T-5 verses VHO
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A couple large advantages that I can think of off the top of my head are as follows....
1. T5s are much smaller bulbs so you can fit more bulbs into the same amount of space, giving you more wattage.
2. Each bulb has an individual reflector, in most T5 units, which reflects more of the light DOWN into the tank. Most VHO units or VHO retros have a single reflector which isn't near as efficient. There are T5 units that don't have individual reflectors though...stay away from those.
I've been doing some research into T5s as I'm planning on getting a 48" 6 bulb unit for the 75 I'm setting up. I've been quite impressed by everything I've read about them. In some of the reading I've been doing, it's shown that they put out more PAR and Lumins than MH lighting....although without the PUSH to get it down deep...lol.
1. T5s are much smaller bulbs so you can fit more bulbs into the same amount of space, giving you more wattage.
2. Each bulb has an individual reflector, in most T5 units, which reflects more of the light DOWN into the tank. Most VHO units or VHO retros have a single reflector which isn't near as efficient. There are T5 units that don't have individual reflectors though...stay away from those.
I've been doing some research into T5s as I'm planning on getting a 48" 6 bulb unit for the 75 I'm setting up. I've been quite impressed by everything I've read about them. In some of the reading I've been doing, it's shown that they put out more PAR and Lumins than MH lighting....although without the PUSH to get it down deep...lol.
Scooterman
Well-known member
As few things to consider, the VHO's have built in reflectors, thus having to buy an external one will cost more, also they both use reflected light to direct most of it into the tank when set-up properly. No way a single T5 or H.O. T5 will ever match the PAR of a MH, it takes about 8 to one depending on what your comparing them two. Also the Mh is a point light source, florescent tubes aren't the spread the light across the entire length so at any given point no way they can punch as deep as a point source but the spread is very nice to have. Also you have to keep them very close to the water surface to get all that PAR into the depts, they will require more cleaning.
Also consider it your wanting to grow sps & keep them all at Dept's you will have to swap out lamps on a regular basis, it can cost more in the long run because of the ser charges of long lamps depending on the size. Nothing wrong with either vho or t5 the t5 is like the new & improved vho's but both work very well.
Actually, depending on which T5 unit you buy, they have built in individual reflectors and you don't have to add individual reflectors. The Tek5 unit is one example. Probably the best T5 out there.
Returnofsid-
Scooter is talking about the URI brand VHO's. They have actual mirror plating over half of the bulb in an effort to reflect it back. From what I have read though(although I dont have a link off hand) the built in reflectors on the bulbs arent nearly as effective as the individual reflectors, but certainly better then a bulb without individual refelctors.
Scooter is talking about the URI brand VHO's. They have actual mirror plating over half of the bulb in an effort to reflect it back. From what I have read though(although I dont have a link off hand) the built in reflectors on the bulbs arent nearly as effective as the individual reflectors, but certainly better then a bulb without individual refelctors.
Scooterman
Well-known member
For T5 Data the only resource that has any sort of real information via people experiences is unfortunately over at RC. Happy reading! People for some reason just want to speculate on T5 data, no official testing has been done just what people has done at RC, I find the results great but I also find lots of factors are left out favoring the T5 over anything else including MH & I personally from my experience in Industrial electronics field, think real testing should be done on an equal bases if they are going to compare them to anything but for the most part the information is very useful & does point out some good data.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=939236&perpage=25&pagenumber=1
VHO & PC
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-08/dw/index.php
http://www.coralreefecosystems.com/ltg_technical_data.htm#Output%20Analysis:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=939236&perpage=25&pagenumber=1
VHO & PC
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-08/dw/index.php
http://www.coralreefecosystems.com/ltg_technical_data.htm#Output%20Analysis:
loohunter
Fish lover
are you considering t5 or vho over halides for the 180?
Scooter, all of the RC posts is what I based a lot of my decision on to go with T5s. You're right though...a lot of info is left out and all the "studies" are basically done by RC members. Although, I will say that it does seem that a couple of them have done some pretty in depth studies. My tank is only a 75 and the water depth after sand will only be about 18" deep. I think T5s will be just fine for that. With a tank the size of a 180, might be a whole different story. It was interesting to see that in some of the tests some RC members did comparing T5 to MH, the T5 seemed a lil' better...but in other areas, MH blows T5 away!!
Scooterman
Well-known member
For 18" depth you should do fine, I was answering the original question. Think about what the guys in RC compare, they use the Higher K MH lamps on a 250w ballast & spider reflectors. The High Kelvin lamps produce horrible PAR ratings, anything could smash that but if you took the same two 250 added a Luminarc III & a XM 10k lamp no T5's can punch a PAR of 600 in a 2x2 area, watts considering running 8 H.O.T5's at 54 watts your using around 450 watts & you could run two 250's mh and just slightly run more watts & punch way deeper, you see it isn't playing a fair game when these guys say the T5 out perform MH, It isn't a apples to apples comparison. Now saying that, I totally agree T5 are very fine fluorescents & do a really great job for that type of lamp & has benefits. At one time the VHO's were still preferred because of the choices in lamps but these days the T5's had that now so it is a wash!
well I have got the vho's in place at least one set of them. the basis of this was for a fact or fiction finding. but I have another set up in mind and was trying to figure out if what I believe is true.
