T5 Power Compact
- Thread starter mirkus
- Start date
Having used PC for the last couple year I've always been satisfyed. Now that I have a realtionship with CoralVue I try alot of their stuff.
I can personally say that T5 lighting is miles ahead of PCs in color. They bring out the best colors in my reef.
I tried to take some photos to show you but my camera sucks!! Only 1.3 MP. I'll borrow one and snap some better photos for you.
I can personally say that T5 lighting is miles ahead of PCs in color. They bring out the best colors in my reef.
I tried to take some photos to show you but my camera sucks!! Only 1.3 MP. I'll borrow one and snap some better photos for you.
It's coming.. Quickly now, too. Hagen has got HO T5 bulbs already in their catalog since last year (unannounced), and when I noticed and ordered one for myself on a whim the invoice came back nil but an April 29 availability date. I spoke to my rep and he said it's all changing over to T5 in the next little while - it will complement their strong "euro-theme" on their tank kits.
I also saw Coralife T5 fixtures in another store the other day! They are as small as 24" and go up to 36" (from what they had in stock), with single and double fixtures. They're very small profile.
I also saw Coralife T5 fixtures in another store the other day! They are as small as 24" and go up to 36" (from what they had in stock), with single and double fixtures. They're very small profile.
I've heard much the same things as burnah - there are several cheap Chinese made T5s and spectrally they can't light a candle to the German stuff. I only have the Chinese ones atm. 
They're still very bright and I prefer them over anything atm.
T5 COULD interchange with PC since the ballasts are largely compatible, but the fittings are completely different. Take a look at a fluorescent overhead light in your garage or an office - it's that kind of fitting, albeit a little smaller (the pins are closer together). By the time you retrofit your wiring and endcaps, might as well just get a new ballast anyways. Workhorse ballasts are cheap and can power up to 4 bulbs each.
They're still very bright and I prefer them over anything atm.T5 COULD interchange with PC since the ballasts are largely compatible, but the fittings are completely different. Take a look at a fluorescent overhead light in your garage or an office - it's that kind of fitting, albeit a little smaller (the pins are closer together). By the time you retrofit your wiring and endcaps, might as well just get a new ballast anyways. Workhorse ballasts are cheap and can power up to 4 bulbs each.
Hi Thien, sorry I didn't see your reply sooner..
The Hagen T5s are still backordered, but they recently changed their invoicing system so they don't announce release dates on the invoices anymore.. I talked to my rep and he said he'd have to ask up the ladder to find out what the status is.
To the best of my knowledge they will be made in Japan like their other Glo bulbs. I'm pretty optimistic about the quality, but anything will beat these cheap Chinese bulbs I'm running now.
The Hagen bulbs will only be HO in the Marine Glo (actinic), Power Glo (they call it 18000K, a lab analysis of a T8 Power Glo came back with something like 9000K), and Life Glo (6700K). They list 24", 36", and 48" tubes.
We got the Coralife strips at our store, too. They go from 24" to 48" and the double strips have a 10,000K and an Actinic 03 bulb in 'em. Downside is that the bulbs are NO. The light output is still pretty nice on them.
The Hagen T5s are still backordered, but they recently changed their invoicing system so they don't announce release dates on the invoices anymore.. I talked to my rep and he said he'd have to ask up the ladder to find out what the status is.
To the best of my knowledge they will be made in Japan like their other Glo bulbs. I'm pretty optimistic about the quality, but anything will beat these cheap Chinese bulbs I'm running now.
The Hagen bulbs will only be HO in the Marine Glo (actinic), Power Glo (they call it 18000K, a lab analysis of a T8 Power Glo came back with something like 9000K), and Life Glo (6700K). They list 24", 36", and 48" tubes.
We got the Coralife strips at our store, too. They go from 24" to 48" and the double strips have a 10,000K and an Actinic 03 bulb in 'em. Downside is that the bulbs are NO.
The light output is still pretty nice on them.Sponsor Reefs
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