T5 Lighting

Hi Guys,

I just got some pricing on the T5 54W 4ft in length and the ballast : the globe is R57 and the ballast is R169. Is this the cheapest around or can anyone in Durban get it cheaper? Please let me know...

 

Tube not globe...

What tube and ballast are you being quoted on?

 

I don't understand Neil, i would assume that its the most common one...what types are there?

 

What make/brand?

Not all tubes and ballasts are the same

 

i think they are Osrams

tube is radian and the ballast is tridonic...

 

Then those prices aren't bad.

Find out the colour rating of the tube, you ideally want something in the daylight to skywhite range.

What are you going to do about endcaps?

 

sorry neilh, the tube is radian and the ballast is tridonic, i just phoned them now, end caps? please explain as i don't know anything about this...

 

End caps are what connects the tube to the ballast, powering the tube.

Contact Lamphouse in Durbs. Ask for pricing on Osram dual 54w ballast and Osram/Sylvania 6500K/Daylight T5HO tubes. If you do buy from them, they are cash only to non account holders

 

thanks alot neilh, will do, just one question though, does the end caps come with the ballast from Lamphouse?

 

Nope. You might need to get waterproof end caps if you are enclosing the tubes in a canopy that gets a lot of evaporation

 

hi Neil,

I just phoned them and their aren't bad its R55 for the tube and R165 for the single ballast, not far off from the prices i got...but Lumine Lighting is just down my road, so travelling wise it would be easier, and about the end caps, what about insulating them with insulation tape?

 

What size tank?

 

its a 220l tank laure

 

So a standard 4ft? 120x45x45
2 x 54W T5HO bulbs will be MORE than enough. Plenty of light, possibly too much for that tank. You are going to need CO2 with that amount of light.

 

the dimensions are 1.5Lx500Hx300W...was just querying Laure, so would you possibly suggest a single tube 54W and i currently have a 30W aquarium flourescant bulb...would both these be fine without the CO2?

 

OK so its not a standard 4ft, which is normally around 220l to 240l.

50cm is rather deep so I would suggest you need the penetration of T5 bulbs.

I have a slightly non-standard 4ft (120Wx45Dx50H) with 3 x 54W T5HO bulbs and DIY mylar reflective surface glued to the inside of the canopy. I used 3 x 2l bottles of DIY CO2 fed to a smallish powerhead to diffuse the CO2. I could not keep up with the CO2 demand and continually had to battle BBA. Eventually I switched off 2 bulbs. I am now running just 1 x 54W T5HO bulb on this tank. The plants are still growing, albeit not as fast. Which is great because I was also getting tired of trimming 20cm+ weekly. I have also switched off the CO2 at this point. Perhaps I will start up DIY CO2 again and switch on one more bulb at a later stage.

So now you can make up your own mind.

And try get the Daylight bulb (6500K). It looks good and plants grow well.

 

how much of heat is generated from these tubes Laure? cause if its alot then the temp of the water is going to fluctuate, when its switched off at night it will be cooler and during the day its going to be a bit warmer....

 

A fair amount of heat, but not enough to affect water temperature if you provide some air circulation in your canopy (drill a few holes). Of course a bank of 6 x T5 bulbs in such a tank will render your heater useless during the photoperiod...

Also, small temperature fluctuations are not uncommon and unhealthy. In nature, the air cools down at night and naturally the water temperature also drops a little bit. Then there are also the seasonal fluctuations.

 

would a single 39w tube be sufficient for 3ft tank(38cm high)?

 

Howsit,
I've got a 600X300X350h tank, and I'm keen to put T5 lighting on this tank....
What would you recommend?

Thanks
Rob