Starting Over

[mhaith]

I just broke down a 13 yr. old 55 gal reef with 30 gal sump/refug. with 4X55w PC. It gave me basic reef knowledge and a general understanding of how much this hobby costs.

Just bought used FO 2X2X7 210 acrylic with 50 gal sump/refug, skimmer and 6 PC (4X24"-2X36") and UV. The hood is one piece low profile with about 8" of clearance (which limits lighting options). large amount of live rock/sand. Fish include Niger Trigger, Naso, Yellow, Sailfin Tang, Maroon Clown, Dogface Puffer, 4" Black white a couple of white patches wrasse (?), Yellow Damsel, 3 Choc. Chip Stars.

I want to convert to SPS.

Sooooooo, I need to upgrade/change out a lighting system, add Calc & Kalk reactors, get rid of reef non-friendly fish (Puffer, Trigger, Stars) and essentially take my knowledge, budget and time to next level. No fish room, no basement, just a stand with a little more room underneath,a crawl space and a garage 100 feet away with an RO and a couple of big trash cans for Salt/make up water.

So, let's start with the lighting. 12XT5's are what the fish store is pushing. I have found some used 250MH I can pair with the current PCs but will they work in the low hood and how much heat? Cost, hood space and heat are the considerations.

Any suggestions how I can equip and stock this baby without breaking the bank? (I don't need new!-I'm not proud!)

The good news is I am starting with a somewhat clean slate, a little bit of knowledge and a really big tank!