t5s vs. vhos
- Thread starter PotysGSXR
- Start date
Chris@IceCap
Premium Member
Scott,
Yes, the T6 bulbs will fit into a G13 base, but there will be a large gap between the waterproof endcap gasket and bulb. These lamps are only usable for aquarium lighting if installed in an enclosed fixture. I haven't seen any of these bulbs used in commercial lighting, pretty much a niche item. T5s are much more practical for reef tanks due to the individual reflectors that take up very little space.
Chris
IceCap Inc.
djrecklessk
New member
RxBandit I will be an exhibitor this year at light fair. Most of the antendees typically tend to be lighting reps or agencies trying to pick up a new line. Our company actually manufacturers T4 & T5 fluorescent fixtures and lamps for the commercial market. We have not worked on the T5 HO series, but hopefully our company will start to offer them soon. I'm excited to test them out on my fish tanks.
I heard of T6 bulbs, but never seen them before. I've already heard of T12, T10, T8, T5, T4, T2, and T1 bulbs. So they basically have all the sizes covered. Europe and Asian seem to have already adopted T4 lamps for the aquarium trade. The US market seems to be a little slow to catch up. They just started to adopt the T5 HO fixtures. IMO even the T5 standard fixtures are bright enough for aquarium lighting. Its just T5 HO has been hyped up by many manufacturers because there is money to be made. Just IMO.
I heard of T6 bulbs, but never seen them before. I've already heard of T12, T10, T8, T5, T4, T2, and T1 bulbs. So they basically have all the sizes covered. Europe and Asian seem to have already adopted T4 lamps for the aquarium trade. The US market seems to be a little slow to catch up. They just started to adopt the T5 HO fixtures. IMO even the T5 standard fixtures are bright enough for aquarium lighting. Its just T5 HO has been hyped up by many manufacturers because there is money to be made. Just IMO.
There are T-6 standard and T-6 VHO lamps on the market. Many of the department store in Japan employ T-6 lamps in the cosmatic fixtures.
VHO T-6 are even brigther than VHO T-5 if build with a proper reflector.
If High lumen and par are require for a given aquarium in a given area, VHO T5, VHO T6 or VHO PL compact lamps with a proper design reflector will out perform most MH is the same area.
Given these are all new lighting systems, most hobbiest are not familiar with them, soon some of us will use these lamps and give a full report on what they have found.
These are the new technology on lighting, they may be useful to some SPS loving aquarium.
It may be worth while to check these lamps out.
VHO T-6 are even brigther than VHO T-5 if build with a proper reflector.
If High lumen and par are require for a given aquarium in a given area, VHO T5, VHO T6 or VHO PL compact lamps with a proper design reflector will out perform most MH is the same area.
Given these are all new lighting systems, most hobbiest are not familiar with them, soon some of us will use these lamps and give a full report on what they have found.
These are the new technology on lighting, they may be useful to some SPS loving aquarium.
It may be worth while to check these lamps out.
cerreta
Premium Member
OK, so this leads me to a few more ??'s. First, thanks for the great repies.
YuLi, one source of info I have reseached stated as you do, the T6 is avaiable in RO (regular output) and VHO. However, the natural lighting sells the T6 bulb as HO. So, my question is do you know what the lamp wattage rating is for the RO and VHO T6 bulbs? What would these T6 HO bulbs rated at 55watts (48") be, the RO or the VHO bulb? Since the 55watt rating is not much higher than the 54watt T5HO, I am suspicious.
Chris, from what I understand, the T6 bulb features the same extrnal diameter as the T5, it just has thicker glass. I have not seen these bulbs in person, but based on this idea, the T5HO reflectors will definately work.
My question to you: Based on a german three piece socket will the protective cap for the T5 bulb screw onto the socket base portion of a T12 socket? If so I could just buy the T5 sockets and retro fit the G13 base.
Another option would be to buy a ZooMed socket adapter ($2 a pair) which adapts a T12 to T8, then use teflon or some other material to get a tight waterproof seal. This is an alternate and cheap route.
Any ideas on this stuff?
