braden

I have three 150W metal halides suspended over a 93-gallon cube tank. I have heaters that keep the water at 78°F. In the summer the halides might push the temperature to 80°F; but this time of year, they just help the heaters keep up. I don't notice them heating up the room; but that part of my house tends to stay pretty cool, anyway. I would not run halides in an enclosed hood (again). If you do that, you need a cooling fan (or fans); and that adds more complexity to the setup than I think is justified. (Particularly given the availability of high-quality LED lights.) But I prefer suspended lighting systems, anyway. I like to be able to observe the tank from the top.

I'm thinking that a 5-year-old is not going to care even a little bit about zoanthids. (I have a 6-year-old boy; so I have some experience.) She's going to find fish more interesting. I'd go for a pair of clowns and the biggest host anemone the tank, lighting, and your desired feeding schedule will comfortably accommodate. Maybe add a few shrimp and/or crabs to round out the setup. Focus on inhabitants that will perform identifiable behaviors rather than things that will just look pretty.

Looking good! I have one of these tanks that I'm just getting started as a seagrass/mangrove aquarium. I'm just using a 20-gallon high tank as a sump. A few words about the Ventura stand… The plywood in the base of mine, at least, is rather thin (probably ¼" thick) and not suited for the weight of a sump. I found it necessary to reinforce it with some boards underneath. I also found the finish on the interior—particularly the plywood—to be lacking. I sanded it a bit and applied a black-tinted polyurethane. The LED to light the stand interior is an idea that I wish I had before I put water in the tank. Oh, well. I ordered an LED strip Friday and I imagine I'll be installing it this week.