I'd look into a combination of 1 & 2. Save up and get yourself a nice MH&T5 combo fixture and you'll get the best of both worlds. The good fixtures are made from aluminum and don't use fans which is nice because they control heat nicely and do not make any noise. You can also hang the fixture a little higher than T5 alone fixtures which will also help with heat. As a last resort you can always add a fan to blow air over the water and under the fixture which in my experience works really well on those hot days. My tank is easily kept below 80 in the summer with too small computer fans.
I'd stay clear from LEDs, although the technology is pretty cool you won't be happy with them. The intensity is too low and the color spectrum is too narrow, you will not get great coral color from such a light fixture. Well at least I've never seen a tank lit by LED show decent color in corals.
Last edited by sphelps; 02-04-2010 at 06:40 PM.
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