I think your unit looks fine, and it's obvious you built it on a budget. I say good job! But, I have a wife and 3 kids, plus a full time job. I just don't have the time to do it on my own.

However, I very seriously thought about building my own at first. I went to the hardware store, and started up adding up all the prices of the tools I needed, plus the little parts you don't think about like grounded junction boxes, ballasts, capicitors, ignitors, sockets, wireing, etc and it added up to well over $850. Hell, even the small parts like screws and brackets were like $5 each box!

The 400 watter alone was close to $400 with the reflector. Not to mention installing co2, which I have no idea how to do, and all the wireing and drilling that I am really not comfortable with. Especially with kids in the house...

So, when I saw a decent unit at an affordable price, I jumped on it. To receive the item fully built within days of ordering it was a godsend. There was no mess. Wood and plastic fragments everywhere. Just a solid professional unit ready to go.

And to answer your question, this unit does not leak light and runs extremely quiet. All you here is a buzz. I for one am stoaked, and think the unit looks great, and works better. My ladies are luving every minute of it...

One thing that I always worry about is exposed wireing and water + heat. Unlike the unit in the above photo, mine has no exposed wires to short, and runs extremely cool. Whatever fans they put in there look way more powerful than that little computer fan in yours. Plus mine also filters out smells...

So, I guess I probably could have done it myself cheaper, but it wouldn't have been THAT much cheaper and would have taken me weeks. Plus the tools I would never use again, and the mess didn't seem worth it to me.

But each their own. Your plants don't know the difference...