Are MH's really the way to go

[Ruth]

I didn't read the whole thread either although I have read a lot of it before. If I am not mistaken all of his T5 are on individual reflectors and are HO and changed out every 6-8 months. He also has a whole whack of them on that tank.
I think at the end of the day you will probably spend more on his system than you will on a good MH system and even with increased electrical consumption the cost of replacement bulbs alone will balance that out.