Question about Light, gallon, and Bio-Filter - Please Help. Thanks...

[TVR]

Hi:

I am having some confus of what to do. Please help. Thanks...
My Main tank is 54x25x23 (The main displayonly, excluded the overflow section) - I think it's about 130G, s/b less a bit, I could not remember exactly, I am at work right now. Plan is to have a mix reef (More softie though)
Light for it, I have the T5 8 tubes (with 4 daylight + 4 Atinic + 4 Moon) - When I bought, it said: 8x54W = 430W
My question is:

How's the Watt count? - By both daylight and atinic or just the daylight / atinic seperately?
If count for both, in mycase, it's total of 430W, is it good enough for my tank (as I intend to have a mix-reef)?
What really the ratio of W per G is recommended? - Oh, the Gallons in the ratio, does it count as the total container (of all main tank + Overflow section + Sump) or we just only "concern" the Main Display?
And very important: I heard light need to be changed the buld every year, how do you know exactly, some use 12hr per day, some use only 8 or even 6? - So the changing schedule is count on year or hr of use?
And Lastly: My friend told me to grow some micros or macro things in the Over-Flow section instead of only in the refugium. Is it safe to do that since this Over-Flow section is right next behind the main-display section and it make this idea sound scared to me?

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The reason I am asking because I heard (and from researches too) about many different "statements" about the W per G ratio and I am really confused now.
I just really dont want my pets tobe starved to death (talking about lighting ofcause) - My tank is actually 173G, but the main-display section is much less smaller.

Please help and thank you in advance.

[FBNitro]

1) Total for all 8 bulbs
2) 8 T5's should be fine for hard corals assuming they have individual reflectors, otherwise I couldn't tell you.
3) Watts per Gallon means nothing! It's all about lighting levels, PAR readings etc. Compact Florescents and T5's use about the same wattage, but T5's (because of individual reflectors etc) will generally blow Compact Florescents out of the water in lighting levels.
4) Over time, the lights change wavelength and lose brightness. You're going to have to run them ~8-12 hours a day to support your tank, just replace them yearly unless you have an accurate way to determine the bulb status.
5) I would only grow them in the refugium. The overflow should be free of things IMO so it doesn't get clogged accidentally and your tank overflows.

I would have chosen a different bulb mix w/8 bulbs... when you replace them, you should do some research on recommended bulb setups.

[TVR]

Thanks FBNitro.
My tank was under recycled since Dec 08. First month with no light, then 4 hrs frm mid jan then 6 hr frm Mid Feb (because my wife brought home a strange softie pc that needed light to stay alive, and it doing ok as I know for now :redface: ). Now I have it run 8 hr per day (8 and half for the blue atinic that I heard it needed to be over lapsed with daylight a bit.
So I guess, I am doing ok with the light I have. But having saying that, when changing light, I'll take your advice to have a mixing change of 1-2 buld at a time.
Thanks for your help FBNitro.