when to change PC?

[xeondavis]

How often should I change my PC bulbs? I have 2 SmartLite Retrofits with 55w SmartLamps (22") and they're about 1-year old.

Can I use the 65w bulbs? I've been doing some searching online and they have 65w bulb for the same length.

thanks
-a

[Reefland]

Welcome to Reefland!

I think it is a good rule of thumb to change out PC's and VHO's between the 12 and 18 month marks or if there is a noticable shift in color (would be very hard to determine sense we look at them everyday).

As far as running 65w bulbs on a 55w ballast, I wouldn't; heck I don't even know if the bulbs would power up.

Regards,
Scott Z.

[Ninong]

How often should I change my PC bulbs? I have 2 SmartLite Retrofits with 55w SmartLamps (22") and they're about 1-year old.

Can I use the 65w bulbs? I've been doing some searching online and they have 65w bulb for the same length.

thanks
-a

Hi xeondavis, welcome to Reefland!

Check out my response in this thread from just two years ago: This is not right!! That will give you some interesting background information.

The only difference between a CSL 55w PC fluorescent lamp and a CSL 65w PC fluorescent lamp is that the 65w is supposed to have "heftier filaments" and is made in China. The 55w was made by Panasonic in Japan, their former supplier. So yes, it is OK to use the 65w lamps in your 55w fixture. I don't know if it would be a good idea to run 55w lamps with a newer 65w ballast. Maybe someone else knows the answer to that one, but I don't believe I would try it unless CSL says it is OK, but I can't see any reason why you can't stick the newer 65w lamps in a fixture with the old style 55w ballasts.

As far as your question about when to change PC fluorescent lamps is concerned, you need to change them when they have lost intensity and/or shifted spectrum to the point that you are not satisfied with their performance. If you had a lux meter, you could measure their intensity and compare it to their intensity when they were new and base your decision on that. I'm sure that there aren't any hobbyists equipped to run a spectral analysis to measure shift. Most people change their PC lamps about every 18-24 months but there are always exceptions, that's just a general ballpark average.

[MasterBlaster]

Through trial and error, I have discovered that after ten months my corals begin to appear unhappy.

So thats it. I change my PC's every ten months.

[Elmo18]

How often should I change my PC bulbs? I have 2 SmartLite Retrofits with 55w SmartLamps (22") and they're about 1-year old.

Can I use the 65w bulbs? I've been doing some searching online and they have 65w bulb for the same length.

thanks
-a

A good thing to remember is that the PC bulbs are 55W/65W nowadays, and I believe it is the ballast that determines this.

- Elmo

[reefcam]

I've heard many different dates and all have worked for various reefers, but IME, my schedule goes as:

MH 1 year
VHO 1 year
PC 9 months (but I'm swapping all out)
T5 2 years (but thsi is new)

Jim