In a day or 2, I am going to put my DIY metal halide canopy up on here, so you can get some ideas. IMO the cheapest way to go with lighting is buying retrofits. This also makes it easy to install your lights into a wooden canopy. Although they do make lights that all come in one little "box". To keep "everything" then MH are probably going to be needed, although you could do a little of both if you wanted to. Its really up to you. First off, what size tank is this for, and what are the dimensions. Each type of lighting has its pros and cons, but IMO MH is the way to go, maybe even a little of both if you have the money to do so. I would do a search on this website on lighting, and you will probably find more stuff that you can read. Also check out different lighting systems so you can get the "gist" of everything. Good luck, and feel free to post any and all the questions that you can think up. Thats what this board is all about, helping others!
