125G lighting

[crutkas]

Minimal Coral (maybe hammer head and Xenia)
few clams ( I know they need heavy lighting )
Fish

The tank has a canopy that is about 6 to 8" tall with fans in it.

The tank is 72x18x22

I saw here that VHO can be dimmed and reved up / down. That would be pretty slick. HOWEVER, I was thinking about powercompacts. Not totally sure why I came to that conclusion but somehow I did.

Basically why choose PC over MH over VHO over T-5? What are the pro's and con's of each?

[Craig Manoukian]

For a tank of that depth MH lighting gives you the maximum intensity to penetrate the water column. MH bulbs can easily found with high PAR values.

Too many folks end up paying more in the long run as they upgrade from PCs and VHOs. No experience with the T-5s.

[Birdlady]

Once you see a tank with MH on it ....you will see! It is like the sun! Right in your tank! I have a 60 gallon tank with MH
I did have some NO fluorescents....but my sweet hubby just upgraded me to VHO so I have 175 W MH plus 2 x 96 W VHO!

Everyone who sees the tank comments on the lighting...also, if you get good surface action on the water, the MH makes lighting ripples...it's cool!

[Matt Rogers]

It is really cool.

@crutkas
Power compacts are good for shallow tanks but yours is 22 inches tall.

Knowing how into it you are, I'd just go straight to Halides too. Then you aren't limited.