[Kisho3]

Here's a list of questions:

• What's the difference between compact lights and T5 lights? (please don't use numbers to explain it, unless you oculd explain what the numbers mean and represent.)
• What's the difference of T12, T6, T8, and T5's?
• If I bought a T5 light fixture would T8, T12, T6, etc. bulbs be able to fit in them?
• Are compact lights/fixtures ideal for low/medium/high planted tanks?
• What's Glo?
• What's HO, OV, LO?

What do you think of this for a freshwater tank Low,med/highly planted? (It's meant for a reef tank, but will it work with a freshwater one? Just remove the actincs lights and replace them with diffrent ones?
http://cgi.ebay.com/48-AQUARIUM-LIG...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3efa8874be

If I could think of more questions I will post them! It would be nice if someone made a complete guide for lighting, definitions, and terms for newbies like me. Yep, a complete lesson on lighting for the beginner aquarist. I never even knew how important lighting was until I found this forum . . .

Here's the Freshwater Version of it. Is this a good deal?
http://cgi.ebay.com/AQUARIUM-LIGHT-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ca7949655

Thank you very much!

P.S. Please simplify your explanations. Others and I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[paulrw]

t5's are linear bulbs compacts bend back around t5s are more efficient and a little brighter
over time fluorescent bulb get more efficient and the diameter of the bulb gets smaller t12s are fattys while t5s are thin the number corresponds to the diameter i believe t12 through t8s are interchangeable
yes you can get a compact fluorescent to meet any need in your aquarium there are lots of options
Glo is Hagan's brand of t5 lighting
h.o.means high out put a way of getting more light out of a bulb for example in t5 bulbs a normal output (n.o.) 24" bulb uses 13w of power a h.o.24"t5 uses 24w using the same size bulb

 

[Kisho3]

t5's are linear bulbs compacts bend back around t5s are more efficient and a little brighter
over time fluorescent bulb get more efficient and the diameter of the bulb gets smaller t12s are fattys while t5s are thin the number corresponds to the diameter i believe t12 through t8s are interchangeable
yes you can get a compact fluorescent to meet any need in your aquarium there are lots of options
Glo is Hagan's brand of t5 lighting
h.o.means high out put a way of getting more light out of a bulb for example in t5 bulbs a normal output (n.o.) 24" bulb uses 13w of power a h.o.24"t5 uses 24w using the same size bulb

Thank you! So are compact lights considered those swirly looking lights?

And T5's tube=

Or can compacts also look like Flur tubes?

 

[redman88]

t12 and t8 are not interchangeable

 

[Gatekeeper]

t12 and t8 are not interchangeable

How do you figure? I have done it before with no problems.

 

[Church]

Those swirly looking lights are technically considered compact fluorescent, but they are not the same as "power compact" fluorescent, which is what we find in the aquarium lighting fixtures. Imagine taking a fluorescent tube and bending it 180 degrees back on itself, so that you can now place the "tube" over a much smaller footprint. That's what power compact fluorescent is.

Tubes, on the other hand, are a bit different, because they are capped on both ends, and the light isn't "compacted" any... it just runs in one straight line that is usually pretty long and diffused over a wide area.

T12, T8, T5: what these mean is simply the diameter of the tube. The number equates to how many 8ths of an inch the diameter is. So T12 would be 12/8 of an inch (or 1.5 inches), T8 would be 8/8 of an inch (or 1 inch), and T5 would be 5/8 of an inch. The smaller the diameter of the tube, the more efficient the light is, because there is more of a concentrated "bar" of light, and less restrike because of how much more room there is to reflect light properly in a well-designed fixture.

Normal Output T5 (or T5NO) is different from High Output T5 (or T5HO) simply in the power of the ballast, which means that there is more wattage, and the bulbs are designed to maintain and handle this increased wattage. It is reminiscent of the concept of overdriven NO bulbs and VHO fluorescent lighting from a decade or two ago, only refined quite a bit. T5HO is fluorescent technology at its finest, actually. At least, for now.

