Lighting for a 29 gal Biocube

I just picked up a 29 gal biocube and stand for $100...What a deal. The lights however are shot. What would you guys do. I am eithor going to put in 4 36W compact florescents or a 150W HQI. What should I do?

 

I would not get the CF. The HQI would be great but also expensive. It will need to be high above the tank (8"-12") & you will most likely need a chiller. I think bulbs get replaced about every 8 motnhs & cost about $75.

I have a 29g & will be testing out the new Boost LED lamps. 3w each, they screw into a light bulb socket. I will be building a DIY frame/fixture for mine.
These are supposed to be able to support even clams & sps corals.

I will be getting 2 of the bulbs with 4 blue 1 white diodes, 60* optics(a wider spread than the 40*)

BoostLED

 

do you mean an halide in the hood or something like a clamp on that can be above the tank?If hood mounted you will probably need a chiller as well,but def hqi is better

 

Check out Nanotuners.com - Nanotuners.com they have a lot of stuff that could give you a few ideas.

 

I ditched the stock hood and went for a 4 bulb T5 fixture and an open top, will never go back to the hood or switch over to MH. For this sized tank the T5s let me have whatever I want, clam on the sand bed, SPS in the upper levels, and LPS and softies everywhere in between. I got the Current Sundial fixture. HQI will really heat up the tank and PCs need to be replaced far too often for my liking. I don't know much about LEDs but I think they would be worth looking into.

 

I am wanting to keep the hood as this will be in the new baby's room. I did think that Hqi would be too hot, and I have looked at nanotuners and all of there stuff. I will however be doing the work myself as I don't want to spend a small fortune. LED's are an appealing idea, anyone know if you can keep sps with them and what would the cost be for a DIY project?

 

If you use the most recent generation of LED. it sounds as though you can keep SPS quite well.