Fluorescent T5 Lighting Fixtures

What does T5 Lighting mean?
The “T’ in T5 lighting basically stands for the lamp tubular shape.  The “5” stands for the 5/8 diameter of the tube that houses the fluorescent light.  T5 light bulbs are smaller more compact versions of the standard fluorescent light bulbs you may have seen before.

Are T5 lights better than standard fluorescent lights?
Manufacturers of T5 light bulbs and T5 light fixtures claim that T5 bulbs are approximately three to four times more effective than regular fluorescent light bulbs of the same wattage.  This means you can use less light tubes in the hood of your tank but still you are getting the same or more light than with regular fluorescent bulbs.

Is the light produced by T5 lights any different from other lights?
T5 light bulbs produce a flat light similar to that of a regular fluorescent bulb but not as sharp or direct as that of a metal halide.  Many saltwater aquarium enthusiasts prefer the sharper light of metal halides because it gives off a more natural rippling effect in the water.  This is something you could do without since T5 lights are estimated to last a minimum of 15,000 hours or about 1250 days if operated for 12 hours per day.  That is almost double the life of most other aquarium lights.

Are T5 lights safe for corals and aquatic plants?
Although experts say that the T5 lights are definitely not as bright, they seem to work just as well.  Corals and aquatic plants seem to have no problem thriving under T5 lights.  If you have a deep tank it is recommended that you do not use T5 light bulbs because the illumination will probably not reach the bottom of your reef tank.

What are some advantages to using T5 light bulbs versus metal halides?
T5 light fixtures get warm after prolonged use but manufactures claim that the heat is not radiant which means they are not likely to overheat your tank like metal halides tend to do.  You won’t see much of a cash savings if you switch from metal halides to T5 lights but on the other hand if you switch from regular fluorescents to T5 bulbs you should see a more substantial savings.

T5 technology is fairly new, but from what experts have seen so far there is no bad effect to using T5 lighting fixtures in your aquariums.

Related posts:

1. How to Setup a Saltwater Aquarium Using T5 Lighting
2. T5 Lights – Answers to Common Conversion Questions
3. T5 Aquarium Lighting for Corals
4. What is Fluorescent T5 Lighting?
5. T5 Light Bulbs

Tags: T5 aquarium light bulbs, T5 aquarium light fixture, T5 aquarium light systems, T5 aquarium lighting, T5 aquarium lighting system, T5 HO aquarium lighting, T5 light fixtures, T5 lighting fixtures for aquariums

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