Power Compact vs T-5

[Joeballz]

What is the real difference and which is better for a reef setup? I seem to get mixed answers. Most people seem to lean towards t-5 for reef but than my local fish store who is very knowledgeable said they run power compacts and they work fine. also is power compact and compact flourescent the same? i will only be doing soft corals.

 

[Dre]

I'v heard a lot about the t5's my self but don't underestimate power compacts you can keep almost anything with the right amount.You get better color from T5's because you have more bulb colors and output to choose from.PC now come in 130 watts.

 

[alfani]

never get PC, T5 goes deeper than PC. you'll be better off with T5 in the long run

 

[nycoralguy]

Stick w/ T5, much better, longer lasting bulbs. You are suppose to change the bulbs every 6-9 month on the PC, bulbs for PC are expensive.

 

[CarlosReef]

I think for soft corals they are both fine. I have both, T5s and power compacts (PC) and they both do their job.
The difference is the T5 run cooler and last longer. 4 PC lamps run much hotter than 4 T5s (although you have a few Watt less in the T5s but I don't think makes much difference). You have to replace PC every 6-8 months but T5s last at least twice that much. I have T5s running for 2 years now and the corals are doing great.

I hope this helps.

 

[TheSherm]

I had the same decision last year and went with PC's basically because the unit would be cheaper, thinking i would be just starting out and only keeping soft coral. But like everyone else, i now want what i cant have which is a farm of sps and lps. I have tried a couple pieces of lps, even up high in the tank, but the 65w PC's really arent strong enough. My buddy has T5's and keeps all kinds of coral in his tank beautifully. I would go with T5's now if i had the decision to make again.

 

[nsiegel5]

The answer is simply T5's. Buying PC's is like buying last years computer technology, yea maybe you can get by for a little while but eventually youre just gonna have to upgrade.
The second real reason is HEAT, pc's produce a whole lot more and thats not good. Lastly a quality T5 light produces a lot better quality light for your tank. Ive used both and the quality just doesnt compare.

 

[HanKami]

I have power compacts on my 60 gallon system. i've been doing fine, corals tend to color up fast and grow well in my system. does anyone know the par depth for pc vs t5's. i would love to see the differance.

 

[Dre]

You guys must be joking.Pc's might be old tec.but they still kick ass.I have two 96 watt pc's in opperation for over two years and 65 watts to my surprise .I can not tell anyone what to buy but i have the results in my album to prove what pc's can do.

 

[CrashGibson]

I have been a PC user for 2+ year, and I am also taking that leap to switch over to T-5's. Though PC have treated me well, I have seen enough tanks under T-5's that show the growth and color that I am looking for, that Im willing to take the leap. Not to mention the long term cost of bulbs and reduction in heat. From reasearch and word of mouth you should ONLY get t-5's with INDIVIDUAL reflectors. Otherwise the change may not be that great. Keeping my old fixture just in case I want to switch back later. Or maybe turn it into a DIY LED project. We will see. Good luck with your choice.