does brand of T5 fixture matter?

seecrabrun

seecrabrun

Active Member
Thinking of putting T5 on my nano that will have mushrooms and macro algae.
I know bulb brand can make s difference, but does fixture brand matter?

And how many bulbs would you do on a 40 breeder?
 
pegasus

pegasus

Well-Known Member
I bought two T5 fixtures for my tanks on ebay. I bought the same "no name" brand for both of my tanks. This is the lamp I bought for my 40B: http://www.ebay.com/itm/36-T5-Aquarium-Light-234-watt-6-bulb-Timer-w-LED-Lunar-moon-T-5-New-2015-/281627533509?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41924f20c5. While I can find the same light elsewhere, this seller is the only one advertising a 5 year warranty on the American-made Workhorse balast. I spoke with the seller, and he assured me he will personally handle any warranties on the lamps.

I really like the lamps, and the separate timers (moonlights, 3x bulbs, and 3x bulbs) work great. They unfortunately lose settings after a power outage (depending on duration). I don't have to reprogram them very often, but I keep a note with the time settings close by, just in case...

Edit: The ebay description says 4 bulbs on one timer, 2 bulbs on another timer, and moonlights on last timer. This isn't the case with either of my lights. Both lights have 3 bulbs on one timer, 3 bulbs on another timer, and moonlights on the last timer.
 
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pegasus

pegasus

Well-Known Member
seecrabrun said:
Thanks. Do you think 6 bulbs is tacky necessary for my setup?
Click to expand...
No, it's not necessary. This seller doesn't have any 4-bulb lights at the moment, and it was basically for comparative purposes, so that's why I mentioned it. There are 4-bulb units of this light available, but I have yet to find another seller who mentions a 5 year warranty. I feel like matching units will have the same ballast, but I can't be sure. If you can find a matching 4-bulb fixture, contact the seller and ask about the ballast, and the manufacturer's warranty. As I mentioned earlier, I have two of these lamps, and they work great. I highly advise against OdysSea lamps. Most reviews consider them garbage, and it's normally from the ballast going bad. I think for the price of these lights, you great a great value.

Another option: You can purchase a basic 4 bulb T5 HO fixture and attach it to a separate timer to control the lights, but it won't give you the option to control which lights. All or none...
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
My 1st real light was an oddysea 4 bulb T5 light off the auction site.
Individual reflectors help but not needed.
I changed out the bulbs for ati when I could afford it.
Lil bits at a time.

Ati, grussiemans, and zurchit I think they r are the bulbs I would recommend. Hths

Leds r better!
-d
 
seecrabrun

seecrabrun

Active Member
I prefer LEDs myself, but I'm at my wits end on the whole lighting options thing! I hate having so many options and not enough concrete evidence as to which is the right one, ugh!
 
pegasus

pegasus

Well-Known Member
It didn't have a name on ebay, or the box it came in, but I just found it on Amazon... and it DOES have a brand name! It's a Giantex... lol!!! Not sure what size you're looking for, but here it is in a 36" length:

http://www.amazon.com/Giantex-Fluorescent-Actinic-Aquarium-Fixture/dp/B00MB9WQ0A/ref=sr_1_19?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1426447470&sr=1-19&keywords=6 lamp t5 ho fixture

And 48" length:

http://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Lighting-Light-Holds-Fluorescent/dp/B00G7TJ8AG/ref=pd_sim_sbs_petsupplies_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0XPM1WGGSAK7NRHVEY2D
 
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