T5 Myths
by Paul Thompson
1. T5s don't produce as good of a spectrum as other bulbs such as PC - and the Actinic suck
This lovely tidbit USED to be true. But you know what? It also used to be true about PC, VHO, NO flourescents and EVEN probably Metal Hallide bulbs. This used to be true about ALL of these lighting sources when they were more immature technologies. Sure, when you come out with a new type of bulb (as was true with T5 a couple of years ago) they INDEED don't come in as wide of spectrums, etc. However, the technology has matured. You can now get T5 in just as good of spectrums as everything else.
2. PCs last longer then T5s
This is a joke. Average recommendation, from my research and learning over the past year is that PC should be replaced every
12 months. And T5? The lumens of a T5 will last as much as
14-18 months.
3. PC are cheaper in the End, then T5
Ok. I have a 55G tank at home. I managed to squish a grand total of 5 T5 bulbs above the tank. For PC, I would have been doing probably 4, bulbs. At straight cost, saying I replace the PC once a year and the T5 once every 18 months, then I'd have the following bulb costs:
55/65W 10000K Daylight Powercompact : 2 x 21.95 = 43.90
55/65W (Any Actinic) Powercompact : 2 x 21.95 = 43.90
Total for One Set = 87.80
Total for 3 Years Worth = 263.40
54W 10000K AquaSun T5 HO Fluorescent : 3 x 21.95 = 65.85
54W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent : 2 x 21.95 = 43.90
Total for One Set = 109.75
Total for 3 Years Worth = 219.5
Wait, can that be? LESS money for the T5s? No way? And THAT is if I buy the more expensive ones at Reefgeek. I got mine at a much better price on DoctorsFosterSmith.com for about $15 a piece. (Not that I want to send people away from Reefgeek - I love them. They always toss a mini-snickers or something in with my reef goodies...
)
And if we get into the cost of the fixtures... You'll have to pay a little TINY bit more as you have to buy an extra reflector and an extra set of endcaps. So we are talking about $30 more there for the T5 setup.
Now, that may not be true as most PC hoods I know are driven with IceCap ballasts, not workhorse (which I can do with T5 and costs substantially less). And they also require cooling fans, etc, which are going to add to the cost.
So, sum it all up, and you aren't going to pay much more at all more, if any, to setup T5. And you'll save on bulbs in the long run.
4. T5s are a SHAM!!!
Ok, let's just forget about the fact that they run cooler and cost less. And let's forget about the fact that they are a more intense source off light. And oh yeah, they also cast MORE light on a tank with less watts do to the amazingness of
parabolic reflectors. And they're smaller, so you can cram more above a tank. There's also the fact that, do to the reflectors, you can also put the bulbs higher up in a canopy since there is less light lost do to light spread. And that WOULD give you more access below them to feed things, etc. But that isn't really significant.
None of those details are important, eh?
I could go on, but I don't think I really need to. T5s rock and are the way of the future when using flourescent lights to light a reef tank.
(Gee, I sound like I'm getting religious here, eh?
)
