Power Compacts Vs T5 Comparison Pics

DLANDINO

DLANDINO

D.L. Heritage Rings
Sorry for the Double post on this. I meant to post it here rather than on CTARS.


Hi All, I am wondering if there are any threads that have pics of tanks showing side by side the contrast between Power Compacts and T5 lighting. Or if anyone has some pics like this that they would like to share that would be great. I am trying to decide whether or not to upgrade my 4 month old Coralife Power Compacts. Thanks in advance.
 
I think the lighting issue is a confusing one. If course I would like to have Metal Halides and the cost of the light is not the issue. The cost of potentially having to add a chiller however is another story. So, I started looking at T5's as a viable, stronger alternative to Power Compacts without the risk of cooking my inhabitants. I think that I would be more willing to sway the way of MH if someone would be able to tell me what the heat impact would be before I make the purchase. Currently, under PC lighting the tank stays a comfortable 78 degrees when the lights are on or off. This is due partly due to a great heater, the low heat of the PC lighting and dual fan installation on the hood.
 
IMO T5s run cooler than PC. I switched to T5 about a month ago, running 3x54w T5 vs 3x96w PC. The PCs were hotter, I have two more 54w T5s to add once my corals get used to the increased light. Yea, half the wattage and at least twice the light. I can't see going MH due to heat. T5s are plenty bright.
 
Hi again, thanks for your reply can you please help me to understand your upgrade. You had 3, 96 w. bulbs equaling 288 and now you will move up to 5, 54w bulbs equaling 270. How is this more light than you had in the PC's. Sorry if this seems like a dumb question. I am struggling to grasp the light issue.
 
I only have 3 54w bulbs currently, I haven't installed the other two. Just 3x54w T5 smokes 3x96w PC, no contest. My corals bleached when I switched, I had to move them lower in the tank. The Icecap SLR reflectors are that much more efficient.
 
T5's use individual reflectors, making them much more efficient than PC's. You get significantly more lumens per watt from T5's, meaning less heat and more light. And those individual reflectors mean you get more light in the tank.

Plus, because you have individual bulbs, you can vary the color of each bulb, giving you more combinations of color than with PC's (PC's are wider so you can't fit as many in the same space).
 
its a difference in par. Watts does not matter the light intensity is where it counts in the tank. Just to let you know MH on a electronic ballast is not that big of a hike in the electric bill at least for me it wasn't I switch from t-5 and pc lighting to MH my electric bill did not budge.
 
Well I had to modify my canopy a little to make the reflectors that i bought fit. They are the lumenbright reflectors great product but require a 12 inch minimum of height between the water surface and the bulb. SO I took the top off my canopy to fit these reflectors and with the top off I got no heat issues. SO I sacraficed a little by having more light let out into the room but at the same time I had the benefits of MH with no extra heat and the shimmer of the MH which is awesome and the par that I need to keep whatever I want in the tank. I went with the reflux 12k bulbs which in my opinion gave me a nice blue in the tank which now does not requiore any actinics. HTH
 
Sounds like a great setup. I don't have a canopy, my wife doesn't like the look of them. So, I currently have a coralife pc that sits on top of the tank on legs. I guess if I upgrade to MH i would be looking at the same type of setup in Current Sunpod or the like. Those units however appear to be closer to the water, so I would guess more heat. It would be great if Marine Depot. would put an expected heat output in degrees.
 
Well If you are worried about the heat try the lumen bright out. Its going on a 46 bow right. If so all you need is 1 reflector and ballast. I highly recommend going with a retro kit with a pendent and a separate ballst over getting a fixture. Cause then it can be used if you ever decide to upgrade to a bigger tank. Trust me you may not think of it now but there are so many threads that are on here where people are upgrading tanks and need to buy new equipment this you can buy another one down the road and you are all set for your upgrade.
 
It may also depend on what you plan on keeping in the tank. From what I have read on the subject, almost all corals can be kept under T5. If the shimmer of MH is not an issue, then T5's could very well be your ticket. Plus, the bulbs don't need to be changed quite so often.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12353196#post12353196 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GSMguy
pcs suck and t5s are great.
Click to expand...

23458408.jpg
 
IMO T5s run cooler than PC
Click to expand...

Actually, you would be suprised, I had made that assumption too, but I actually tested several T-5's and PC's with both an infared thermometer and a regular coralife digi thermometer, and found that T-5's were running about 130-140 on average and PC's were running 115-120.

They had all been on for approximately the same period of time, it was late in the day, about 6 hrs gone by, I don't know what addtional factors might influence this, but those were the measurements I got anyways.

However I would second the opinion that PC's TOTALLY SUCK. They must replaced every 6-9 months, they use much more energy/intensity output.

This makes sense if you think about it, a PC has two tubes right next to eachother, meaning that none of that light is reflected downward into the aquarium.
 
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