LPS/Softie tank

have had the tank up and running for sometime with only a few hard corals established in the tank, and a couple of clown fish. Well the male clown decided to go MIA and i mean MIA I decided to use the existing base and make it an lps/softie tank.
it currently has a 150 HQI hanging over it, but I also have an 8 bulb t5 fixture i can hang over it. Dont know and cant figure out which one i wana run. Its had the HQi over it for sometime now I just know what i wana do with the center brace as it casts a shadow.
I have heard about the clear acrylic deal to replace the brace, just something im not wiiling to do I dont think with the tank up and running already, dealing with the presure of the water in the tank. The tank was passed down to us by my wifes uncle and aunt that past.
so keeping it as original as possible was a must for me. the tank was an absolute wreck when i went and tore it down. So i brought it home cleaned it up. Got rid of the bio balls it had and began knocking out baffles in order to make it run a filter sock. (FTW) The now converted wet dry is low on room, had a little and i mean little skimmer, seems to do ok tho. Future plans are to upgrade.
Sand was terrible, as mentioned I wantd to keep orignal as possible. After a tremendous battle with nitrate and nitrite, i managed to clean it up and tunr it around for the better !

 

Looks like a nice tank. How many gallons is it?

 

Do you have a recent picture of the setup/corals?

Personally I would go with the 8 bulb t5 over the metal halide. You will have more choices when it comes to lighting/coloration. You should get just as good of growth too.

 

This is also the original LR from the tank, I didnt go out and buy any. It litterally had no coraline growth. orginally they had it set up as a fish only... well I dont do fish only... so this I had to change.

 

yes sir i do, Im going to upload them next. I love MH though lol my 210 has 3 250s on it. Ive always played around with both lighting set ups for this tank. its just crazy expensive to put 8 bulbs in the fixture lol, if i rem correctly it didnt give me as much of a shadow as well.

 

I wana say 60 or 65. measures 30 x 25 x 18. maybe I should find an online calculator lol

 

Oh, I am sure it is expensive to have an 8 bulb fixture. That's like $200 in blbs alone. lol. I was looking at T5 fixtures the other day and saw that the 8 bulb Hamiltons were about as much as a 2X 250w mh w/ 2X 54w T5HO fixture.