Been away

Ive been away from the hobby for about 15 yrs. It seems there has been quit a lot going on since i was last a hobbyist. I have some lighting questions.
My last system was lit by MH's and VHO fluorescent as that was the best at the time for SPS tank. Is this still the case today? What are T-5's? Is LED as good as MH / VHO combo. I will be building a new system in the coming year and I still have all of the old componets (functionality is a question) and would like to use as many as possible, however would also like to have the most economical lighting system. What are the best options today?

 

Led's would be the most efficient as far as power consumption and bulb replacement costs. Most people in the hobby today are either running them or t5's or a combination of the 2. There are some people who still like the MH 's though. It's really just a question of what you are looking for. Led's are cheap to run but the startup cost is pretty high.(supposedly last a long time and no bulb replacement) T5's are the next best as far as power consumption and startup costs but you have bulb replacement to consider. MH 's are still fairly popular but consume lots of power and heat up the tank quite a bit.

 

LED are the most economical, very low running cost but high start up very little heating of water. They last up to 10 years. Lots of shimmer.

T5HO are 5/8" diameter flourescent tubes and are more economical than T12/MH setups also. 4 bulbs are slightly more intense than 250W MH with a high quality setup and bulbs with mush less heat. Bulbs last 12 to 18 months if properly cared for. No shimmer.

I am certain bulb quality is higher on the MH than 15 years ago. VHO are about the same probably when you can find them.