I was talking to tim today at barrier reef and he says that sonjay did a presentation at macna that changed his mind forever about T-5's. Now I am changing my veiws about T-5 versus VHO. but we are still in the early rounds need more data!
Dr. Dee
Free your mind
Check this out here is a link on RF for those T5's the tank is off the hook
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=700454&perpage=25&pagenumber=1
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=700454&perpage=25&pagenumber=1
Scooterman
Well-known member
He changes them out every 6 to 8 months & around 12 lamps, then is some change but they do look nice!
ccorral
Member
Just like all T-12 bulbs in the future 2008 they will be replaced by t-5 and led's.
I think the proper reflector makes a big difference as it projects and disperse the light better than a piece of reflective tape. Go for the T-5 you wont be sorry
I think the proper reflector makes a big difference as it projects and disperse the light better than a piece of reflective tape. Go for the T-5 you wont be sorry
gmeuser
Active member
lighting
I am wondering if the lighting thing isnt industrial promotion. i understand technoligy increasing but it seems there is plenty of tanks that are wonderfull using VHO, T5 , MH , and even some with a sky light. I have read the ratings from companies to include there freuquencies and power output. Out of every tank that looks great and is thriving it seems water quality is premo. I wonder if any light VHO<T5<MH would be great in perfect water???????
Greg, by the way I have VHO on a 210 and MH on a 120. i have frag some sps and will be putting each in the two tanks. Same water source from same sump.....
I am wondering if the lighting thing isnt industrial promotion. i understand technoligy increasing but it seems there is plenty of tanks that are wonderfull using VHO, T5 , MH , and even some with a sky light. I have read the ratings from companies to include there freuquencies and power output. Out of every tank that looks great and is thriving it seems water quality is premo. I wonder if any light VHO<T5<MH would be great in perfect water???????
Greg, by the way I have VHO on a 210 and MH on a 120. i have frag some sps and will be putting each in the two tanks. Same water source from same sump.....
acrodesiac
Well-known member
In my opinion, comparing t-5 to VHO is not as much of an output debate as an efficiency comparison. If the t-5 puts out only 75% of PAR to VHO but use 50% of the energy that would make the decision pretty clear. But I would say that the t-5 would probably put out more than 75% of the PAR than the VHO. Also in my experience the t-5s hold spectrum longer than VHO. It's like comparing bekett to needle wheel one is a power beast and the other is a more refined and technologically advanced piece of equipment.
The german market is going nuts with the t-5 craze, replacing their halides with t-5s on sps tanks That is something I could never buy into
The german market is going nuts with the t-5 craze, replacing their halides with t-5s on sps tanks
That is something I could never buy into 
Dieselbreath
Lost in the salty water
I currently plan to be replacing my VHO's very soon possibly this next weekend. My plan is to go to a TEK 6 Bulb T-5 set up, to replace my current 4 bulb vho's. The heat output between the 2 types is significant. My under hood temp at this time is about 130 degrees, with 2 4" fans running and atank temp at 80.5 degrees. THe vho's currently run about 160 degrees. The watts per gallon will be much greater. The specs say that a vho should be replaced every 6-9 months, where as a T-5 is good for 20,000 hrs with minimal output drop. That calculats into 8hrs/day/7/day a week/52weeks a year= 6.5+ years. T-5 bulbs cost about $25-30 each.
I will be following along for more input also. This info is just the facts that I have read so far.
DB
I will be following along for more input also. This info is just the facts that I have read so far.
DB
billaweed
Stumped Irishman
I have a 4 bulb t-5 unit for my 50 gal and it rocks.. especially after I put individual reflectors on my two daylights..
When it comes to the electricity bill I havent seen that big of a jump yet and I run them for a total of 8 hours a day. Some people will say that they are just as bad as MH but I've done the comparison and MH cost a TON more to run. I Also heard that VHO's not as cost efficiant meaning they lose their intensity quicker, they cost more on the bill, and to replace..
T-5's would be the way to go with the tank you got..
When it comes to the electricity bill I havent seen that big of a jump yet and I run them for a total of 8 hours a day. Some people will say that they are just as bad as MH but I've done the comparison and MH cost a TON more to run. I Also heard that VHO's not as cost efficiant meaning they lose their intensity quicker, they cost more on the bill, and to replace..
T-5's would be the way to go with the tank you got..
Scooterman
Well-known member
Fact is you will get a drop off in PAR & shifting after so long, also you can't see this with the naked eyes, this is a selling pitch more for commercial lighting, anyone keeping sps with them will tell you that the coral show drop-off at around 6 to 8 months, also to get what a MH lamp does you need about 8 lamps.
