t5 physical length

spazthecat

New member
Hi,

I was going to change out my PC lighting with t5s and was wondering how long the 48 inch bulbs are with the end caps. My lighting enclosure has an interior width of exactly 48 inches.

If the bulbs are 48 inches from pin to pin, doesn't look like they will fit.

Thanks,

Andy
 
retrofit kits show 46.8" & bulbs show 45.8".....according to reefgeek.com

check them out if you are wanting to do retrofits in a canopy. they have about the best prices around & their kits include your choice of bulbs in the price. they have all the popular brands & very low shipping prices as well

all their retrofit kits: http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/IceCap/SLR_Retrofit_Kits/

for a 75 (per your sig) that is 48x18, a 6-bulb kit would work perfect. you have a few options:

1) get a 6-bulb kit that has (3) standard ballasts here $449
2) get a 6-bulb kit that has (2) icecap 660 ballasts to overdrive all the bulbs here $609
3) get a 2-bulb standard ballast kit for the actinics & a 4-bulb icecap 660 kit for the daytime bulbs here & here $159 & $359

i personally think option 2 is a bit overkill....no sense over-driving the actinics, so that leaves option 1 or 3. then it depends on what you want to keep......light demanding sps corals, clams on the sandbed, etc then go w/ option 3. otherwise option 1 will be plenty sufficient

keep in mind that over-driving the bulbs will get you more light out of them (probably 80w each instead of 54w) but it will also mean that you will need to cool them directly w/ a fan & also they will be need to be replaced sooner (about every 9-12 months vs 12-18 months).

cooling them is best achieved by having a pc fan blowing front to back of all the bulbs over their "hotspot"...which is the end of the bulb where the writing is at. this will be much better than a fan blowing lengthwise down the bulb & will help keep them cool which = longer bulb life

hope that is all helpful :D
 
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