T6? What??

traps

Member
Ok just saw someone else mention a T6 light, what is this new acronym? Doing some Googling right now. Is it better then a T5? anyone have them? Why didn't I get the memo?
 

afboundguy

Member
T6 are just 6/8" or 3/4" thick bulb as compared to a T5 bulb which is 5/8" thick or a T12 which is 12/8" or 1 1/2" thick bulb
 

perfectdark

Active Member
It just stands for the bulbs diameter in 8ths of an inch. I recently saw an advertisement for VHO t6's not sure what magazine it was in though.
 

traps

Member
Ok all well and good, I did find a website or two that claimed this is the "new generation of T5's". Said you can throw this in your current T8 setup, and it will be just as good as a T5 fixture.
I'm not saying these guys are correct at all, for one even if the bulb is as good as a T5 there usually aren't reflectors in a T8 setup. But the T6 is being marketed as the future of flourescent lighting for aquariums. So, thoughts, opinions? There's so little info out there about these.
 

airforceman

Member
I think that it doesn't matter the T value of the bulb it's the reflection that counts. And the wattage, number of bulbs, tank depth etc.
 

michaeltx

Moderator
t-6s were the next big thing for lights UNTIL t-5s showed up then the t-6s are well obsolete and not very many different K ratings are being produced for them.
Mike
 

reefraff

Active Member
The push for Aquarium T6's happened after T5's.
One nice thing about T6 is they can fit right in to a standard fluorescent setup with standard length lamps and you can use reflectors on them. Unfortunatly there isn't a very good selection of lamps as far as I know. There are also VHO T6's that can fit right into a VHO T12 setup but again the selection of lamps is limited.
Another reason for the T6 is they are a little less prone to breakage than the T5's/
 

michaeltx

Moderator
R U sure I didnt see any t-6 until after t-5 were out and then I really havent seen anything since then.
of course I havent look either
Mike
 

drex

Member
questions for you guys, i have been getting brand new 48 inch T8 setups from my supplier at work, with individual reflectors on them. i have enough to do 10 bulbs with 10 individual reflectors. can i fit a T6 bulb into the T8 socket? what can i do to boost the performance here..i got them for nothing and they are brand new in the box will make a great retro i thought until some people on here pretty much said they suck haha..any advice for me here?
 

traps

Member
According to the manufacturers, throwing in T6 lights would be just like having T5's. Wanna be the guinea pig? ha.
The T6 are suppose to fit right into the T8 though (assuming wattages work out). Google T6 Aquarium Lights, some stuff should pop up where you can purchase the bulbs. They don't cost too much.
 

drex

Member
ah hell im willing to try it i dont care. now arent T8's only like 34 watts each or something? like i said they all have individual reflectors and i have 9-10 i can use all brand new. i am gonna build my canopy shortly here and see how many i can fit in there..cutting and bending the reflectors. they have long flat edges on each. i think it should work out well i will post my own thread with pics! all help will be appreciated.
 
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