YuLi, one source of info I have reseached stated as you do, the T6 is avaiable in RO (regular output) and VHO. However, the natural lighting sells the T6 bulb as HO. So, my question is do you know what the lamp wattage rating is for the RO and VHO T6 bulbs? What would these T6 HO bulbs rated at 55watts (48") be, the RO or the VHO bulb? Since the 55watt rating is not much higher than the 54watt T5HO, I am suspicious.
Chris, from what I understand, the T6 bulb features the same extrnal diameter as the T5, it just has thicker glass. I have not seen these bulbs in person, but based on this idea, the T5HO reflectors will definately work.
My question to you: Based on a german three piece socket will the protective cap for the T5 bulb screw onto the socket base portion of a T12 socket? If so I could just buy the T5 sockets and retro fit the G13 base.
Another option would be to buy a ZooMed socket adapter ($2 a pair) which adapts a T12 to T8, then use teflon or some other material to get a tight waterproof seal. This is an alternate and cheap route.
Any ideas on this stuff?
Cerreta,
For 48" aquarium, a 47" T-6 VHO is 110 watts.
All Sea Marine sell the moisture resistance end cap for these lamps. No need to do modify on the end caps. They also carry a very nice alummium parabotic reflector for the VHO T-5 and VHO T-6 as well. These retro kits are available.
T-6 has 19.5 to 21 mm. OD diameter (depending which factory makes the lamp). The ID diameter are 16.5 to 17.7 mm. They are much different in design to T-5.
For 48" aquarium, a 47" T-6 VHO is 110 watts.
All Sea Marine sell the moisture resistance end cap for these lamps. No need to do modify on the end caps. They also carry a very nice alummium parabotic reflector for the VHO T-5 and VHO T-6 as well. These retro kits are available.
T-6 has 19.5 to 21 mm. OD diameter (depending which factory makes the lamp). The ID diameter are 16.5 to 17.7 mm. They are much different in design to T-5.
cerreta
Premium Member
horkn, I know the math involved with bulb sizes, but are you speaking from experience with the T6 or just referring to the math?
According to Sprung's book, The Reef Aquarium Vol 3, pg. 486, he claims that both the T5 and T6 bulbs have 5/8" external diameters. I suppose bulb manufactures could produce slightly different dimensions as Yu Li stated, but without seeing the bulbs in person, I am only stating from the sources available. Have you seen these bulbs?
As for finding the VHO T5, I wonder if this is truly the T6 bulb which has the OD of 5/8" and it is being called a T5. I guess the only way to really tell the diference between the T5 and T6 with the same OD is to compare bulb glass thickness (not so easy to do) and the bipin configuration.
This is a worthy quest. I will try to investigate more.
According to Sprung's book, The Reef Aquarium Vol 3, pg. 486, he claims that both the T5 and T6 bulbs have 5/8" external diameters. I suppose bulb manufactures could produce slightly different dimensions as Yu Li stated, but without seeing the bulbs in person, I am only stating from the sources available. Have you seen these bulbs?
As for finding the VHO T5, I wonder if this is truly the T6 bulb which has the OD of 5/8" and it is being called a T5. I guess the only way to really tell the diference between the T5 and T6 with the same OD is to compare bulb glass thickness (not so easy to do) and the bipin configuration.
This is a worthy quest. I will try to investigate more.
cerreta
Premium Member
BTW, I think the best all around ballast for any bulb is the IC 660.
Here is a blurb on the ballast, "IceCap VHO Ballasts provide more light, longer lamp life and greater efficiencies than any other ballast available. They can run VHO, HO & NO fluorescent lamps (T-5 through T-12) all at VHO output."
The IC 660 tends to overdrive even the NO bulbs and some can push 80 watts although listed at 40watts. I wonder if this is true of the 54watt T5HO.
You can read the T8 NO review on IC webpage for details.
www.icecapinc.com
Here is a blurb on the ballast, "IceCap VHO Ballasts provide more light, longer lamp life and greater efficiencies than any other ballast available. They can run VHO, HO & NO fluorescent lamps (T-5 through T-12) all at VHO output."
