t-5 lighting

[dnejdl]

Is t-5 lighting cheaper to run then mh ? last tank i had i had 3 250 watt mh , and 4 vho. and man step back and watch the meter run wow !!! just need some info..

 

[marc devol]

yes t-5 are cheaper to run than mh mabey buy 30-40 percent

 

[ipiniowa]

You have to replace your T-5's much more often that you would MH's. I would say it is a wash, but depending on what you are growing you would need a better PAR that the MH will give you.

 

[kau_cinta_ku]

actually T5 bulbs when properly cooled will last maybe 2 times as long as MH bulbs.

 

[ipiniowa]

What does the Cooling process intale?

 

[dnejdl]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12470336#post12470336 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kau_cinta_ku
actually T5 bulbs when properly cooled will last maybe 2 times as long as MH bulbs.

but they wouldnt put out the heat like mh right.

 

[Fukalite]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12469702#post12469702 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ipiniowa
You have to replace your T-5's much more often that you would MH's. I would say it is a wash, but depending on what you are growing you would need a better PAR that the MH will give you.

Depending on which fixture or DIY method you choose...both of these statements are false or are inaccurate at best.

 

[Torpus]

I thought that t5 bulbs could last from a year to up to two years...
they run much cooler than MH too...

no shimmer though

 

[dnejdl]

so you shouldnt use t-5 for clams and sps right ? does lighting on purple CORALLINE that grows on the rocks or is that just have to due with water ?

 

[RobynT]

I have a TEK T5 6 x 54 lighting unit on my 90 gallon. Not all T5's are created equal as the individual reflectors certainly are the best and what you should get if you are considering T5's. T5 bulbs can last longer than a year but I changed mine at about the 14 month mark. They are fairly reasonable in cost, do not run as hot as halides and allow you to keep anything you can with halides if you get a unit with the individual reflectors and good bulbs. No, there is not a shimmer if that is an important factor to you.
I not only have kept clams in my tank but find I have to be careful not to burn corals placed too high in my tank. I have chosen T5's because of the cost factor both in initial purchase and replacing bulbs every 6 months (halides) the heat issues (I don't care to run a chiller) and the monthly use costs of T5's vs halides. Look at as many different tank lighting as you can before you decide as lighting is a costly part of this hobby and best to buy once.

And you will get coraline with any properly run system (calcium level) and lighting.

 

[acidlittle]

1+ for T-5's used em for 2 years LOVED THEM.

In my opinion and any tank that is 4ft, I like the T-5's for the reason that they run cooler and you can cram 8 bubls over a 75gal without having too many heat issues. And with T-5's there are many different combo's of bulb color to where you can get exactly what you like: be it more blue, less blue, more white, or even yellow. I feel you have more control over color with t to the fives.

On the other hand, my 24gal aquapod has the 150 mh and I too love that.

LIke everybody says just do a little research and see what you think you will like. BTW what tank is this going on?

 

[jvonthun]

A watt is a watt. If you have 1000watts worth of light over your tank, the type of bulb(s) you are using makes 0 difference in the amount of your electricity bill. The amount of light that you get from that 1000watts could differ significantly though. Better reflectors mean more light into the tank, more lumens per watt mean more light into your tank, correct color spectrum for the livestock you are keeping means more usable light into your tank.

As mentioned below when figuring your costs, you also have to consider the cost of the bulbs, and their respective life expectency.

 

[RobynT]

"It is the same amount of total Energy... but not necessarlly heat. The T5s are more efficient and turn more of those watts to photons rather than infrared like the Halides. However, that being said, both do heat pretty close to the same, the question is how much of that heat is absorbed by the water...."
http://www.bnarc.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=2175&start=25

This is a quote from Horace on BNARCs website when a similar question was raised. I don't think he will mind me adding that here.

 

[dnejdl]

wow alot of good info thxs people.