# Do I need special t5 HO bulbs for an aquarium?



## richard brown (8 Jun 2017)

Hi everyone.

Thinking it is time to change the 2 24w t5 o bulbs on my lighting unit and wanted to check if I need a special type of bulb for use with an aquarium or if any 6500k bulbs will do as long as they are the same size and wattage.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Richard.


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## splatteredbrainz (8 Jun 2017)

Anything works

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## ian_m (8 Jun 2017)

richard brown said:


> Thinking it is time to change the 2 24w t5 o bulbs on my lighting unit ...


Why ?

The lumen maintenance of most T5 (and T5 HO) tubes is in excess of 5 years ?

Here is a graph of T5 HO light output. So at 20,000 hours only down to 90% of initial lumen value. 20,000 hours is 2 1/4 years if on 24hours a day!!!!. Also driven by electronic ballast to get this output.



 
Tube on right is 30 months old and one on left is 6 months old. Possible slight differences in brightness, but hardly significant.


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## richard brown (8 Jun 2017)

Thinking of the spectrum more than anything.


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## ian_m (8 Jun 2017)

Plants don't care what spectrum you use, they will use any light you provide. Choose a colour temperature that makes your plants look good to your eyes.


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## richard brown (8 Jun 2017)

Thats why I want to change want a more cleaner light.


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## Zeus. (8 Jun 2017)

Great thread Cheap HO T5 fluorescent tubes I went for philips TL5 HO 90 De Luxe 24W 965 (MASTER) | 55cm - Daylight

here spectrum for a few off them


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## ian_m (9 Jun 2017)

6500K is a good start.

Personally I have a 8000K Juwel Hi-light (white) and a 6400K Juwel colour. I found the Juwel colour by itself too red/pink.


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## Paul Sabucchi (9 Jun 2017)

ian_m said:


> Plants don't care what spectrum you use, they will use any light you provide. Choose a colour temperature that makes your plants look good to your eyes.


Thought clorophyll A absorbs mostly 440nm (red) and 660nm (deep blue), clorophyll B is marginally  different and of lesser importance. Definitely no green radiation is absorbed, it is all reflected so that is why plants appear green, so green spectrum may make the plans look lush but for the plants it is as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike. That is why on plant growth lights you see only red and blue LEDs.

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## Zeus. (9 Jun 2017)

Think plants will use what ever they can, when they can from different parts off the spectrum, there not fussy as long as they can absorbing the photons via the relative clorophyll needed for that wavelength of photon, The rerlative clorophyll for the relative wavelength traps the energy that drives photosynthesis, end result is the same O2 plus carbs. Evlovtion as weened out the ones that cant compete with the ones that can long ago.Just like us humans will use sugar as an energy source  if its eaten, If there is non in the diet the body makes its own from breaking down proteins.


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## papa_c (9 Jun 2017)

changing the bulbs to different types will change the look of the tank. different bulbs will give a different hues some look more red and other more green or yellow to the human eye, but have no major different grow success. Check out the following link for a great guide

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/lighting.htm

I use 4 £3 Bell brand tubes from my local electrical supply shop with no impact on growth. BIG difference compared to the £20 per tube from the LFS's


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## Zeus. (9 Jun 2017)

Cheap HO T5 fluorescent tubes and http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/lighting.htm same pics


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