Help, about to buy. Quick suggestions on new lighting. Square prong?

[One fish]

Hello guys. My question is are square four prong bulbs outdated? I only see two prong at my lfs and other stores. Someone is selling a fixture with four 65 watt bulbs with four prongs, I am not sure if they are straight four or square. It is a 48" Orbit Compact flourescent light Fixture. Is this good? I am so confused about the whole topic. Can anyone help?

 

[Mike Ordner]

Most people have gone away from compact flourenscent fixtures. It depends on what you want in your tank. Fish only. Soft corals, lps, sps or mixture. This fixture would work for fish only or softies or maybe some lps, but not for sps. T-5 high output, LED or metal halide are the fixtures of choice. Give us more information on what you want to do.

 

[One fish]

Thank you so much for the reply Mike. What is the difference between the compact florecent. Are the four bulbs in that fixture not t5? I have tryed and tryed with research and reading I just still don't understand. This is what he is selling. I hope the link works.
http://www.marineandreef.com/Articles.asp?ID=139

 

[Mike Ordner]

T-5 high output bulbs have two prongs on either side of the bulb. Compact fluorescent have all four prongs on the same side. The T-5 fixtures have a very good reflector which puts a lot of light back into the tank. They also come in many different colors to better grow corals. Personally, I would pass on the CF and look for a T-5 if that is the route you want to go. You did not answer what you want in your tank? If it is corals, then the old tried and true standard is metal halide. But T-5 and even LED have been out long enough that they are good options also. Something to think about, as CF are sort of outdated, getting bulbs for the fixture may become harder as time goes by.

 

[jay.fishman]

T-5 bulbs are straight with 2 pins on each end. You want the high output (HO) T-5 bulbs. Compact Fluorescent bulbs are bent back on themselves in the middle, so all of the pins are on one end.