benefits of t-5's over vho, and pc

[watson0720]

i am two pc's right now on my tank and want to know the benefits of t-5's over pc's and vho. what is everybody else using, i have no room over my tank for feeding and such and need to go to a better light setup. any advise? what is everybody else using and why????

[Ross]

I prefer metal halides because they are so much more intense than other types of lighting, they are better for growth, the penetrate deeper, and they bring out the colors better in your corals. The benefit of T-5 over pc is that they bulbs are cheaper and they last longer. They are also smaller so you can squeeze more watts in a smaller amount of space.

[don-n-sa]

IMO, and I have had both. T-5's are far superior than PC's, especially if you have good reflectors. I have also seen some T-5 set ups that rival Halides. As for VHO's , T-5's are much smaller and the bulbs last longer.

[jc]

I used to use pc and switched to HO t5's. The t5's are much brighter. I've read some data that suggest you get almost as much PAR as Halides.

[Richard]

I've always thought URI VHO's were better in terms of spectrum but now URI is making t5's that are supposed to have identical spectrums to the vho counterpart. So that may not be an issue anymore.

T5's will certainly give you more bang for your buck than pc's.

Halides, even if the PAR is equal, will give you the "glitter" effect which most people really like from the aesthetics point of view. Heat and electricity costs would be the biggest downside to halides.

[cpreefguy]

I can see T5s being the future of reef lighting. Theyre just so effiecient!
Personally, I really look like the look of a halide and its tried and true, so Im running one right now. Ill probably always run a halide, but when I upgrade (whenever that may be) Ill probably try to pack a bunch of T5s on the tank too.

[alton]

I love the URI T5HO 50/50 same look as the VHO. The down fall of the CF is they are made in China(less quality) and they cost more. URI made in USA (cost less).

[MikeP]

I love the look of VHO actinics but they have a relatively short lifespan - a 75 gallon soft coral tank with 1 10k, 1 50/50 and 2 VHO actinics is gorgeous (what I used to run on my old 75g years ago). I like T5s assuming the bulb life is as stated 1year +. Currently I spend close to 400 bucks a year replacing my DE 250 watt bulbs x 4.

[Brett Wilson]

MikeP, Haven't seen you around in a while, how are things?
Just running a little 30g cube sps tank myself these days.


Oh, and to stay on topic, T5's are pretty cool. I love my halide, would love to add some actinic, maybe from a t5 one day.