Who use/know T5-light

[Siegfried]

Hello - I live in Germany, and I would like to know your experiences with T5. Sory, my English should be much better, but anyway - I think the main-thing is our hobby: reef-aquariums(tanks) and we should try to exchange our knowledge. So please: excuse all errors, and maybe you can smile sometimes - but give me some answers about your experience with T5. 6 months ago I change my lightning to this kind and I'm very satisfied. Thanks: Siegfried

[ASH]

From IceCap:
We've been doing some lamp life testing on 4 X 54-watt HO lamps run on our Model 660 VHO ballast. So far it seems we can safely overdrive them at 75-85 watts per lamp and get incredible output and very little lamp depreciation. So far I feel comfortable saying you can get a year or more of intense light output from them.
Andy

[bartstar]

I'm in commercial lighting and we're starting to use 54-watt T5 HO lamps to replace 400-watt standard metal halide. I installed one 54-watt T5 lamp in my hood and it's fantasic. However, there is not much choice in lamp color temp -- 3500 and 4100 K.

I think the T5's can be an alternative to metal halide (more energy efficient, less lumen depreciation, rapid start, cooler running, small light ballasts, etc)
once there are more choices in lamp kelvin temperature.

[Reefland]

Welcome to Reefland!

I'm no lighting expert but I do have a hard time chewing on the fact that a 54w NO lamp can be just as effective for coral growth as a 400w MH.

Thanks for any information you can provide,
Scott Z.

[veng68]

In Europe, Philips makes a 54 watt 6500K T5 HO bulb:

Philips T-5

And they are selling 'blue' actinic type T-5's for the aquariums trade in Europe:

D & D Aquarium Solutions


I guess it will be a matter of time before they make 10000K bulbs & they bring them here to North America (if they are all that they are cracked up to be).

Cheers,
Veng68

[Siegfried]

This week I visited a friend who uses T5-light too. His tank is 2,00Meters X 0,90 Meters and has a high of 0,70 Meters. His tank is lightened with "Riff-Light" - brandnew on the German market. I think, you should know and see about, so I take some photos. See also on:
www.riff.light.de for further details.

[Siegfried]

Sorry - the link is: www.riff-light.de

[bartstar]

I apologize.

In commercial lighting we use 4 -54-watt T5 HO lamps with a specular reflector to replace 400-watt "standard" metal halide fixtues. Standard metal halide has huge lamp lumen depreciation (up to 40%) and poor color rendering index (again, I'm talking about standard commercial metal halide). The 4-54 watt T5 HO fixtures consume 235 watts vs. 460 watts for standard MH and produce significantly less heat.

I think it's just a matter of time before T5 HO is competive with MH in the lighting hood market.

BTW: distirbutor price for a 2 lamp 54-watt T5 HO electronic ballasts is under $25! 54-watt T5 HO lamps are under $10!

I think there is a lot or markup in the tropical fish industry.

Bartstar