# Dennerle special plant t5 tubes



## John Starkey (3 Jun 2008)

Hi All, i am looking for some feedback on the dennerle special plant t5s,are they as good as arcadia t5 plant pros? has anyone tried mixing to the two to see what they are like ,regards john


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## George Farmer (3 Jun 2008)

Hi John

The Dennerle Special Plant are 3000K which is very yellow/orange.  Mixing with bluer/greener tubes would be ok, especially if you have red plants/fish.

I'd only use one in four higher K tubes, personally.

Mixing with Arcadia Plant Pro may look ok.  The red rendition would be pretty heavy, due to the pinkish hue of the Arcadia.

Personally I'd consider the Dennerle Amazon Day that are 6000K.

Cheers.


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## John Starkey (5 Jun 2008)

Hi George,thanks for the info mate i was reading the new look dennerle site and i thought i would ask just to find out,regards john


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## Wolfenrook (5 Jun 2008)

Why pay through the nose for Dennerle tubes anyway?  There are lots of much more affordable tubes under which plants will grow just as happily.  You're paying for the brand.

Ade


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## ceg4048 (5 Jun 2008)

Couldn't agree more.  :idea:  Lampspecs Osram 840 is a similar color and does the same job for Â£3.99 + shipping. Keep it real...

Cheers,


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## John Starkey (5 Jun 2008)

Hi Ceg,thanks mate i foregot about that online store thanks for the memory jog,regards john


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## LondonDragon (5 Jun 2008)

john starkey said:
			
		

> Hi Ceg,thanks mate i foregot about that online store thanks for the memory jog,regards john


Buy all my tubes online now also, got the set of 4 tubes for about Â£30, compared to what I was paying before for plant pro tubes! and the plants are growing even better than before, so no more arcadia tubes for me.


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## Wolfenrook (6 Jun 2008)

I only have 1 aquarium branded tube in my lighting now, and that is an Aquamedic Planta T5HO.  As soon as that needs replacing though I will be putting a Sylvania Grolux in it's space.  It was actually one of George Farmer's articles in PFK that switched me on to using the cheaper Osrams, it featured a scape that had 4 Osram T5 HO Lumilux 865s in it and looked brilliant.

Seriously, especially if you combine different spectrums, you can get a really good look going along with great plant growth!  As an example alongside my Planta I have 2 Osram 865s and a 10,000k tube that came with the fitting (it came with 4 so I whipped 3 of them out).  When I look at it it looks to my eyes exactly like daylight!

These days I would refuse to pay more than about Â£10 on a tube, and the price of them Dennerle tubes is just mental! One of those special plant tubes would cost me over Â£23 and that is just mad!  Plants look good and grow well under something that costs Â£3.23.  Oh and Osram do 3,000k tubes if you really want them, thelightbulbshop do 39watt T5 HO ones for Â£3.23 as opposed to Â£23. Â£20 for the words Dennerle, Special and Plant make them seriously expensive words.   

Drat, it pains me to agree with Clive publicly (I usually agree with him anyway, but like to play devils advocate, it makes for a broader picture on threads, and gives him the opportunity to post really good and descriptive information. Sorry Clive  ), but on lighting I can't even pretend to have a different opinion, light is light whatever name is on the packaging.  Have a look at James C's thread on this forum, it's very 'enlightening' *groan*.

Ade


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## John Starkey (6 Jun 2008)

Hi Wolfenbrook,i agree with all you guys i will be changing my tubes around sept time so i will do some research and make up my mind what to go for,regards john.


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## RossMartin (20 Jun 2008)

Are the any cheaper tubes that fit into the Juwel T5s?? I have a Rio 180 which i believe is 45w.


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## swackett (20 Jun 2008)

Not that I am aware, the J5 tubes are shorter than the equivalent wattage T5 tubes to specifically fit into Juwel aquariums.  The only manufactures I know of are Arcadia and Juwel.


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## Wolfenrook (20 Jun 2008)

RossMartin said:
			
		

> Are the any cheaper tubes that fit into the Juwel T5s?? I have a Rio 180 which i believe is 45w.



Nope, you are stuck with either Juwel tubes or Arcadia J5 ProPlant tubes (which are a bit cheaper than the Juwel ones).  The only other alternative is to completely replace your lighting with something like a luminaire or an Arcadia ibar (the arcadia ibars use normal lengths and wattages).

Ade


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## swackett (20 Jun 2008)

The only problem with replacing with an I-Bar is that you will be left with a lower wattage tube that does not run the whole length of the tank, plus the I-Bars are about Â£80 without tubes dependning on length!

I've just put J5's in my tank with arcadia plant pro tubes, you can get them from here http://www.charterhouse-aquatics.co.uk/catalog/lamps-plant-c-194_197_880.html


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## ceg4048 (20 Jun 2008)

The D&D Razor Twin is another replacement option. http://www.aquatics-online.co.uk/catalo ... lights.asp

Cheers,


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## Wolfenrook (20 Jun 2008)

swackett said:
			
		

> The only problem with replacing with an I-Bar is that you will be left with a lower wattage tube that does not run the whole length of the tank, plus the I-Bars are about Â£80 without tubes dependning on length!



Yup, which is why I replaced by old broken T8 light bar with a 4 tube luminaire from EQJ Trading. Â£119 including delivery and 4 tubes instead of 2.  Replacement tubes (39 watt Lumlilux T5HO 865s) cost me Â£3.23 each, which is a big difference to Â£18 and up for tubes for a Juwel unit.  So in the long run it works out a lot cheaper.

Ade


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