I would then look at t5 and LED fills. t5 is proven to grow corals and is relatively inexpensive up front. For fills, you can pick any number of LED puck styles or smaller fields/panels (G5 style) of LED. Otherwise.. AI 32's x 3 as a start.. If you want to go really cheap.. Black Boxes work.. though.. not my style personally.
In the end, you are going to get a lot of opinions. IF SPS is your goal, going cheap is going to make it harder. If mixed you can get away with a lot less, depending on your coral choices... SPS is the specialized thing it is, partly due to cost, SPS corals equals lights.. cheap ones can get you by but.. those costing more will help you thrive. My 2 cents worth.. It isnt much but, I like my opinions..,
I guess I would go look at real tanks, not photos, of the examples you think you want to use.
OK some of my other takaways.. Metal Halides.. bulbs are getting scarce and coswt to run and heat are becomeing non-negotiable.
t5 is fantastic but lack contrast. AB+ is the standard light.. especially if you like blue and washed out fish colors. Yet as a fill, you cant beat them.. not even with reef brights in my opinion.
this leaves us with LED, High cost Mod cost or low cost options.
Low cost leaves some desires in usability and safety (black boxes). There are other low cost options that wont fill your bill at all.
Mod cost.. Both puck style and strip style and panels. Puck and panels for SPS are your best options. Pucks tend to lower Par levels. but offer some fabulous looks in the tank.. Also tend to be more contrasty as they dont have the spread of a panel light. thus use multiples..
Panels have less contrast and higher par levels but often give a poor look to a tank with shimmer.. (lack shimmer or disco effect) They tand to be costing on the higher end as well.
High end lights like upcoming Sky, G5's and Kessil multi puck lights are showing these companies are learning some lessons. They do well with par, spread and flexabilty of use.
I watched the BRS vid on Reefbreaders and have to say.. Not my cup of tea. hot strip down the middle and nothing front and back.. thus going to be heavy contrast especially when stuff starts growing in.. In order to get the par low enough, you are going to have to come way down in power to keep from burning coraqls even at the higher mounting heights which will almost shut the front and back of the tank down. Might work ok on an 18 inch wide tank or like a 55 gallon but not on 24 inch width.
