Normal output VS. Power Compact VS. T5

[2jzpower]

Normal output VS. Power Compact VS. T5

What's the difference in efficiency for these setups???

lumens/watt would be nice

[Ed13]

For aquarium products T5Ho is by far the most efficient, followed by PC and then Normal out put

Unfurtunately this is a blanket statement that can interpreted differently. You don't mention if NO are T5, t6, t8,t10, or t12, VHO is not included. Also it is impossible to give a Lumen per watt(LPW) number because it will may vary from lamp to lamp, from ballast to ballast and the combination of them, size and manufacturer,not to mention the fact that you have to take into account that you want numbers related to aquaria.

There are t12 bulbs with way more lumens per watt than an HOT5 but that doesn't mean it will grow plants or corals better. On average HOT5 have around 80-90 LPW, PC 60-70 LPW, NOT12 50-60LPW and NOT8 60-70 . However, this can vary a lot and efficient bulbs may be well above this numbers, even 100+LPW is possible on NO flourescents.But unfurtunately bulbs produced for aquaria are often below this numbers

What makes T5 more efficient when compared to others is

• they have the longest lumen maintanence per useful life, meaning less bulbs changed and an average of two years
• they generaly have an average of 85 LPW or more at the starting point
• they produce less heat, because of this your aquarium is less affected by the lights and the bulbs themselves are more efficient at lower temps
• they are thinner so more light can be placed over the tank

Pc run hotter than T5 and No runs hotter than PC, the same in par and lumens numbers

In other words the smaller the bulb the more efficient it is, up to a point of course, yo don't wan't to run a million T2 bulbs, lol

[Polar_Bear]

While I agree with Ed, I feel that I need to mention that a PC bulb *IS* a T-5 bulb, just one that has been bent in half. In truth I don't see all that much difference when using T-12, T-8, or T-5 bulbs, they all grow plants. Some merely grow them faster than others, with T-8's being the cheapest to run over-all.

[Ed13]

While I agree with Ed, I feel that I need to mention that a PC bulb *IS* a T-5 bulb, just one that has been bent in half. In truth I don't see all that much difference when using T-12, T-8, or T-5 bulbs, they all grow plants. Some merely grow them faster than others, with T-8's being the cheapest to run over-all.

Not all Pc's are T5, most, but not all. You are absolutely right otherwise, all will grow plants in most home aquariums. its more of an efficiency issue and sometimes there is very little difference at that. This kind of discussions are more related to reef keeping, aquatic plants plants can adapt and come from less lighted situations than most beleive, while corals cannot

But for example T5 has more PAR, more lumens and last longer than PC, meaning is cheaper to operate in the long run and requires less lamps and therefore less electricity consumed in reef aquaria this also means less heat (no chiller) not to mention keeping organisms that require high light at home like clams

Personally, I love combining dif types when possible or needed (cheap bulbs+specialty ones)

[2jzpower]

decided to get 2 coralife Dual T5 fixtures... i used a combination of colormax, 6700k and 10000k bulbs and it makes the tank bright but the colors still pop on the fish...(colormax has a pink hue that is not noticable with other bulbs but boosts discus color a LOT, 6700k is greenish by itself, 10,000 can wash out stuff by itself but has INTENSITY) combined they ROCK... i like this setup better than my PC Coralife fixtures... so much deeper colors

so it goes from the front to back ColorMax, 6700K, 10,000K, 10,000K

[Ed13]

decided to get 2 coralife Dual T5 fixtures... i used a combination of colormax, 6700k and 10000k bulbs and it makes the tank bright but the colors still pop on the fish...(colormax has a pink hue that is not noticable with other bulbs but boosts discus color a LOT, 6700k is greenish by itself, 10,000 can wash out stuff by itself but has INTENSITY) combined they ROCK... i like this setup better than my PC Coralife fixtures... so much deeper colors

so it goes from the front to back ColorMax, 6700K, 10,000K, 10,000K

The Coralife T5 are normal output, pretty much the same as having a streched Pc over the tank, 54w vs 55w but the Color combo is much better and since they are lenght wise you can save some space or add more.
HOT5 would basically be the output of two NOT5 tubes