Planning a new tank

[mseepman]

If cost is important I would look at an Octo Extreme or Bubble Magus skimmer (people seem happy with both as long as you get one with a decent pump).

For lighting, I agree that T5HO's would be a good pic as they are not badly priced and use a lot less electricity. The other reason I would go with them rather than anything else is that they are versitile in case you decide to make it a reef tank. NO T5's and PC's limit you pretty badly.

What length is the tank? That will also affect your thoughts on lighting as the longer the tank gets, the tougher bulbs become to find.