T5's whats al the hype???

[jumpincactus]

I am seeing a ton of sites advertising T5 units. What is all the hype about with this lighting? what are the pro's and cons pertaining to reef tanks using the Berlin method of filtration. I thought MH was still the way to go.

Correct me if I'm wrong

 

[ChrisRD]

I'm sure you know how trendy this hobby can be - particularly the online communities. We love to flock to the "next best thing" every few months/years... :wink:

That said, if you're looking for maximum PAR and efficiency, IMO T-5s are the best of the fluorescent technologies. With fluorescent tubes, thinner means more efficient (more light for less power consumption and heat). The geometry of T-5 lamps also lends itself to some excellent reflectors which are now readily available (the key to any good lighting system). That said, they're still fluorescents, however, and comparing them to halides is really an apples to oranges comparison - both setups have their strong points but T-5s are not a replacement for halides.

I'm sure by now some hobbyists have done "comparison tests" of poor MH setups against great T-5 setups and offer this as "proof" that T-5s are "better", but the reality is, there are so many variables that effect the output of a lighting system (lamp choices, ballasts, reflectors, distance from the lamps, water clarity, etc.) that many of these "studies" are anecdotal at best and often totally off the mark.

This reminds me of the DE vs. Mogul halide thing a few years ago. DEs were relatively new in the US. The small lamp made for a nice compact setup with very efficient reflector designs. It wasn't long before someone compared a top notch 150 DE setup to some crappy 400 Mogul setup (probably with a poor lamp and/or no reflector) and we started seeing claims online that 150 watt DE setups outperform 400 watt Moguls. :roll: Anyway, I think you see where I'm going with this...

JMO, FWIW...

 

[Anonymous]

I really like them to supplement actinic with my 10K MH...

 

[wetworx101]

Well, DE halides are significantly better than SE ones for many reasons. Im not saying 150wattDE halides are going to outdo a 400wattSE, but there are several reasons.

1. higher pressure means longer life.

2. higher pressure allows the bulb to be mounted horizontally, as SE bulbs are designed for vertical orientation, and degrade faster when mounted horizontal.

3. HQI bulbs get HQI ballasts... more power right off the bat. HQI ballasts are too much for low-pressure/SE bulbs to handle, like running a car on jet fuel. The first few months are great! But soon after that, the halides burn out faster, often with less than 40% of their output left after 9-12 months. HQI bulbs were designed for pulse start/HQI ballasts, and SE bulbs are best on electronic ballasts. That said, a HQI on a HQI ballast will still outlast a SE bulb on a e-ballast... the flaw is in the bulb still.

4. SE/probe start bulbs degrade faster due to the 'spatter' involved with the starting mechanism. Pulse start bulbs dont need a 'starter' port/probe, instead energizing the whole halide contents at once with a surge of power to start. The probe start results in much the same as tube lamps with a crappy starter... the black rings of death. Probe start bulbs end up with deposits faster, not only wasting the contents of the halide, but blocking the output of whats still in the bulb.

 

[The Chefin' man]

I agree with the crappy marketing games companies play to say that their products are better than a higher rated less quality product. Trust me I deal with food, it is a horrible market for misreprsentation of products. Now for the matter at hand, I decided to go with a T-5 setup from Sunsystems, the four light setup. I went with this light system for price and word of mouth. It is so hot that it will bur! I am actually growing sps with them. It came with a LR that I had bought 2 months ago. I have a friend that also has the same system and he has clams in his tank at his store.

J.c.

 

[DaveMorris1]

Actually, SE halide lamps are design to be used horizontally. The only real differences between the SE and DE bulbs are design issues. They both put out the amount, quality, and duration that they were designed for.

 

[wetworx101]

Everything I have seen suggests SE halides are designed to be used vertically. The only exception to this would be 400wattSEs that are HQI rated, since, until a couple years ago, you could only get 400s in SE.

Sure, you can use a SE/low-pressure probe start bulb on its side, but it causes the arc to 'sag' from gravity, and this wears out the bulb faster. The only way around this is to make the bulb higher pressure... making it HQI.

If you dont believe me, ask Paul Erik... http://members.fortunecity.com/paulerik/id50.htm

 

[wetworx101]

A for the T5 'hype' well... its the first time that another bulb technology has rivaled, if not surpassed halides from the output/watt standpoint. Those who have worried about the heat concentration of halides, the draw on the electrical lines, and the hassle involved with them sometimes now have an alternative. PC and VHO were never this good. LEDs wont be for a few more years.

T5s and MH compete head to head in the output/watt game, but T5s have several other advantages to getting that light into the tank in a more useful manner (linear output, better penetration, more useful peak output at the top of the tank, can be mounted closer to the water, better bulb life) than halides, and over the long term, a lower operating cost. The ability to blend and match a wide variety of bulb colors also is attractive. You no longer have to place all your stock in one large halide bulb to give you both the color and output you desire.... you can use multiple bulbs of 3000K to 20,000K and actinic03 to get just the right look and output you desire.

Heres one test that I think sums up everything very nicely...
http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... ult&prev=/

It shows how

 

[ChrisRD]

IMO there are some good points in this thread. There are also some I would classify as theory/assumption/generalization and definitely disagree with based on my own experiences.

That said, personally, I have no interest in entering into a semantic debate about reef lighting. I would, however, like to clarify that my point was not to knock T-5s, DE halides, or any other lighting system. I was simply trying to put things in perspective for those new to the hobby that might be reading this thread.

There are plenty of folks out there that have tried T-5 lighting and have switched back to halides because they're getting better results with the latter. There have been plenty of folks who tried DE halides only to switch back to Moguls. There is no magic bullet. IMO/IME there are many successful ways to light a reef tank and most of these systems have some ups and downs. If there was one clearly superior lighting system everyone would be using it. :wink: