are all T5HO's the same?

[smom1976]

So I have a T5HO and I have read that some people keep some corals with them and other people say I will have a super hard time keeping corals.. so are all T5HO the same or does someone have a different brand that performs better?
:crazy1:
Would like help understanding lights.. Thank

[aquaenthusiast]

the less you pay , normally the less you get...sometimes . The higher end T5HO bulbs grow corals just fine, plenty of proof of that all around.

[smom1976]

does wattage on the package mean anything?

[Drae]

Quality t5 fixtures and bulbs will grow any coral that requires light to grow. All t5 bulbs and fixtures are not created equal by no means.

[rtparty]

Are all cars the same just because they are all cars?

A quality T5 fixture MUST have 3 components:

1) Active Cooling
1) Good reflectors
1) Spec T5 ballasts (not all ballasts are created equal either. Cheap, incorrect ballasts will drive bulbs improperly and ruin the life of a bulb.)

ATI, Aquatic Life, Tek and the new Pacific Sun fixtures are all good fixtures. ATI being the best of those.

Cheaper stuff like Coralife, JBJ, Current USA and others are alright but shouldn't be counted on if you have high demand corals. Of course, there are some exceptions here but not many.

Odyssea aka AquaTraders should just be avoided. They aren't worth it at all and can cause a lot of problems. People hate if you bring up the fire issues with them but they are still happening. They really shouldn't be allowed in my opinion.

[smom1976]

good answers.. thank you.. one more question.. does the wattage specified on the package differ or mean anything for that matter.. or like for instance two brands with the same wattage or sill the same difference?

[Blown 346]

Wattage isnt going to grow corals. Its the PAR of the bulb, kelvin and coloration of the bulb. Wattage does play a part to give you a general idea, but dont but a fixture/bulb just off its wattage.

Two brands with the same wattage can have lighting intensities. The biggest issue is getting something that the light will be able to cut thru the water and reach the sand bed and still have enough power for the coral you want to keep.

[rtparty]

good answers.. thank you.. one more question.. does the wattage specified on the package differ or mean anything for that matter.. or like for instance two brands with the same wattage or sill the same difference?

If you take an ATI Sunpower and Tek fixture in the 6x54w setup, the ATI will put out 25-30% more light than the Tek. Even though the wattages should be the same. The ATI is far superior with better components.

[eshark]

Not all are the same.

I like my Hamilton Fiji Sun T5 system.

Originally it came with 10K and 420nm bulbs. I switched to 10K and 460nm and its made a huge difference.

Hamilton T5 460nm blue is as good a T5 bulb as any other brand that I have used including ATI.

[rtparty]

Not all are the same.

I like my Hamilton Fiji Sun T5 system.

Originally it came with 10K and 420nm bulbs. I switched to 10K and 460nm and its made a huge difference.

Hamilton T5 460nm blue is as good a T5 bulb as any other brand that I have used including ATI.

Do you happen to have any PAR readings?

[NyReefNoob]

tek had same ballast as ati. the reflector makes a huge differance and active cooling. bonus on the ati is you can change the fan speed. bulbs will make a huge differance as well. i stuck with ati bulbs. on the fan part with a laser temp taker i was able to dial fan speed to keep fixture at 72 degree's

[FlyPenFly]

Depends on which Tek...

[rtparty]

tek had same ballast as ati. the reflector makes a huge differance and active cooling. bonus on the ati is you can change the fan speed. bulbs will make a huge differance as well. i stuck with ati bulbs. on the fan part with a laser temp taker i was able to dial fan speed to keep fixture at 72 degree's

Early Tek fixtures had advance ballasts. Later on they moved to Workhorse and killed the PAR. A Workhorse is about 15% behind a spec T5 ballast from the get go.

At 72° you may be over cooling your bulbs and killing them that way. The cold spot of a bulb should be around 95°. Less than that and you ruin the internal pressure and make the bulb less efficient. Especially with a Workhorse ballast that isn't properly monitoring that pressure and adjusting accordingly. That is why Workhorse should never be used to run T5s. They aren't the proper ballasts.