Would 110W with an AHSupply reflector be too much
light for my 45gallon tank if it doesn't have C02?

No. You're usually safe if you stay below 3 watts per gallon.

Would that fry low light
plants such as java fern (one of the few plants mbunas aren't supposed to
chow down on)?

No.

Would the 2x40W cheapo shoplight be sufficient to light a 45
gallon, as long as I avoid plants that need high light levels?


Depends on what plants you want to grow. It would be enough for anubias and
java fern.

One thing to keep in mind: unless you stick with low lighting, it's hard to
have a lightly planted tank. If you have a lot of light and only one or two
plants, you'll likely have algae trouble. One of the keys to maintaining an
algae-free planted tank is to plant heavily, so the plants absorb all the
nutrients and out-compete the algae.

However, you can always shade the tank a bit with floating plants like water
sprite, if necessary. Keeping that in mind, I'd probably go for the AHSupply
kit, if money's not an issue. A 45 gallon is a deep tank, and the AHSupply
reflector will help get the light down to the bottom.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/