Which lights should i get?

[powderhound]

Setting up a new 25 gallon cube tank(roughly 18x18x18). I need to buy some lights and dont know which direction to go. I already have a brand new metal halide pendant and 250 watt XM bulb. I would need to buy a new/used ballast or do i go for an LED setup.

looking to keep a mixed reef some sps on top zoas and chalices throughout.
Any suggestions are welcome on which is better on a little cube and why? I run T5s on my 120 and love them, but have not used either MH or LED

[TMS]

I would say LED, but I am partial to them get one of the oriental sets

[heckeng]

I have used MH, T5 and LED. I will get bashed for saying this but I would use MH or T5 but would avoid the LED. My tank is LPS and Zoas and the LPS did ok with LED but half of my zoas eventually died off after reacting to the LEDs. Some of the Zoas wanted more light, some reacted like they wanted less light and it was basically impossible to make them all happy. I have since switched back to MH with T5 supp and things are coming back but I lost quite a few extremely nice/rare zoa frags and colonies. I believe the problem with LED is the narrow spectrum that it delivers. Keep the MH, get a phoenix bulb and you will get the pop that you want and good growth from everything you want to put in there.

[r-balljunkie]

stick with the MH, will light area nicely

[Michigan Mike]

Seems to me you would only need a 150w halide, but different strokes...