 55 gallon tank, 175's would work fine for anything that you would like to keep and keep your electric bill down.

I am a big fan of MH for the shimmering effect as well as the health of my animals.

Jimmy