Ebay for t5 lighting?

The ballasts went bad for my lighting and I'm looking to upgrade. Problem is that I'm on a very tight budget and can't really afford to do full retail from my LFS right now. I've been looking on Ebay and seeing what looks like allot of really good deals on t5 setups but I'm kinda clueless as to brands and specifics. Have any of you purchased through Ebay and if so do you have any saved Sellers that you trust?

Also I need help figuring out my lighting requirements. I have a 55g that is 36" long 2' talk 18" deep. I want to add inverts and start some corals. What would the wattage requirements be and any more need to knows would be very helpful. Thanks in advance.

 

where are you located ? I suggest a
Amazon.com: 36" Sundial 4x39w T5ho W/2 Lunar Lights & Timers: Pet Supplies
I have ran one of these on a 30 gallon 36 inch long tank and have grown all types of coral easily

 

Save some money and go this route.... Dimmable LED's

1 fixture will cover the whole tank and grow anything you want, no need to replace bulbs every 9 to 12 months, and can be used on any upgraded tank you may need it on in the future.

 

you could also do an odyssea light which they have a 36 its on ebay for around 80.00 ( but if you do youll need to change the bulbs perf ati )

 

Where are you located. I have 2 light fixtures Odyssey with ATI lightbulbs. If you are interested let me know and make me an offer I am happy to part with them.