Quote Originally Posted by bstreep
Here's from Drs. Foster/Smith:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/ar...87&aid=350

T5s 16-24 months. Of course, this also says that CFs will last a year or more!
Bill,

IME, HO T5 bulbs last about 8-10 months. That's it. And they just burn-out (ie no more light) when they are done. That is not a totally bad thing that they burn-out as it is easy to know when its time to replace them. Just have new bulbs ready to go. I think the 16-24 months is marketing hype. IME, PCs effectively have the same lifespan of around 8 months except PCs continue to provide some light after 8 months. That is, PCs do not just burn-out like the T5s do but after 8-10 months the light output is greatly diminished.

BTW: URI recently came out with T5 bulbs and I just installed some HO Bulbs in my NO fixtures on my cichlid tank. Only time will tell how long they will last. I will report back in 8-24 months I guess??? Oh and the URI Actinic T5 bulb appears to be a "Real-03" actinic bulb too!.