Lighting dilemma...

[joeyf]

A friend and I are in the process of upgrading the lighting on our tanks. I have a 90g (48x18x24h) that I keep LPS, softies, zoos, and currently 2 SPS frags. All are doing well under my 4x65w that I moved from my old 50g (which is what my friend now has). I want to keep clams, and a couple more SPS, but I know I need more light to keep those things. I used to have a 250w DE over a 29g, that I kept that stuff in, but I sold off that setup to focus on my 50g.

My friend has my old 50g (48x12x18h), he keeps LPS, zoos, softies, and wants anemonies.

We both have agreed that we either want T5's or MH. In our price range, we pretty much have to go one or the other. Now I know that my tank is almost double the size of his, but I think that with the options we have come up with, our tanks would be fine with the same amount of light. I am going in circles trying to decide on which to go with. I start out with T5's but then change to MH due to the fear of lack of intensity. Then I consider the heat on the MH and initial cost, and go back to T5.

For T5's I found these on reefgeek.com

This first one is the most appealing to me, since it is run off of an icecap 660 ballast, which supposedly overdrives them slightly, by default. This would probably remedy my intensity dilemma.
http://reefgeek.com/products/categories/lighting/104434.html

This next one is the second most appealing, mainly because of price. It runs off of triad ballasts, which I have heard good things about as well, but not as good as Icecap. Also, I don't think they overdrive the bulbs as much, if at all. This would be where I was stuck in the first place.
http://reefgeek.com/products/categories/lighting/104068.html

This last one, I'm not as fond of as the first two, I just like it cause its plug 'n play. I would get 2 of these. They also don't specify what brand ballast, just a major brand name. Since its a tek, I would imagine that its a triad like the previous one I listed. I am also stuck with the lower intensity thing, like I mentioned in the last one.
http://reefgeek.com/products/categories/lighting/104932.html

We have both pretty much agreed that if we go MH we would want a current usa sunpod 2x150w 48" fixture. Like this http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=CU01064

We need some input on which to go with... Will the T5 setup be enough? I have seen some gorgeous setups on T5 only...

TIA, and sorry to write a book

 

[psimitry]

Considering I'm the friend in question, I'm going to go ahead and bump this.

 

[joeyf]

I wanted to give this a bump, for psimitry.

I think I have decided to go with the 4x54w Icecap, since its overdriven it apparently is equivalent to a 6x non overdriven. Eventually I would like to add on something like the tek 2x54w, just to run blue+ on that, since the icecap tends to run blue+ more white.

So for now, here's what I think I want to do-
~Front~
blue+
aquablue
aquablue
blue+
~Back~
All on the Icecap 660

And later, when funds permit I would like to change to this
~Front~
blue+ on Triad ballast
aquablue on IC660
aquablue on IC660
GE daylight on IC660
aquablue on IC660
blue+ on Triad
~Back~

From what I read, I think for psimitry's tank, I think that the 4x54w Tek would be fine, I want someone to verify this though, cause I don't want it to be my fault if he doesn't like it

Someone did suggest aqualux, however for me at least, I wanted to go with a kit, since it includes everything. I don't want to piece it together and miss something important.