T5s -Question for Alexander

[jorsan]

Hi,
I've been reading a lot about the T5s flourescents and looks like they are very popular in germany, even there are people that are saying that they are replacing the MHs in their tanks. Could you elaborate more about this and what are your impressions about this lighting system if you have the opportunity to see some of this tanks? maybe there are lots of threads in german forums that debate this.
Thanks for your comments

[G.Alexander]

Jorsan, to be honest, I have no experience with only T5 lighting. All the tanks I have personally seen only use them as a HQI addition.

I know this is not very helpful. My opinion is HQI are the better choice for Acropora corals. Pocilopora, Stylophora and Seriotopora corals also show good coloration under just T5.

The tubes have to be replaced every 6 – 12 month so the most benefit to T5`s is IMO the lower heat.

G.Alexander

[jorsan]

Thanks Alexander.

[Dejan]

My opinion is HQI are the better choice for Acropora corals. Pocilopora, Stylophora and Seriotopora corals also show good coloration under just T5.

Still there were few excellent tanks lighting only by T5 lights. One of them was also tanks of the month on ReefCental.. danano tank
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...totm/index.php

The tubes have to be replaced every 6 – 12 month so the most benefit to T5`s is IMO the lower heat.

I am using only T5 lighting for about 3 weeks. Before I use 2x 250W 16.000K and 2x 39W T8 tubes, now I am using 6xT5 80W and 2x T5 54W tubes in combination with excellent PRO Line T5 reflectors produced by Reflekta.

In my opinion T5 combination (white/blue 40%/60%) tubes gives me much more light everywhere in tank. Species which need lot of light now could grow everywhere. With HQI version (in my tank) there were enough light only directly below HQI bulb.(in my case with my equipment and measurments of light)

Still I was surprised about heating. As I lower T5 reflector down to surface at about 9cm (from tube to water surface) temperature grow rapidly to 29 degrees and I had to use same ventilators (to lower temperature of water to 26-27 degrees C) as I use on HQI version.

In my opinion replacing of T5 tubes should be on 12-18 months as T5 tubes
do not shift light spectrum as HQI and T5 light lost in one year is reduced only (approx) 10%. On HQI in one year more than 15%.

I had a graph showing this by I can not found it...!

[majesticangelfish]

In my opinion replacing of T5 tubes should be on 12-18 months as T5 tubes
do not shift light spectrum as HQI and T5 light lost in one year is reduced only (approx) 10%.

I agree

[G.Alexander]

I agree

But this depends to the T5 brand. I have to replace my T5 Blue every 6 - 8 month. I would rate the lost in light around 30 % in this time range.

G.Alexander

[cookie extreme]

Stylophora

agree with all the other SPS that halides are best but not neccessarly with stylophora as i bleached mine very well under m/h (most books will say they need lots of light). they are now away from the m/h under an overhang illuminated with just tubes and halide reflection, have regained the purple pink colouration and show nice P/E as well. one of my main reasons to have m/h is, that it just looks more natural and less like a morgue!

[Dejan]

But this depends to the T5 brand. I have to replace my T5 Blue every 6 - 8 month. I would rate the lost in light around 30 % in this time range.

As I mentioned I have a link about total light loss of T5 tubes..
If this is correct Alexander replace his tubes in first quadrant of graph when he uses tubes from 2200-3000H(12h/day)his tubes.

Here is a pic:


This picture is from site at: (it is in German Language)
http://www.hereinspaziert.com/Lampen/Leuchtstoff.htm

As page is in German language I can't say for which type of T5 tube is this graph..
If I understand writer of this article he reccomend tube change when light intensity reaches 80% od new tube. This takes 3 ½ to 4 ½ Years??

Maybe Alexander could translate article and say us more...

[G.Alexander]

The graphic shows different tube types and how much luminance they loose over the different time periods. The analysed tubes are not named by type, but they graph was published by Philips.

It is the authors opinion that a T5 tube will never loose more than 1/5 of their luminance so he is telling those tubes have only to be changed when they stop working if they are run by electronic ballast.

For the T5 he names a changing interval of 3.5 – 4.5 years (full spectrum tubes). He also added the coloured tubes like blue, actinic etc. will loose their luminance much faster and he would recommend to change them after 5000 – 8000 hours.

G.Alexander

[G.Alexander]

To me this looks a little bit curios, but this is what ATI also told when they first introduced the T5 tubes for reef tanks. After getting some experience with the tubes they revised those data.

Interesting article Dejan, thanks for sharing.

G.Alexander

[Dejan]

To me this looks a little bit curios, but this is what ATI also told when they first introduced the T5 tubes for reef tanks. After getting some experience with the tubes they revised those data.

Interesting article Dejan, thanks for sharing.

G.Alexander

Interesting!

As most of European marine aquarists uses ATI and Osram blue tubes.. Do you have link to those articles form ATI?
And revised data of course...

Thanks!

[G.Alexander]

Dejan, there was a big discussion years ago on the German boards. As the T5 tubes came out the advertisings told, they have to be replaced only every 5 years. After the fist hobbyists, also the company selling the tubes to the consumer, had more experiences with those type of light, this was revised, because the results (colouration of the corals) showed they have to be changed in a much shorter interval. They have trusted in the manufacturers data, but this specifications only refer to the complete lifetime, if the tube is generally used as a standard tube in a house for example.

You can find the discussion at www.meerwasserforum.com some years back.

There is another online article, but the last notes to this test where made 12 month after the beginning, so it does not really tell how long the tubes can be used before corals shift their colour:

http://www.korallenriff.de/leuchtstofflampen.html

Selbst wenn die Röhren anstatt der Herstellerangaben (5 Jahre) nur 2,5 Jahre verwendbar wären…

Even if the tubes were only 2.5 years usable instead of the manufacturer data (5 years) …

G.Alexander