A
Anonymous
Guest
Yes, I am aware of the contradiction built into my thread title. 
Seriously though, what I'm trying to get at is that I want as high-end an option as possible, but as cheaply as possible. To give a parallel, I was really excited to discover the excellent value Vertex Gen2 pinwheel skimmers recently and I'm hoping that there are lighting equivalents out there.
I'm looking at options for a roughly (I'll be working in cm) 40"x28"x21" tank (100x65x50cm). My preferred option at the moment is a Envision Acrylics tank with external overflow, but if I want to stick to this size, I will have to go for a tank with perimeter flange and center brace (to go rimless would cost huge amounts at that size, and even eurobraced would be a pretty penny). If I decide that a rimless (braceless) tank matters to me that much, I will have to downsize, but for now that's what I'm looking at.
Anyway, the center brace means that it'd be ideal to go for two metal halides, with supplementary T5/PC. But at the moment, the only reasonably priced options seem to be one metal halide, plus T5/PC, or going for completely T5, but lose the glitter lines. I'd be worried about doing either because of the center brace. I assume it would cast a shadow if I weren't careful.
Any thoughts/opinions on how to best tackle this? Should I go for the T5 option or will that doom me to a tank with a noticeable shadow down the middle?
Otherwise, I might end up going for a smaller (31"x25"x20"?) tank, rimless or eurobraced, lit with a 24" ATI fixture.
Seriously though, what I'm trying to get at is that I want as high-end an option as possible, but as cheaply as possible. To give a parallel, I was really excited to discover the excellent value Vertex Gen2 pinwheel skimmers recently and I'm hoping that there are lighting equivalents out there.
I'm looking at options for a roughly (I'll be working in cm) 40"x28"x21" tank (100x65x50cm). My preferred option at the moment is a Envision Acrylics tank with external overflow, but if I want to stick to this size, I will have to go for a tank with perimeter flange and center brace (to go rimless would cost huge amounts at that size, and even eurobraced would be a pretty penny). If I decide that a rimless (braceless) tank matters to me that much, I will have to downsize, but for now that's what I'm looking at.
Anyway, the center brace means that it'd be ideal to go for two metal halides, with supplementary T5/PC. But at the moment, the only reasonably priced options seem to be one metal halide, plus T5/PC, or going for completely T5, but lose the glitter lines. I'd be worried about doing either because of the center brace. I assume it would cast a shadow if I weren't careful.
Any thoughts/opinions on how to best tackle this? Should I go for the T5 option or will that doom me to a tank with a noticeable shadow down the middle?
Otherwise, I might end up going for a smaller (31"x25"x20"?) tank, rimless or eurobraced, lit with a 24" ATI fixture.