I've removed the light, and pretty much just use it as a low profile tank with a decent recirculation pump inside. The pump inevitably gets overrun with roots, so I'm replacing it after each grow. They are on amazon for about $12, so its not the end of the world. Added two mid-sized airstones and that's about it.
The limited tank size means I have to really babysit it near the end of the grow, but other than that I have had decent results with it.
When I get the taller tent I will probably switch to a more proper setup.