Josh, I don't really grow succulents or cacti to any extent, but I don't understand you wanting to use aquariums.
T8 light won't give you nearly the lighting you desire without having the fixtures positioned very close to the plants. T5 won't either, though T5 lighting produces more lumens. If you want ceiling fixtures, T5H, aka T5HO is the way to go. These fixtures produce extremely bright light over a wide area. Since these fluorescent tubes can be daylight, 6500K, or softer light, 4500K, you have a range of Kelvin to suit your needs. The 6500K is better suited for plant growth and the 4500K for blooming. You can simply mix the tube's Kelvin to get the best from both spectrums. That's what I do.
