BRS video's is how I discovered Orphek lights! lolIn that price range, the neptune sky and ati straton may be a neat option. I usually don't recommend lights in these price ranges but they are near the orphek. A kessil + AI blade (or reef brite) combo would work well since they don't need to be mounted high off the water. Red sea led's would be a cheaper alternative to kessil but I wouldn't use them without the AI blades.
If you want to save money, I'd check out noopsyche. I haven't seen the maxspect jump in person but it might be worth looking into. Reefbreeders are another budget friendly option but like the orpheks, they need to be mounted high inorder to avoid hotspots.
Check out the recent brs investigates video series on lights. They offer a TON of information.
I'd like to say Money is not an Option, but lets be serious, I have about $4k US budgeted for this build, I need a Skimmer, and Lights. I have everything else I need except substrate and some more dry "live" rock which I will buy a few pounds at a time when I go visit my LFS along with a bag of aragonite substrate.
Already looking at an OCTO external 8 inch skimmer. Ordered the 4 x7 media baskets from Eshopps for my es300 sump to replace the socks this morning.
I have to remove the wall I built out of old barn wood that covers the front of the tank, and I am going to move the tank forward 3 feet when I do this to give me a little more room behind it for maintenance, water changes etc. Since I am already doing that, gonna make my stand lower so the Sand Line in my tank, and the bottom of the window for it, are the exact same height as the top of the back of my cough, Feng Shui!
Mounting Height isn't gonna be an issue unless those iCon's need more than 20 inches. If they do my joists in my house run the same direction as the long side of my tank, so I can remove the drywall ceiling above the tank before I place itso I can position it between the joists to recess the lights. 14 inches between them, lights are less than 10 inches wide, that would give me another 4 inches for a total of 24 inches above tank with 2 7/8 inches left above that mark for a light 2.1 inches thick. Ya my wheels are turning.