[crazy loaches]

Just curious if they make individual reflectors for t8 bulbs... like the individual tek reflectors or icecap reflectors for t5's that just clip onto the bulb. I checked around a few places and couldnt find any individual reflector. I ask since I am thinking about including my existing ODNO t8 setup in a future tank, but I will need more light and one thing I wanted was a good reflector. I am droping a goo dchunk of change for lighting an another tank so this one I was hoping to be able to use parts I already have - just have to get reflectors. I also wonder if perhaps the t5 reflectors could fit onto a t6 bulb? I have some T6 ones I use also but if I use only t6's some of my savings will be lost since the t8's are much cheaper.

 

[Glouglou]

Hagen does...

One of my friend that own a pet shop show me individual reflector from Hagen that look not bad. They are semicircular with the v shape to reflect the light from the top of the neon towards the the tank.
High Polish aluminium.
I don’t think they are mare of the high reflectance stuff (Miro) but they look pretty good

45 dollard canadian for the 48 inches.

And more.... Hagen now make HO T5 neon ( I saw them, very bright)

 

[Petrus]

You can find the T8 Miro reflectors on ebay:
eBay: 4 - T8 Fluorescent Light Miro4 Reflectors (4 foot) (item 280081147866 end time Feb-17-07 06:40:47 PST)

hope that helps

 

[crazy loaches]

Hagens website doesnt list any reflectors, but thier website really sucks. Still, after searching, the only reflectors I can find arent in the US (for example I found there are Arcadia reflectors but only found them on .UK websites). You'd think for something as common as a T8 that thier would be reflectors available for diy'ers.

Edit> Petrus - I see you posted while I was typing, thanks for that link, I might end up going the ebay route, though that seller doesnt have any sales under hsi belt yet... so that would violate one of my self imposed ebay rules.

 

[Betowess]

BTW, I just bought some very nice shop light T8s from Lowes for my utility room. It was cheaper to buy the whole fixture than just a ballast. And they had Universal triad ballast with programmed starts for about $28 bucks for two 40 watt tubes. That is pretty much the same ballast as is in the Tek. Put some decent tubes on it with one of these Miro reflectors and you got something rivaling Tek T5s. Nice link Petrus!

 

[Petrus]

Those Miro reflectors look really nice. I wish we have those where I live...all I could find here were regular synvania reflectors.

good luck!

 

[attack11]

i wouldn't claim it's as good as a tek without testing the par/lumens you're getting.

 

[jgc]

While I am fairly confident that good reflectors will help get light into your aquarioum. Physics will ultmately favor smaller diameter bulbs. T-8 bulbs are 60% larger diameter than T-5. To keep same reflector efficiency the reflectors would also need to be 60% larger - which quickly eats up all available hood space. Meanwhile, if you had the space, the larger reflectors would still benifit the t-5's (squeeking out a couple % more efficiency)

Please forgive me if my math is wrong

 

[Betowess]

So a T8 is 8/8ths of an inch. I inch. T5 is 5/8ths of an inch. So 3/8ths inch larger.~ 60% is right. Still plenty of room in my estimation. But the bulbs aren't over driven so you are loosing 14 watts per tube or ~ one T5 tube per four T8s. Still, an option with these cheap Miro4 reflectors. 5 T8s would be near 200 watts and six would be 240 watts. Cheap bulbs to replace with lots of 6500K choices I believe. For someone on a budget, three of the $30 Lowes lights with their timed Universal ballast (with a box of these reflectors) gives 240 watts in a conventional wood hood over a large tank... Plenty of quality light for maybe $130 dollars plus the cost of six lamp tubes. Just food for thought.

 

[crazy loaches]

I already have the ballasts, no cost there, and enough to overdrive, I already overdrive 4 bulbs now. I also use T6's as well, which would be nearer to T5 effeciency. I am quite aware how the diameter of the bulb effects effeciency. I could switch to all T6's if I really wanted, and overdriving them could acheive around 60W per bulb or so, so yeah I would say it would compete with a Tek light, might not win, but should be in the ballpark. I am considering a tek retro kit as well, but trying to setup 2 big tanks is stretching the budget and I think DIY ODNO combined with some good reflectors would yield good enough results and all I need to buy is the reflectors. I am wondering still though if the T6's will fit the clip on T5 reflectors since there so close - and maybe a simple mod they could fit T8's as well. Hmmm.