Which T5 should I get

[Canadian]

Myka,

Sorry if it comes across as if I'm lashing out at you. I've been reading a lot of really bad advice on this site over the last couple months (most of it coming from inexperienced hobbysists) and I've basically been biting my tongue because I didn't want to stir the pot. But I guess the misinformation finally got to me and I had to say something.

[Myka]

Maybe Grim Reefer and others have done more testing in the last little while (I admit I haven't read up on T5 lighting is some time now), but awhile back all the top brands (including Tek) were putting out very similar numbers. Definitely not 30% difference. I will go do some reading...maybe I'm behind the times.

For the record though, Tek have fancy schmancy fans too.

[VFX]

I guess fancy schmancy fans and superior ballasts would increase bulb life as well as PAR?

.

[lastlight]

I just fired up my 12 bulb Sfiligoi Stealth for the first time. When I turned it off my wife thought it was 10pm at night! I've never owned a T5 fixture but trust me these are bright ones! There are 6 fans blowing on the label ends of the tubes and a glass shield to channel the hot air out the other end. I'd say this is going to def help keep the bulbs burning at their best if they do in fact have a target temp range.

The best part is I can look up at the bulbs and it's not even close to blinding. The light is totally blasted DOWN. Already a T5 fan.

[i have crabs]

Originally Posted by lastlight

I just fired up my 12 bulb Sfiligoi Stealth for the first time. When I turned it off my wife thought it was 10pm at night! I've never owned a T5 fixture but trust me these are bright ones! There are 6 fans blowing on the label ends of the tubes and a glass shield to channel the hot air out the other end. I'd say this is going to def help keep the bulbs burning at their best if they do in fact have a target temp range.

The best part is I can look up at the bulbs and it's not even close to blinding. The light is totally blasted DOWN. Already a T5 fan.

im gonna have to track you down for some par readings one day. along with some others i still havnt done yet.

[lastlight]

I'm down with that for sure.

[mike31154]

Originally Posted by i have crabs

not completly true. going with a 4 bulb t5 id probably agree, 6-8 bulb fixtures have really good par. i have a par meter and have tested lots of lights and my 8 bulb tek fixture puts out better power at 27"down that most 250w halides ive tested by quite alot.

since your tank is 36" and only 21" high id say the a 6 bulb in either the tek or compact usa would allow you to keep almost anything you want, some sps probably would need to be in the upper 12" but most would be fine id think. a 4 bulb might not cut it for sps but lps and softies would be no problem.


im quite shure the compact usa lights with 4 and 6 bulbs have individual reflectors while the 8 bulb and the glo lights have 1 large relfector. you definatly want individual reflectors, imo the glo lights are junk as far as power goes thier cheep so people buy them and will defend them to the grave. i didnt even keep the 2 bulb glo light i bought on my qt tank made me crazy everytime id look at the tank
the 8 bulb compact usa with 1 reflector tested about 40% less power than my tek light with the same bulbs just for a comparison on how much reflectors matter

Yep, I'm inexperienced compared to many of the members of this board, that's why I generally offer advice only on what I've experienced so far and do my best not to regurgitate things I've read elsewhere. I have a 36" Hagen Glo T5HO fixture which I purchased when I first set up my used tank. Yes I'm cheap but it worked for me initially even if it didn't completely cover my 48" long tank. A mushroom and zoa both started growing on their own a few months after I started the tank, I did not add them, they appeared on the Live Rock on their own under the cheapo Glo. I'm currently not keeping any SPS corals, but now have a large colony of zoas and a hammer coral. I've since 'upgraded' to a 4x48" T5HO retrofit kit with individual reflectors run by two Fulham Workhorse 8 ballasts. Nothing fancy but it works for me. I still use the Glo fixture with actinics for dawn/dusk effect and am quite happy with it's performance. Did have an issue with one of the endcaps but it works fine. I would not "defend them to the grave" and I think I was quite candid in my original post in stating that the Glo fixture is "not bad". I was simply trying to provide the OP with an alternative to what he was looking at. I do not consider them as 'junk' either though. We don't all have the budget for the actively cooled high end fixtures with all the bells and whistles. Personally if I was going to go to that expense, I'd probably just fire up the used tar and coil MH goodies I have gathering dust in the basement. Not ready for SPS yet, so I'm quite content with my current set up.

[Canadian]

FWIW,

I think getting a T5 fixture without active cooling and quality individual parabolic reflectors is tantamount to using MH with flat piece of polished aluminum as a reflector. The type of lighting (T5 or MH) isn't so much important as is the quality of the reflector (and in the case of T5s of equal importance is active cooling).

If a consumer can't afford to get some of the most simple and necessary components (active cooling and good reflectors) then they would be far better served operating MH. And I'll state it again: MH is still typically the best simple option for lighting a reef tank. T5 has been proven to work superbly if appropriately implemented but doing it half-a$$ed will almost certainly lead to disappointment.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by i have crabs

not completly true. going with a 4 bulb t5 id probably agree, 6-8 bulb fixtures have really good par. i have a par meter and have tested lots of lights and my 8 bulb tek fixture puts out better power at 27"down that most 250w halides ive tested by quite alot.

You're comparing grapes to raisins. 8 bulbs x how many watts? 54w? That is 432 w (quick math I hope that's right haha). You can't compare 432w of T5 to 250w of halide! That's not a fair comparison. PLUS, you have to use the same Kelvin bulbs in order for it to be accurate. According to Steve (Stir Crazy) actinic bulbs put out a false high PAR reading as well, so if you have actinics in your 8 bulb fixture you're not getting an accurate reading.

In order to compare T5 to MH you need to make sure all the variables are equal...this is where a lot of people fail, and come up with misleading numbers which they now think is the be all end all.

[mike31154]

Originally Posted by Canadian

FWIW,

I think getting a T5 fixture without active cooling and quality individual parabolic reflectors is tantamount to using MH with flat piece of polished aluminum as a reflector. The type of lighting (T5 or MH) isn't so much important as is the quality of the reflector (and in the case of T5s of equal importance is active cooling).

If a consumer can't afford to get some of the most simple and necessary components (active cooling and good reflectors) then they would be far better served operating MH. And I'll state it again: MH is still typically the best simple option for lighting a reef tank. T5 has been proven to work superbly if appropriately implemented but doing it half-a$$ed will almost certainly lead to disappointment.

Well, I spent all my scheckels on a VorTech pump for flow and am hoping to get another. The livestock I have is doing just fine under my half-a$$ed T5 setup so I'll just have to live with it for now.