Suitable light for a 40B

[bigfish14]

I am looking for a light for my 40 gallon reef tank. The tank will contain primarily softies with a few LPS. I would like to keep the light simple and affordable. I plan to hook the light up to an Apex controller, so I would like to have individual power cords and the fixture doesn't need a built in timer. LEDs would be cool, but I can always add those later if needed. The tank will be open top as well. Is this fixture suitable? http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+13822+16770&pcatid=16770

 

[bigfish14]

or this one? http://fishneedit.com/3ft4bulbs-with-l34.html

 

[tritonman]

A 4 bulb fixture should be fine for softies and lps. I'm currently running a 6 bulb Tek elite fixture on my 40 breeder. A mix of corals but primarily sps.

You'll see many recommendations for Tek and ATI T5 fixtures (ATI more so for sps dominated tanks). I've seen mixed reviews on the nova extreme (the first fixture you posted), but don't have any first hand experience. Mostly positive, but not on the level of an ATI or Tek. You'll want all new bulbs as the factory ones are garbage ($25/bulb).

Reflectors are very important when it comes to T5's, so look for fixtures with individual parabolic reflectors. Active cooling in a unit will also help the life of the bulb. You're right about LED's. I threw a strip of hamilton's on mine for $49. Works great.