The IC 660 tends to overdrive even the NO bulbs and some can push 80 watts although listed at 40watts. I wonder if this is true of the 54watt T5HO.
You can read the T8 NO review on IC webpage for details.
www.icecapinc.com
horkn
New member
my personal belief is that tyhe workhorse is the best all around ballast. you can run pc, vho, t5, t5ho, t6, and all other fluorescent lamps off of one.
and they are cheap
as far as t5ho to t6 size, the grim reefer showed a pic of a t5ho bulb vsa t6bulb a long while ago. the t5 is smaller in diameter in comparison. is it exactly 1/8 bigger than the t5? dunno.
and they are cheap
as far as t5ho to t6 size, the grim reefer showed a pic of a t5ho bulb vsa t6bulb a long while ago. the t5 is smaller in diameter in comparison. is it exactly 1/8 bigger than the t5? dunno.
cerreta
Premium Member
hmm, things are hard to measure when you can't physically compare, huh?!
I like the Workhorse too, but did not know they could run all the bulbs. Their website does not offer all the details and support like IC, but then again, they are universal use ballasts, whereas IC is specialty. Hense, the cost too.
I like the Workhorse too, but did not know they could run all the bulbs. Their website does not offer all the details and support like IC, but then again, they are universal use ballasts, whereas IC is specialty. Hense, the cost too.
Cerreta,
T-5 has 15.7mm to 16 mm ( approx 0.6") in OD diameter
T-6 as mentioned larger OD diameter.
Both VHO lamps require special ballast to work (to work properly As the internal design of the bulb are much different from one to the other, these bulbs are vary from one manufacture to the other even if they are the same type of bulb ).
For best performance in all specialty lamps, they all require dedicated ballast to perform, it is all most like no one engine will run all models of cars and have good performance. Because they will not match by design. There for, it is best to understand which lamp for which ballast in order to get the most out of your lamps.
To properly measure the in put and out put of the given lamp. You will need a special meter to measure from the ballast out to the lamp and the an other meter to measure the internal draw of the lamp while it is ignited. because while the gas and the mercury being excited the draws will change. There you will find the true performance of the lamp (after about 10 days later).
If you are measuring the input of the ballast that will only give you what ballast is drawing not what the lamp is taking.
Have fun.
T-5 has 15.7mm to 16 mm ( approx 0.6") in OD diameter
T-6 as mentioned larger OD diameter.
Both VHO lamps require special ballast to work (to work properly As the internal design of the bulb are much different from one to the other, these bulbs are vary from one manufacture to the other even if they are the same type of bulb ).
For best performance in all specialty lamps, they all require dedicated ballast to perform, it is all most like no one engine will run all models of cars and have good performance. Because they will not match by design. There for, it is best to understand which lamp for which ballast in order to get the most out of your lamps.
To properly measure the in put and out put of the given lamp. You will need a special meter to measure from the ballast out to the lamp and the an other meter to measure the internal draw of the lamp while it is ignited. because while the gas and the mercury being excited the draws will change. There you will find the true performance of the lamp (after about 10 days later).
If you are measuring the input of the ballast that will only give you what ballast is drawing not what the lamp is taking.
Have fun.
By the way, there is heat lost on the ballast and the lamp itself as well.
There is a power factor on the ballast and a power factor on the heat lost in the lamp.
Both play a important factor on how your lamp perform. When they are not matched between the ballast and the lamp, one will have to go. in some case the ballast go other the lamp go. This play out to be in performance of shorter useful life on the lamp or may be the ballast. Here we go. With out the proper test equipment there is no way to know how the lamps are performing in you aquarium.
There is a power factor on the ballast and a power factor on the heat lost in the lamp.
Both play a important factor on how your lamp perform. When they are not matched between the ballast and the lamp, one will have to go. in some case the ballast go other the lamp go. This play out to be in performance of shorter useful life on the lamp or may be the ballast. Here we go. With out the proper test equipment there is no way to know how the lamps are performing in you aquarium.
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