Getting ready to setup a 300 FW and I am unsure what to do about lighting. I plan on building a wood canopy to match the stand after it is setup. But at first it will just be glass across the top. So I am needing something that I can use for both stages of the project. A friend of mine has a metal halide setup thats new thats meant for such a canopy, with ballast, reflectors, and such. He said he would give me a good deal. But all I know about metal halides is they are meant for saltwater, especially reef tanks and are very bright. I have also been looking at the LED setups such as marineland or the cheaper knockoff brand beamworks. But I do not even know if they can be mounted inside a wood canopy. I like the idea of the moonlight with the LED's as I have alot of bottom dwellers and it would be nice to see the shyer ones swim around now and then without having to just watch them in the dark. So I guess the questions are.....Which would be a better all around choice, the metal halides or LED's? And can the LED's be mounted inside a wood canopy once I build it?
Thanks
Thanks