T5 Or T8?

[WoodyAqua]

Hi guys

I have a rekord 80 tank, well i think it is its a hand me down from my dad its dimensions are 80x30x40 but on the jewel website it states dimensions are 81x31x41 so bit confused there..!

Anyway i am a bit confused about which lighting to use the tank isnt actually set up yet but i will be putting live plants in when it is.

Will T5's benefit me and will they even fit?
Do T5 and T8 tubes use the same fittings?
Will T5s just plague my tank with algae?

Comments appreciated...

 

[Nick16]

t will be the same tank mate, all the juwel tanks end in 1's for some reason, thats the outside measurements the inside ones will be round numbers. t5's have a much higher output than t8s but they use different fittings. for a tank your size a T8 would be fine. plus there is no point having masses of light from a T5 if you are not dosing ferts and CO2.

 

[WoodyAqua]

t will be the same tank mate, all the juwel tanks end in 1's for some reason, thats the outside measurements the inside ones will be round numbers. t5's have a much higher output than t8s but they use different fittings. for a tank your size a T8 would be fine. plus there is no point having masses of light from a T5 if you are not dosing ferts and CO2.

Thanx for the info T8 it is..

 

[Colin_T]

If you have a T5 light unit then you can use T5 globes. Most normal light units use T8 globes. They have different size fittings and require their own size unit.
Hi Output (HO) T5s will do more for plant growth compared to T8 globes. However, the tank is only small so T8 might be fine if you only want a few plants. If you want a well planted tank then try to get HO T5s. If you do go for a well planted tank with HO T5s then make sure you read up on plants and get some plant fertiliser and maybe carbon dioxide (CO2) (or carbon additive) to help encourage plant growth. If you have lots of fish then you might not need extra CO2.
If you have lots of light and not enough plants, then you will get algae problems. If you have lots of plants then they will use the nutrients and light and help to prevent algal growth.