lighting research for upgrade

[eric b 125]

as some of you may know, i'm doing some work on my 125 to make it more asthetically pleasing. i'm going to drill it, add a sump/fuge, add some base rock and re-aquascape it. im in the planning part, as i have to wait for the weather to get better to drill/paint it. i have most everything planned out, except for lighting. what is the difference b/w MH and T5 lights? i kinda want to do a retrofit kit, but haven't made any decisions on it yet. i really like the size of my tank, so i'd like to get something that looks good. I dont mind spending a grand on lighting, but if i could spend less then i will. i'd like to hear about pro's and con's of retrofit vs other fixtures and also MH vs T5 (or other lighting variations). thank you all so much for your time and help

 

[scsinet]

The discussions (and passions) run deep on this topic and you'll find numerous threads that cover various aspects all over this board.
Halide and T5 are very similar in capabilities - especially for your tank. A clear winner does not emerge until you get to very deep tanks that require the penetration that only halide can provide.
Halide and T5 are the only options I'd consider. All other technologies are dead.