[itZme]

Originally posted by mmm55645
Thanks for the info. I am going to look into using T5s instead of MH. I hope that the money saved with T5s is not offset by having to buy relfectors though.

If you buy a complete light you will be looking at spending close to the same as buying MH lighting initially. If you can build your own canopy and add a retro-fit lighting system into your DIY canopy you will save some money in the beginning. When you use a DIY reflector you will be wasting much of the light that each bulb produces as the commercial ones are computer-designed and built to optimize the specific bulb. Whatever lighting you decide to go with, you should get the best reflectors available because you will get the most growth per KWH that you pay for since the light is directed to your corals and not bounced around inside the hood. There are some really good MH reflectors called LumenArc reflectors (LumenMax, LumenArc mini etc...)

sorry to be such a Newb, but can you explain "overdriven" to me?I am not familar with what it means.

No problem, we all start out as newbies. The 48" T5 bulbs are rated at 54w and they are considered "high-output" (T5HO).
The IceCap660 ballast was originally designed for very-high output bulbs (t12 VHO). If you connect the IceCap ballast to a 4' t5 bulb it will actually operate on about 85w per bulb. This does give you much more output per bulb (over 1 and a half times the normal ouput) but does increase the heat and decrease the life slightly. You can find T5 retro kits at SaltyCritter.com that have the ballasts, endcaps, standoffs and reflectors all put together for a decent price.
Here's a link to the IceCap retro 4 foot 4 bulb kit for $365
Here's a nice little 4 foot 4 bulb complete T5 setup for $245
The OceanLight fixture would be the easier solution but would offer less light than the retro kit. I know a guy that had a 55g with a Nova T5 fixture that kept SPS without trouble. The Nova fixtures do not have a very good reflector system though and I would not recommend it.

Thanks again for the info, I am going to look into T5 lighting. Just got two volumes on reefkeeeping by Sprung and Delbeek, hopefully I can find some good info there.

You are welcome I tend to shy away from using the books as a main source of knowledge since the technology changes so rapidly in this hobby. They are still good for general sources but don't go planning an entire system around what you read in print. You are much better off coming to RC and reading as much as you can. You would also gain a lot from joining a local club if you have one. Search the club forums to find one near you. I actually belong to one that's an hour north and one that's an hour south of me and sometimes go to both meetings. It's a geat way to find used equipment or livestock that doesn't need to be shipped and you could make a few friends that can help out when it's time to set things up.

Hope that helps
-- Kevin