i have a 180 gal tank and have been looking for affordable things to get it up and running. where can i find hoods, lights.... things like these online at an affordable price?
Not to be a smart arse but what do you consider cheap for lights? Do you need filtration? For hoods you can have glass cut at a local glass shop pretty cheap.
Take a look at these coralife t5 lights. I have them on all of my tanks. The 36" lights are $55 so for two you would be looking at $110. Here is a link to them.
Fill the FX5 with bio of your choice. I suggest bio max or seachem matrix bio media(On sale at Dr fostersmith I believe. It has a lot of pre filter so filling it with bio is all good. Also I have found that heaters are half the price online compared to the store. I would go to drfostersmith for the best prices and awesome customer service.