noob question

[xXMrBonesXx]

i know alost everything i need to know and have got everything i need to but i have a light question.. and being its 2:17 in teh morning im too lazy and tired to look up the answer myself

here goes, What is a stronger bulb a T-8 or a T-12 if i had to stab a guess i'd say the 12 due to it's bigger size but that would be my guess only

thanks in advance

 

[Lateral Line]

Questions like this are wonderful, so easy to ask, but so difficult to give a single, correct answer. So much "depends"!!! It makes you think.

Generally, a good quality T8 with a good electronic starter will give more light per Watt then a similar quality T12 on a ballast. They also tend to hold their output better for longer and can save energy.

Another factor is the spectrum. A lot of T8's have a wider spectrum then a semi-equivalent T12, i.e. they tend to have a better CRI value, which is better for a planted tank.

I am not considering quality differences, a cheap and nasty lamp of either size will be out performed by a good lamp.

Rough example, both are 4 foot lamps,

GE - SPX50 32 Watt T8 - 2800 Lumens with a CRI of 86
GE - DaylightU 40 Watt T12 - 3050 Lumens with a CRI of 75

The SPX50 delivers 87.5 Lumens/Watt, the DaylightUltra 76.25 Lumens/Watt. The SPX50 delivering a better quality light.

Now, that said, if you are limited to a single lamp, you will get more light out of a T12 then a T8 because it uses more power for the same length.

For planted tanks where light is a premium, the ability to fit more lamps into the same sized hood is a factor of course. A T8 takes up less space than a T12 so you can put more in.

Some lamp types are not available in both sizes, so if you want a lamp of temperature X spectrum Y and CRI Z and it is only available as a T8 - the point is moot.

There are other layers of complexity to this question!!

 

[kenneth_kpe]

now lets include CF's into the question haha kiddin

 

[xXMrBonesXx]

ok i'll tell you what bulbs i have to choose from and maybe you can make a suggestion on which one to use

right now i have a Hagen Sun-Glo and Life-Glo both are T-8's i just picked up a Coralife Day Max Freshwater and a Coralife Nutri Grow both of those are T-12's

i can fit 2 of the 4 in my hood

 

[abstract]

do T12 bulbs fit in T8 fixtures??

that being said, I have found that a good combination is the life-glo2 (6500k or 6700k or something) which helps the plants and also gives very nice fish coloration....in addition to that i replaced the other life-glo2 with a flora-glo series (i think rated at only 2700k or so) and have noticed considerable plant growth since then - i didn't even notice that a fluro-glo existed until i stumbled across it at petsmart the other day.

 

[Pescado Guy]

Generally T12 bulbs work in T8 fixtures but be VERY careful when using T8s with a T12 ballast... that could cause big problems.