Need help choosing a T5 light saw this one on the auction site is it ok?

shwstpr88

shwstpr88

Member
Can you guys take a look at this light for me and let me know what you think? I have a 125 gal tank standard size 6ft long so the lights for my tank are really pricey. I currently have PC lights but want to start adding corals. I have a fairly tight budget around 300 dollars and saw this one on the auction site:


Here is what the description reads:
72'' Aquarium Light 8X 35 watt fluorescent T5
$300
Here is your chance to bid on a high quality, brand new 72'' 8X 35 watt Flourescent Aquarium Light.This aquarium light is a one of a kind very elegant fixture. This aquarium light fixture features great designer details. The unit comes with different options and modifications to suit your needs. This is one awesome light. Check out details below.
Color: Silver
Warranty: 2 years
Features included:
8X 35 watt Flourescent– all bulbs included free!
8-10k (daylight bulbs) 12' Grounded Cords included w/ 2 cords and 2 switches- so you can
add unit to timers.
Splash shield included to protect light from aquariums moisture.
2 year warranty electronic ballast
Hanging bracket assembly included free of charge so you have the
option of suspending light from your ceiling.
The silver fixture is made of aluminum so you will never
experience rust.
Reflectors:German Polished Aluminum Reflector increases reflectivity of the 3 fold.
NOTE
All the bulbs are evenly balanced for perfect light distribution throughout the
aquarium. The ballast is a highly efficient ballast that helps keep light cooler than other high output lights on the market therfore allowing higher energy efficiency.
 
coralreefer

coralreefer

Active Member
the best T5 lighting fixtures have individual reflectors,thus maximizing the individual bulb output. I assume that particular one doesn't, because it said "reflector"
a good one is the nova extreme pro, although I don't know if it comes in the 72" size. If you go with T5's, remember to make sure it has individual reflectors
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
you are probbaly going to need alot more light than that for most corals. with your 125 gallon tank thats only 1.3 watts per gallon wich isnt very much at all.
general rule of thumb is 3-5 watts for alot of corals.
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
yes the extreme pro does come in a 72". you can get it for just under 600 dollars. I think most larger tanks opt to go with the metal halides because they make it easier to reach the wattage/par goals on a bigger tank. the t5's don't have the heat issues the halides do, but I think that's kind of thier only downside.
 
ibew41

ibew41

Active Member
t5 will work on a 125g anything 30" or deeper go only mh but this fixture does look like only 1 reflector so no I would not buy it
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
the nova extreme pro has 12 lights. this will get you in the watts per gallon ballpark. if you don't go with that particular fixture you will still want to be looking for something with 12 lights of metal halides
 
ibew41

ibew41

Active Member
with the new style reflectors available watts per gal is not a good basis on lights now
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
Originally Posted by IBEW41
http:///forum/post/3200597
with the new style reflectors available watts per gal is not a good basis on lights now
this is a quote from a previous discussion about par value from scinet.
One reason for PAR is that new lighting technologies on the market changed the game. Watts per gallon was fine as long as everyone more-or-less understood how much light came out of an actual watt. Halides and fluorescent variants (NO, HO, VHO, T5, PC, etc) all were more or less of similar efficiency, so even though watt - as we look at it - is only a measure of power draw, it could be more or less correlated to a unit of light output. It's just like old-school incandescent lamps... we don't say "Bring me a 750 lumen bulb," we say "Bring me a 100w bulb," even though lumens is a measure of light output, not watts - but everyone pretty much understands how much light comes out of a 100w lamp vs. a 60w, etc.
Nowadays though, some lighting technologies (most namely LED), have rewritten the book, because if you put X watts of LED next to X watts of halide or fluorescent, the difference would be enormous because LEDs are so much more efficient at converting those watts into light output.
The industry has turned to reflector technology as a big differentiating factor in the performance of a lighting system. A system with a crap reflector but great lamps won't perform as well as one with great reflectors and no-so-great lamps. PAR can take these differences into account.
Also, PAR is a standardized unit of measure, which can be used to compare different makes/models of lamps. For example, watts per gallon might be fine to guestimate how many watts of halide, PC, or T5 light you need, but how do you compare different halide, T5, or PC lamps of the same wattage? You need a unit of measure that is useful to hobbyists that can be used to tell if you are getting a quality lamp and if you are getting what you should out of your lighting system. Hence... PAR.
Frankly however, when you are talking about Halide and fluorescent technology, watts-per-gallon is still a relevant figure when sizing fluorescent and halide based lighting systems. IMO only 10% of the folks out there really understand it. The other 90% have jumped on the bandwagon because on most message boards, if you even mention wpg, everyone laughs at you. The figure is more a fad than anything else. Yesterday, wpg. Today, PAR. Tomorrow, PPFD.
 
ibew41

ibew41

Active Member
look at his 3rd paragraph if you have a 250w mh with junk reflector and a 6 lamp t5 with icecap refectors the t5 will out perform the mh but if you want an expert on lighting mh look up sanjay t5 ask reefraff
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
I don't think anyone will dispute the need for good reflectors and even more so for individual reflectors. I was simply stating that WPG is in fact a decent way to measure because the differences are not huge unless you are talking about LED's.
As was stated in his post. mention WPG and get laughed at.
nobody i know has a PAR meter. so WPG is the next best thing.
 
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