These are just suggestions on things that have worked for others, You are more than free to do as you wish.......

Its probably already clear, but the retrofit kit you can use in your current hood. The other is just a sample of the myriad of lighing fixtures out there. Stick around 2 wpg and you will be fine in an excel setup.

Just keep in mind with a t-5 HO, as opposed to a standard t-5 or CF you will be fine with much lower then 2wpg.

well i finally bit the bullet and purchased this:

https://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...=36459&catid=3

even though the other dual T5 fixture from al's was cheaper, it was lower wattage, so by the time i would've gotten brighter bulbs, it would've been more expensive.

Now i need to buy some more plants to take advantage of the extra lighting