Hopefully next week Ill be able to post some spectrum results. These will compare the spectrum of a new bulb, to one with 100Hr's on it, then to 5 months old. Just need to sweet talk my friends professor one more time...
Wavelength-specific intensity drop for flourescents?
- Thread starter dnjan
- Start date
Help Support Reef Aquarium & Tank Building Forum:
- Status
Wow.. all I can say is wow. I ran the 6 month spectral test on 4 different t5 bulbs tonight and the results were pretty astonishing imho. At only 6 months of age the bulbs were quite frankly barely useable. The spectral plot looses all its sharp peaks, and really flattens out. I am no lighting scientist mind you, so maybe I am incorrectly interperting the data. Within the next day or two Ill put up excels showing intital readings, 125Hr readings, and 6 month readings. My roomate will do a lab write up on it to explain his experimental procedure and all that stuff since hes the one who knows how to use the equipment.
I have a feeling this will make me unpopular with the T5 manufacturers out there =P
I have a feeling this will make me unpopular with the T5 manufacturers out there =P
Scooterman
Well-known member
Probably why most T5 users that grow sps replaces them every 6 months. They will last almost two years & probably not show much drop off to the human eye but these meters usually are correct enough to use as reliable data. I would still have use for them in my plans as supplementing MH's & they would grow soft & LPS & even sps under the right conditions.
Last edited:
Finally, almost ...
I started this thread over two years ago partially because I was interested in finding the most cost-effective way (in both bulb cost and electricity) to provide lighting in the actinic range. Looks like we are finally getting close to a first cut on having the missing data.
Thanks!
I started this thread over two years ago partially because I was interested in finding the most cost-effective way (in both bulb cost and electricity) to provide lighting in the actinic range. Looks like we are finally getting close to a first cut on having the missing data.
Thanks!
"Probably why most T5 users that grow sps replaces them every 6 months."
From what I have read, those are mostly people who overdrive their t5's that reaplce them every 6 months, while regular users usually wait about 12 months. However, my bulbs are not overdriven at all. If regular driven bulbs are looken that bad after 6 months, Im sure that overdriven ones are horrible.
"I would still have use for them in my plans as supplementing MH's & they would grow soft & LPS & even sps under the right conditions."
Thats the part that really has me thinking. My tank is mostly sps, and things are still growing. Even some coral that went several months without showing much signs of growth, recently started growing. I will still be using T5's for supplementation in my next tank. They are still the best non mh technology out there.
Peace
From what I have read, those are mostly people who overdrive their t5's that reaplce them every 6 months, while regular users usually wait about 12 months. However, my bulbs are not overdriven at all. If regular driven bulbs are looken that bad after 6 months, Im sure that overdriven ones are horrible.
"I would still have use for them in my plans as supplementing MH's & they would grow soft & LPS & even sps under the right conditions."
Thats the part that really has me thinking. My tank is mostly sps, and things are still growing. Even some coral that went several months without showing much signs of growth, recently started growing. I will still be using T5's for supplementation in my next tank. They are still the best non mh technology out there.
Peace
ichthyoid
Member
Hood & bulbs
I have used T-8's (HO) driven by an older Motorola design electronic ballast that is not made any more, that I can tell (they were sold to Osram a few years ago). I bought 8 of them, using 6 banks with 2 spares. The ballast has a ballast factor of 128 which overdrives the bulbs. I have used Phillips 5000k bulbs which have a CRI of 98 so they look good to me, in combo. with sylvania actinics and some Lumichrome 6500k bulbs (95 CRI). Two of each. I use a total of 6 banks, and can simulate sunrise/sunset over a 3 hour period using timers. The fish seem to appreciate waking up to only one bank of actinics, I think.
To compensate for the lack of intensity/rapid diffusion of light pattern, I incorporated some metallized parabolic eggcrate with a thin piece of acrylic super glued to that to filter any uv, all mounted to the hood and sealed around the edges with rubber tape. I put a couple of muffin fans in the hood for cooling. I get glimmer lines, but nothing like MH bulbs of course. It gives me a color temp. of around 7000k by my rough approximation, with a high CRI so it is easy on the eyes, and the colors really jump out. I have had no sps, just lps and softies and they do real well. I have had the bulbs on a rotation of around 12 mo., but where I don't change them all at once. I think that it is probably not good to go from low to high (new) intensity all at once.
I am looking for something in a T-5 that will be close to this set-up. The above design has served me well, but I would like to incorporate some of this design on another tank using the more compact T-5's with SPS and see how it works. I tried to find T-5 for a 10 gal. nano set-up but they don't seem to exist in an HO form factor. Any ideas?
I have used T-8's (HO) driven by an older Motorola design electronic ballast that is not made any more, that I can tell (they were sold to Osram a few years ago). I bought 8 of them, using 6 banks with 2 spares. The ballast has a ballast factor of 128 which overdrives the bulbs. I have used Phillips 5000k bulbs which have a CRI of 98 so they look good to me, in combo. with sylvania actinics and some Lumichrome 6500k bulbs (95 CRI). Two of each. I use a total of 6 banks, and can simulate sunrise/sunset over a 3 hour period using timers. The fish seem to appreciate waking up to only one bank of actinics, I think.
To compensate for the lack of intensity/rapid diffusion of light pattern, I incorporated some metallized parabolic eggcrate with a thin piece of acrylic super glued to that to filter any uv, all mounted to the hood and sealed around the edges with rubber tape. I put a couple of muffin fans in the hood for cooling. I get glimmer lines, but nothing like MH bulbs of course. It gives me a color temp. of around 7000k by my rough approximation, with a high CRI so it is easy on the eyes, and the colors really jump out. I have had no sps, just lps and softies and they do real well. I have had the bulbs on a rotation of around 12 mo., but where I don't change them all at once. I think that it is probably not good to go from low to high (new) intensity all at once.
I am looking for something in a T-5 that will be close to this set-up. The above design has served me well, but I would like to incorporate some of this design on another tank using the more compact T-5's with SPS and see how it works. I tried to find T-5 for a 10 gal. nano set-up but they don't seem to exist in an HO form factor. Any ideas?
- Status
