I have 3 fixtures im gonna use for my VIP as general overhead lighting.

its 5 bulbs in total of T8 tubes.

is it worth u upgrading to a 4 T5 format?

if so why?

if not why?

is T5 less wattage more brightness or something special?

I want a combination of something that will bring out reds and be bright.

currently i have 3 aqua glos and 2 power glos for my RTG.

I would probably look into a similar format with my VIP

opinions would be appreciated

Its like comparing a normal incandescent light bulb to an energy saver, alot brighter. In saying that I have only used a T5 HO and a few standard T8's

If you look at my avatar, thats powered by a Twin tube T5HO fitting, I have a single tube T8 that I timed to come on 30Mins before and after the T5 fitting because it is ALOT dimmer

actually

better yet

what ist he fundemental diff between power glo T5 and T8s?

and aqua glo?

does the Marine blue bulb for T5 put out more UV?

what is the difference

thanks in advance

who ever is a light guru, looking forward to hearing from ya :thup:

T5 is more intense, more light is produced. Thats the main difference (forget the number 5 and 8, that only stands for the size of the tube)

T5's have more watts for the same length of tube (typically about 20-25% more) and are more efficient so each of those watts give off more light and creates less heat. T5's also usually have electronic ballasts, a lot of T8's still have magnetic ballast's so the gear that makes the lights go wastes less power.

They are also smaller so on marine or high tech planted tanks you can fit more lights in that same space.

oh ok

so generally its more light produced for the size of bulbs, but also more power used on T5s

T5 fittings are 280 each for a twin bulb, i would need at least 2x twin fittings.

thats 500!

You can get them cheaper than that. Also how big is the tank? You don't need as many T5's as you would T8's

i wanted 4 T5 bulbs in total, thats all i need

how much should i expect to pay

brand,

who do i get it from?

I only use the GLO ones that cost about that + tubes - Available from pretty much any pet / fish store. The quality of the product is definitely worth the price.

Depends on what length you want but the T5HO ones are relatively cheap on trademe..

I only use the GLO ones that cost about that + tubes - Available from pretty much any pet / fish store. The quality of the product is definitely worth the price.

i can defenitly rcommend the glo T5ho units , they are defintly brighter, also i think some of the hydroponics stores have them(not the glo brand i think) but i heard that you can pick up a twin T5 4ft unit for $150 (or if you lucky like me find some cheap secound had glo :happy2: 200 for both twin 4ft )

Full units are about $240 for the Hagen GLO brand, or if into DIY they sell the Ballasts/caps for almost half the price (just need a refelctor and your good to go).

There are the cheap brands out there to but I've never had one so I don't know if they would be any good

im not a DIY kinda guy

rather something is plug and play:D

what plant or hydroponic shops sell them

switched on gardener has shut hasnt it? looks like budzilla pushed too many buds

switched on gardener has shut hasnt it? looks like budzilla pushed too many buds

Not unless it was really recent, their website is still up and running and still listing 15 shops, except they do say the Chch CBD shop is closed until they open the CBD.

They reopened on one condition from the police, that they take down peoples names and addresses when selling certain equipment :sml1:

I don't even think they're required to do that now, AFAIK all shops are open and its business as usual (but without the dodgy staff who broke the law and the companies rules)...

Didn't think it was worth starting a new thread so I might as well ask here,

I'm undecided on what I should get for my tank *200L 90D 60H*, I've got 2 options - Buy two 150W metal halide fittings or buy another 4 foot T5HO twin tube fitting, Would two MH's be enough to cover the lenght of the tank and the huge depth?

I like the idea of having a bluish colour and a "shimmer" in the water but If the 2 MH's can't cover the required distance I'll have to stick with T5's....

Didn't think it was worth starting a new thread so I might as well ask here,

I'm undecided on what I should get for my tank *200L 90D 60H*, I've got 2 options - Buy two 150W metal halide fittings or buy another 4 foot T5HO twin tube fitting, Would two MH's be enough to cover the lenght of the tank and the huge depth?

I like the idea of having a bluish colour and a "shimmer" in the water but If the 2 MH's can't cover the required distance I'll have to stick with T5's....

The general rule of thumb is one MH per 2 feet. Of course the exact light spread depends on reflectors and positioning. Three would probably do the job well. Two should be fine, I doubt any dimmer areas towards the edges of the focus area will be too obvious.

Also, you can get a bluish color with T5s if that's what you want. Get actinic tubes or higher color temp ones. Just like MHs, it's all about bulb selection.

The general rule of thumb is one MH per 2 feet. Of course the exact light spread depends on reflectors and positioning. Three would probably do the job well. Two should be fine, I doubt any dimmer areas towards the edges of the focus area will be too obvious.

Also, you can get a bluish color with T5s if that's what you want. Get actinic tubes or higher color temp ones. Just like MHs, it's all about bulb selection.

It also depends on what you plan on having in the tank, most of the MH rules are based on marine tanks. Fresh water bulbs are brighter (because they are lower kelvin), and the light requirements don't tend to be as high. So you can put the bulbs a lot higher giving far better coverage.