Part 2 in the lighting series.
i didn't really get any feedback as to what you guys were looking for, so i assume that part was perfect.. ok, so im sure it wasn't perfect, but if you have questions or comments for the next part, please let em know

Ok, Part 2, i cover all things Fluorescent
Topic List
- Recap of Part 1
- Incandescent lights
- What is a fluorescent bulb
- Fluorescent components
- How a fluorescent works/lights up
- NO fluorescent bulbs
- PC fluorescent bulbs
- VHO fluorescent bulbs
- T5/T5HO fluorescent bulbs


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its has been along time coming my friend, not an easy endevour to undertake alone the broad lighting topic! im glad you stepped up to the plate on this one rob!
thanks bud! i enjoyed the show!

thanks V, hopefully i cover the important stuff without to much off geeky stuff.. :)

I had heard T5HO bulbs could last up to 3 years, but Rob mentioned chanign bulbs every year like MH. I couldn't find any info in a quick search, at least in regards to aquaria. How long is the output good for?

actually i think 12 months is even long..
i have never heard of them lasting that long..
most people tell me the average life is about 10-12 months

im new to actually using them, have my first set now, so im finding out for myself.. :)

I guess if it was 3 years everybody would be changing over. Still a good bang for the buck so I still plan to use them.

I change my T5s out about every 10-12 months...probably more towards 12 months. I notice the decline in MHs much more drastically than I have been able to with the T5s. I guess I'd have to have a PAR meter in order to really tell when it would be time to change...

Rob, your lighting series is very good and most helpful. Definitely not too geeky. The technical aspects help bring clarity to the topic.

I'm needing to change out my MH bulbs so I'm looking forward to the next podcast. Hopefully you will share your thoughts on the various temperature bulbs. One question that has been on my mind: Are 10,000K bulbs better for coral growth than say a 14,000 bulbs? There seems to be various opinions and I'm eager to hear the science behind the different temp. bulbs. Thanks for all your hard work!

thanks for the comments.
i have received a few questions similar to this one.
the short answer is that the science behind the different colors was addressed in part one, if you have more questions about that, please let me know. as for the colors effectiveness, well that is less scientific, but will get to that

the plan for the next show was to follow suite with this one, explain what MH's are and how they work. then i would going to get into ballasts and reflectors in part 4. and in part 5 i was going to handle these types of questions, the reason i wanted to separate these is that they are not "fact based" there is no definitive "better" across the board.

so if you have questions about technically how the bulbs work, i will address that in the next show, but as for this question directly, i will plan to answer it in part 5. i hope that helps. my main goal is to help maintain structure and order in these parts, so in the future when they are looked back on they will flow nicely

Two great shows Rob! You are doing a really good job of explaining this subject without dumbing it down.

Rob, your structure is understood. Absolutely don't deviate. I can certainly wait for an answer until part five. Again, thanks for all your efforts.

Rob -

Another great show. Lighting is a very complex topic, and you are doing a good job of putting it into layman's terms.

Some suggestions: (you did ask!)

A discussion on color temps for the various bulbs and how they change the apparent color of your tank (doesn't have to be technical, more an observation)

Cost vs. watts/output vs. lifespan of the various bulb technologies. I realize that this would take a bit of time, and there are a trememndous amount of variables, but I think it would be interesting. If you are too busy, I would be happy to volunteer my time to do the research. I am downsizing my 240 to a 180, and I am planning on switching from PCs to MHs at the same time, but I have recently switched to T5s on my 46 and really like them. I'm trying to weigh all the factors involved, included the cost of a chiller if I switch to MH, and the cost of electricity as well. Anyway, I think it might be useful information. Let me know what you think.

actually thats a good idea, and i have variation for ya in your interested.
if you have or want to gather info on bulb life spans, you could record it up and i will play it on the show.
if you are interested and want to discuss, PM me and we will go over the details, it would be real easy

Good suggestion. I think a lot of folks would find this helpful.

Also, I would like to hear a little on the podcast about the Solaris.

Rob, thanks for doing such great show. I know you said you will talk about the new LED lighting as well. I just wanted to let you know that I am interested in that.

