I liked ceramic bulbs a lot when I used tanks. I find the best thing to do is use a higher wattage bulb on a thermostat. Start with a 150 watt bulb in most cases! If you have a very tall tank you may need a higher wattage, but 150 is usually good.

As far as how long do they last, this will depend how much you move it around. The weakest part of the bulb is where the ceramic attaches to the metal housing to screw it in to the light socket. If you screw and unscrew the bulb often, then it's not going to last as long. If you just leave it alone then it'll last for a few years.

Also, there are various brands of bulb, some black some white...they're all the same pretty much. So buy what's on sale