How often should you change your bulbs?
 

I have a power compact and I have heard that you should change your bulbs once a year as the color spectrum changes. Is this true?

I change mine every six months. MH bulbs, I let go for a year.

PC - 6 months
T5 - 8 to 12 months
MH - 12 months

Yes, the reason is because of the changes in spectrum. :)

Could the changes of spectrum result in the growth of algae?

Actually Mika from the research i have done T-5 bulbs can go for about 2 years....

reply
 

You bet it can. As bulbs get older the color temperature can lower to levels more favorable to grow algea. Its hard to tell if the spectrum has chaned because it is such gradual thing, but a side by side comparison of a new bulb and an old bulb will reveal the difference.

:biggrin:

Our T5 bulbs had to be replaced after 8 months, we noticed our corals started to shrink and look bad, after we replaced the bulbs all our corals went back to normal.

so then all in all the only difference between T-5's and metal halide is the tempurature....Why do people bother going with T-5's then if MH last longer and are cheaper!!

wattage?

Depends on the quality of the bulb. My G-man bulbs last at least 1 year.

T-5 bulbs cost in the range of $25-$35 per bulb whereas as good quality MHs run about anywhere from $80-$100. Over a 4' foot tank requiring 2 MH bulbs or anywhere from 4-8 t-5 bulbs, the cost of bulb replacement is roughly the same.

T-5s systems use less wattage overall that equivalent MHs systems and the results is less heat.