Just to give you a reference point, I was in a very similar situation to yours. I didn't have a ton of experience in LED (and am certainly still learning), but have also chose to go the DIY route. I worked with Mike through RapidLed.com and have been really happy with the service. A big factor for me was that they carried the solderless kits. So for my standard AGA 75 gallon tank, I am getting a couple of the 24 LED solderless dimmable kits (for my Apex controller) that will mount on 6"x20" heat sinks. This will let me grow the full range of corals, though since I am starting out, I plan to go for the easy stuff and as my experience grows, tackle some of the harder ones. For my setup, it was $550 for everything, and this will be all solderless. If you can put together Legos, these kits should be a breeze. You may be fine with the soldering iron, and if so, you'll save even more.
ChadO
