[mike31154]

With the right combination of LEDs you'll be able to grow pretty much anything in a Nano. Yes, probably more folks are using T5HO these days, but believe me, the tide is shifting quickly due to the inherent advantages of the emerging LED technology. In fact, I believe it's been the Nano tankers that have been pretty much pioneering LED systems. You'll be changing bulbs more frequently with T5 and that can be costly over time. Fluorescents lose their intensity & shift colour spectrum fairly quickly whereas LEDs will last a very long time, years, without significant lumen loss or colour shift. Fluorescents send at least half their light output in the wrong direction, requiring highly polished reflectors, and over a salt tank, those highly polished items will quickly get salt spray on them. LEDs run much cooler, use less energy, don't require individual reflectors that will accumulate salt stains and reduce the reflective efficiency. LEDs will give you shimmer similar to what MH lighting provides. LEDs are dimmable, fluorescents not, neither are MH lights. Colour options for LEDs are now also to the point where you have much greater flexibility than in the past. While I still use a combination of MH & T5HO lights on my system, there is little doubt that I'll be switching to LEDs in the very near future. Since you're just starting out, you can save yourself the expense of getting all the T5HO hardware and go LED from the getgo. Makes so much more sense for a Nano system since you won't need near the number of LEDs as on a larger system which will make the initial cost a little easier to take.

As far as coral choice, probably best to start with one or two LPS, softies. Take it slow, too much at once is going to end up with unnecessary loss. That goes for fish as well. The relatively small size of your tank will limit your livestock options for sure.