Using T5's as a sole lighting system, I found that the tank quality took a turn for the worse at 6mo. This included an increase in algae growth in the forms of green hair and the green stuff on the glass. After around the 8mo. mark my corals closed up more often and the fast growth rate that I initially had dropped off to almost nothing. I changed the bulbs at this point.
I used T5's only because I couldn't afford a full lighting system up front and the T5's allowed me to expand as my budget allowed. If I had to do it again without using halides, which is what I currently run, I would run power compacts. This is solely due to the fact that you have to replace them less often.
If you can afford the halide and you already have the PC's, why don't you make those actinic and throw on a bluer halide, say a 20K? You won't have the same replacement cost as is associated with a full compliment of PC's
Rick
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