Common T8 Flourecent vs T5?

[JR8999]

I have been reading up on lighting and don't want to spend any $$ on any major lighting changes for now. I have other priorities like a skimmer etc...

Right now I've only got 2 cleaner skunks and some snails in my 56g tower FOWLR. Fish to come soon. I'm still using the original lighting that was included when i bought the tank. It's using a standard Marineland "Natural Daylight" F8 24 inch that came with the light. I hear lots of talk about T5. I'm willing to change out my bulb to a T5 if it is really going to do anything for me. What are the advantages of using a T5 rather than a T8? Is the lighting more aesthetically pleasing?
Any advice or opinions would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[maddmaxx]

im not really tech savy. but i think you might have to change the ballast to run T5s...

T5s have much better bulb options tho, but if you only have a FOWLR, then your lights are fine, if you eventually get into coral. then upgrading to T5s would be best bet.

T5s give off a good par rating for corals and have many color options to help encourage coloring in fish and corals.

However, just having T5s isnt as simple as that. to get the most out of any T5 setup is having really good individual reflectors for each bulb, and use good name brand bulbs along with those reflectors.

Ive seen many ppl get cheap e-bay T5 fixtures, but if you went that way, you must change out the bulbs with good name brand bulbs...

 

[JR8999]

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I will just wait to get LEDs someday Are LEDs any good for FOWLR?

 

[Amoo]

JR,

I'm not a long time member of this site, but I had a FOWLR for a few years. There might be others on here with significantly more info about this subject then I have. That said, you are going FOWLR, so basically you don't need the high dollar lighting like T5s or LEDs. The only thing you will be visibly growing inside your tank is coralline algae on your live rock and it can grow under a variety of lighting conditions.

Basically, save your money now and get the other things you need like a skimmer. At that point, if you plan on staying FOWLR forever then just snag a less expensive LED. There is no need for super high powered lighting if you're not trying to keep corals and stuff, the only benefit is aesthetics and you are better to wait a bit on that to ensure you get the proper components in place to provide a healthy aquarium first.

 

[JR8999]

Thanks Amoo. Like to know if there is significant difference between T8 and T5 from an aesthetics standpoint.

 

[Amoo]

JR,

I haven't had a fixture with T8s in years, just T5 and T12s, To be honest I would just amazon light spectrum and strengths in the bulbs that will work in your fixture, then just do a google image search to see the differences.

IMO, You can pick up some "cheapy" Chinese LEDs for like $150 and they're solid. In a FOWLR it really is about what looks good to you, and nobody else can determine that but you, and the best advice I could give is to look at as many pictures as possible and see what you think. If you're happy with T8s and would rather spend your money on more fish or tank goodies, do it. Don't let "ZOMG LIGHTS" syndrome get you in a FOWLR system.

 

[Mrramsey]

Thanks Amoo. Like to know if there is significant difference between T8 and T5 from an aesthetics standpoint.

No benefit to changing for a FOWLR. Just change the spectrum if you want to change the look.