i NEED beter lighting options

[agreeive?fish]

ok as you know this hobby is a money pit. i need better options for lighting as it cost me $1,600.00 per year for bulbs alone. for 3 fowlr tanks and 1 reef tank, thats not counting lighting on fresh water tanks which get the used salty bulbs

i go thru aprox 20 96w pc bulbs and 24 65w pc bulbs a year(changed every 6 months) yes i know i can go longer on bulbs but i notice the color shift/spectrum shift and it drives me crazy

tanks are

7ft fowlr (~210g)
6ft fowlr #1(~215g)
6ft fowlr #2(~175g bowfront)
4ft softy reef(~75g)

any suggestions for more bank account friendly lighting...besides led, i dont think they are "there" yetand he initial investment is out of the pictureat the present time

[nemosworld]

The only solution i can come up with, will cost you a crap load of cash up front, but save you in the long run. visit the diy section and ask one of the many diy led builders to build you some leds.
for your fowlers you can get away with the cheap 1 watt retail fixtures, but i'm not sure if you will like those, you can also buy a buch of part 38's or 30's but i'm not sure if you would want that many bulbs over your tank.

can we see a pic of your tanks, to get a better idea and make suggestions?
in the end led will be your best bet.