For our purposes with the planted tanks, T5HO is usually reserved for people who are going to be using CO2, although it can be used on low-light tanks when other conditions are met. T5NO is an inexpensive, still very efficient type of lighting that can be used on high-light and low-light tanks, but is very appropriate for low-light specifically, in my opinion. T8's and T12's might as well not be used unless you just happen to already have the supplies around, and you know what you're doing. Power compacts are a good, less-expensive-than-T5HO alternative for high-light tanks, but by their design are not as efficient, nor are the reflectors as efficient. These can also be used for low-lighting on larger tanks.

I'm tired of typing now

 

[FrostyNYC]

Thank you! So are compact lights considered those swirly looking lights?


And T5's tube=


Or can compacts also look like Flur tubes?

Compacts don't have to be the spiral kind like the pic you linked. Check out this one:

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ight+bulbs&gbv=2&ndsp=18&hl=en&sa=N&start=288

Sorry for the ugly link. But as you can see, one easy way to differential is that Compacts screw in (or snap in via pin) on one side, whereas T5's connect to ballasts on both ends.

 

[Kisho3]

Compacts don't have to be the spiral kind like the pic you linked. Check out this one:

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ight+bulbs&gbv=2&ndsp=18&hl=en&sa=N&start=288

Sorry for the ugly link. But as you can see, one easy way to differential is that Compacts screw in (or snap in via pin) on one side, whereas T5's connect to ballasts on both ends.

Thanks for the visual ^_^ I got it now.

 

[Kisho3]

Those swirly looking lights are technically considered compact fluorescent, but they are not the same as "power compact" fluorescent, which is what we find in the aquarium lighting fixtures. Imagine taking a fluorescent tube and bending it 180 degrees back on itself, so that you can now place the "tube" over a much smaller footprint. That's what power compact fluorescent is.

Tubes, on the other hand, are a bit different, because they are capped on both ends, and the light isn't "compacted" any... it just runs in one straight line that is usually pretty long and diffused over a wide area.

T12, T8, T5: what these mean is simply the diameter of the tube. The number equates to how many 8ths of an inch the diameter is. So T12 would be 12/8 of an inch (or 1.5 inches), T8 would be 8/8 of an inch (or 1 inch), and T5 would be 5/8 of an inch. The smaller the diameter of the tube, the more efficient the light is, because there is more of a concentrated "bar" of light, and less restrike because of how much more room there is to reflect light properly in a well-designed fixture.

Normal Output T5 (or T5NO) is different from High Output T5 (or T5HO) simply in the power of the ballast, which means that there is more wattage, and the bulbs are designed to maintain and handle this increased wattage. It is reminiscent of the concept of overdriven NO bulbs and VHO fluorescent lighting from a decade or two ago, only refined quite a bit. T5HO is fluorescent technology at its finest, actually. At least, for now.

For our purposes with the planted tanks, T5HO is usually reserved for people who are going to be using CO2, although it can be used on low-light tanks when other conditions are met. T5NO is an inexpensive, still very efficient type of lighting that can be used on high-light and low-light tanks, but is very appropriate for low-light specifically, in my opinion. T8's and T12's might as well not be used unless you just happen to already have the supplies around, and you know what you're doing. Power compacts are a good, less-expensive-than-T5HO alternative for high-light tanks, but by their design are not as efficient, nor are the reflectors as efficient. These can also be used for low-lighting on larger tanks.

I'm tired of typing now

Thank you very much for dumbfying everything down ^_^ Thank you kind SOul! Oh lawd! I'm finally understanding this stuff more.

 

[mistergreen]

there are T2 bulbs too but they are not available in length longer than 12" I think.
T2's are pretty much those spiral compact bulbs.

And T5NO bulbs does not completely work in a T5HO ballast. I found that out the hard way.

 

[Kisho3]

there are T2 bulbs too but they are not available in length longer than 12" I think.
T2's are pretty much those spiral compact bulbs.

And T5NO bulbs does not completely work in a T5HO ballast. I found that out the hard way.

Did it blow out or cause some electric shock or something? Just curious

 

[mistergreen]

heh, I shouldn't put people in suspense like that..
It was a 3 bulb tixture, only 2 came on. And the T5NO bulb that was on buzzed.