Cheap MH vs Good T5 or PC

[greenmonkey51]

I've been looking at lights lately and I'm trying make a desicion. I have a budget of around 300$ for lights. I can get 48" retro with 2 250wt Advance ballast with bulbs for 300. Or I could get 220wt of PC or T5 for around 200$. This is for a 75g that will mostly feature shrooms, polyps, softies and any easier LPS or SPS possibly.

[greenmonkey51]

bump

[Icefire]

get a 4 or 6x54w T5HO with individual reflector

[pjf]

Based on efficiency and the lack of individual reflectors for each tube, I'd eliminate PC lighting from your list of choices.

• PC or pin-based high-wattage compact fluorescent lamps (HW-CFL) generate 50-70 lumens per watt: http://lightingresearch.org/programs/nlpip/lightingAnswers/HWCFL/HWCFL-efficacy.asp
• T5HO lighting produces ~90 lumens per watt: http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/nlpip/lightingAnswers/lat5/pc1a.asp

Whether you choose MH or T5HO lighting, select fixtures with individual parabolic reflectors for each lamp. Otherwise, much of the light will be wasted.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/93304parabolic_reflector.GIF
Personally, I would lean towards a 4x54W T5HO with individual reflectors and 2 ballasts/power cords because:
- 2 ballasts & power cords gives you dawn-dusk lighting control
- T5HO fixtures weigh less and can be ceiling-mounted easily
- Lesser chance of UV exposure from failed shielding
- Tubes can be mixed and matched