One more question about lights, I promise

[kyarnkid]

I have one more question about lights. I cannot have metal halides because I really have no where to hang them. I cannot have a retro fit kit because of the way my canopy is. I would like to get Vho or Power Compact. I would like to get the fixtures to where they sit on top of the tank hoods. I want the lights that give off the prettiest blue.
What wattage should I have for my 55 gallon when I decide to go for a reef aquarium?
Do the fixtures contain 4 lights or only two?
Where can I find the best prices?
Would the fixtures get in the way of my hang on the back filters?
Do the fixtures need to be fan cooled?
Sorry guys for all the questions, just help me if you can
Thanks

 

[fshhub]

lights all depend on which inverts you want, especially with wattage and kelvin
some fixtures can be found in 1,2,3, or more lights(you could also get 2 with 2 lights or whatever(jsut so they'll fit)
don't know the best place to go
most fixtures wont get n the way of your hangons, but depending on the size
vho's iMO don't need to be cooled, pc's may create some heat, but not like mh's(i don't cool my pc's),
and one thing i want to add, is that for actinics, i would definitely go with vho's, pc's jsut don't seem to get the color(blueness) i want, however in 10000kelvin(daylight, i think they call them) i like the pc's, LOTSA light and really shows off your fishes
HTH

 

[trigahappynigerog]

it also depends on how deep the tank is...
these are my answers to your questions.
1. there are fixtures that have 4 and 2 lights
2. Lampsnow.com, jbjlighting.com, hamiltontechnology.com, championlighting.com
3. if it get in the way of the hang-on back filters try laying them out in the fronstide of the tank.
4. it depends on what kind of lighting you chose