best inexpensive lighting

For a 20G reef tank. Trying to save some bucks, if anyone has any old ones their trying to get rid of that would be cool too lol. I was recommended to get compact lighting 2x65watts 24in. Anything you guys know of thats cheap?

 

Compact florescent are the cheapest both pertaining to the initial set up, ur electricity bill and the maintainance.
IMO, the lighting that ur getting would be pretty good for a 20 gal.

 

Honestly, I would have to disagree. Up front costs yes, but there is very little energy difference in PC and T5's. Also, PC bulbs need to be replaced twice as often as T5's.
I would go T5's.

 

Wow.. Slap in tha face lol... just kidding.. Pack is right. I never really owned T5's so I'm non the wiser, I'd trust his opinion.

 

how much more are we talking about price wise for the T5's?

 

I have this fixture - 24 inch Current USA Nova Extreme 2x24 watt T5 HO 10K/460nm and growing sps's fairly well, I had 2 on my 20 gallon and bleached the crap out of a couple things. Cheap and works like a charm, I would not use currents bulbs though.

 

what bulbs would you use?

 

+1 on this one, get yourself some t5 high outputs..
when i first started the hobby, i went all power compacts, ended up selling them and getting t5 high outputs
the penetration from the t5s are much better than pcs
and the coloration is also a lot nicer with corals on t5 high outputs than pc bulbs

 

Current USA Nova Extreme T5HO Retrofit Kits 24 - (2x24 - eBay (item 260380426960 end time Apr-18-09 20:42:51 PDT)

Is this any good?

 

I believe I have the Giessemann pure actinic and the UVL 75-25... i think the 14k if i remember correctly, I really like the output of T5's VS pc's, Halides have the shimmer effect but that comes with a price on your electric bill. T5's(excluding LED's) run cooler than MH and pc's.