DIY lighting confusion

[fisheyes]

Okay so i searched back posts for info on diy lighting and hoods and now i'm even more confused. I have a 55 gal. tank with the standard 2x24" hoods with about 15w each. I want to have about 3 wpg or more so that makes it a total of about 165w. I am so confused though i don't even know where to begin. Am i right to understand that when i do build my diy project that i can use just a "regular" bulb from a hardware store and that it does not have to be one of the expensive ones from fish stores? Any help would be great!

 

[electrikat]

If you want corals or anemones etc, you will have to have the proper spectrum and you usually can't find them at a regular store. You can however find really good deals online on the bulbs. I've bought from www.drsfostersmith.com and from www.aquariacanada.com and had great success with the shipping. Your best bet in a diy canopy will be power compacts and you can't get them from a regular store anyways. They do have great deals on pc on ebay also. Be sure to get one with both daylight and actinic bulbs.