T8 Or T5

[Themuleous]

Peeps

Do the compact T5 tubes produce more/less heat than the T8s for the same wattage? Ie I'm thinking of getting a single Interpet Convertagear T5 Power Compact with a Interpet Daylight Plus T5 Power Compact Lamp, or should I go with 2x 18w Arcadia Freshwater Lamps over my new nano? As George and others have said, heat is going to be my biggest hurdle in a tank of only 24lt. There are also obvious money savings with T5's.

Have good weekend all

Sam

George, thanks for the NO3 help

 

[George Farmer]

T8 all the way!! Interpet and other T5 PC are massive heat produces and are well known to cause problems. I'm ninja posting zig here on this so he'll probably elaborate.

I've got 2 spare 18W T8 Arcadia FWs if you're interested.

 

[zig]

What are the dimensions of the tank?

I would imagine the 18w arcadia lamps are probably physically too big for a nano tank.

Power compacts are definatly hotter and i would think twice putting one in an enclosed hood over a nano tank as the temprature in the tank will go off the chart, lots of people have had problems with this.

I would also think twice about the Interpet power compacts many members me included have had problems with the convertagears melting due to the heat, if you do a search there is a big thread all about this issue, i have since stopped using the Interpet equipment as it was too troublesome and i had serious problems with it.

 

[Themuleous]

Quite simple then T8's it is! I've got a cunning idea to make a bridge type metal strip over the tank to hold the lighting, so apart from the reflectors it'll be open, that should help with the heat. May put a fan next to it, on a timer, but will see whats needed when its up an running.

Im looking at a 24x8x8" (small I know, but I'm really doing all this to get my dwarf rasboras to breed so need to keep it small, but may as well try this EI thing while I'm at it ) but if I dont have a hood the length wont matter, and the 24" tube will give me a better wattage that the 18" you're supposed to have over a 24" tank, plus I can use a twin 20w starter, which'll help with keeping the cost down. I'll post some pics once ive got it all going.

Thanks guys

Sam

Oh and George if you've got some spare 18w T8's I'll certainly take them off your hands, how much do you want for them?

Sam

 

[oldwhitewood]

T5s will generate too much heat as everyone has said, I think the best way to use them is to have them in their own special canopy or luminare such as the ones manfuactured by arcadia.