I would also recommend a 24w T5HO fixture for your tank. Look for a fixture that had individual reflectors. A Tek would be a good starting point. You will need a 4 bulb T5 fixture to keep the anemone, but some of the soft corals may not be so keen on the light being that bright.
I would recommend against using halide on your tank, as pointed out it will easily overheat your tank, but it will also be too intense for the corals you want to keep. Most of my LPS corals won't even stand for my 250w DE halides. They do much better placed quite far from the light on the sand or at the ends of the tank where there is less light.
When you say your salinity is "able to be kept within accepted limits on hydrometer", what is labeled on there anyway? Many hydrometers claim salinity levels that are rather low to be kept. For a reef tank, a specific gravity of 1.026 is close to NSW (natural seawater), or 35 ppt salinity. Be sure to take your hydrometer to your LFS or another reefing keeping buddy to get it calibrated to a refractometer. I have 3 hydrometers - one is right on, one is out by about 0.003, and one is out by 0.007.
What brand test kits are you using? It is curious that you don't have any nitrate. did you buy cured rock or uncured?
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~ Mindy
SPS fanatic.
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