Rob and all,

I haven't listened to the show yet, but I will! But I wanted to comment on the T5 bulbs and how often to change them.

I've seen recommendations on how often to change out the T5 bulbs from anywhere to 9 months to as long as 3 years. Some of the recommendations were based off bulbs burning out or turning very yellow and that seems like a good idea to change them then. But other recommendations had no logic on changing them other than that they read on the web they should change their bulbs every X months. I have yet to find a single recommendation that came from recording PAR values or spectrums.

Well, I'm setting up my new tank in december and it will have 4 or possibly 6 T5 bulbs and I will be recording PAR values from day one. After they have run for a significant amount of time then I will report the results. Of course if that three year recommendation turns out to be true, then my full report might be a long time coming :D

Also, to shamelessly plug my lighting article for those of you who haven't seen it or a picture of a PAR meter before:

Fun Times with a Quantum Meter, Part I: A Short Term Study of Various Practices' Effects on PAR Values (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-10/bp/index.php)

Cheers,

Brian

Awesome, I plan to set up a tank in Dcc or Jan with T5s so I will just change my bulbs when you do :D

Awesome, I plan to set up a tank in Dcc or Jan with T5s so I will just change my bulbs when you do :D

I'm not trying to be a difficult person here, but that may or may not work :) Unless you have an ELOS electronic ballast then your bulbs may age faster or slower than mine. Dr Joshi has shown in MH bulbs that ballasts make a big difference in PAR. I would imagine it would be the same in T5 bulbs.

What size T5 bulbs, and what manufacturer will you be using? My bulbs will be the 34" 39W German bulbs.

Brian

Hi Rob.

I've enjoyed the two sessions on lighting. Now I finally understand how they do that 50/50 thing! I have a 96 watt power compact on my 29 gallon nano tank. My softies are doing well under it -- but the bulbs are designed for freshwater. When I replace them should I go for one 50/50 and one 10K? Are there any hard corals that might thrive in this tank until I upgrade to metal halides?

John in Roanoke

What size T5 bulbs, and what manufacturer will you be using? My bulbs will be the 34" 39W German bulbs.


I will have 48" (or 46.5 or whatever it really is) 54W bulbs and will probably use the geisman bulbs but not definite yet. Will have to see about the ballast. If I had a PAR meter it would be a neat parallel to the testing of your setup, but that is definitely not in my reef budget right now.

These questions are probably out of scope since it's more about darkness than light, but for those of us without dedicated fish rooms...

How dark does the "lights out" period have to be? Can a TV or 100W incandescents (or a window, if your lighting period doesn't coincide with the Sun) on the other side of the room contribute significantly to fish/coral stress? algae growth?

I like the show, and the web site very cool.
What is the difference in performance between t5 HO, and t5 tek HO?
How much difference is to use a individual reflector?

Hi Rob.

I've enjoyed the two sessions on lighting. Now I finally understand how they do that 50/50 thing! I have a 96 watt power compact on my 29 gallon nano tank. My softies are doing well under it -- but the bulbs are designed for freshwater. When I replace them should I go for one 50/50 and one 10K? Are there any hard corals that might thrive in this tank until I upgrade to metal halides?

John in Roanoke
awesome, im glad you are enjoying and learning from them.

as for your stuation its really up to you, but here are your best 2 options
1. get one 10,000K bulb, and one actinic. this will allow you to turn them on and off seperate (of your hood has dual switches and powercords). this is done to give a dawn dusk simulation
2. get both as 50/50. this will just give you a simple nice balance in spectrum

as for stony corals, yes, there are some that will live under this lighting, too many to break down. your best bet is to look at the items your interested in and see if they fall into a low-medium light needs

These questions are probably out of scope since it's more about darkness than light, but for those of us without dedicated fish rooms...

How dark does the "lights out" period have to be? Can a TV or 100W incandescents (or a window, if your lighting period doesn't coincide with the Sun) on the other side of the room contribute significantly to fish/coral stress? algae growth?
regular ambient room light as noted should not be much of a problem. i wouldn't worry about it

I like the show, and the web site very cool.
What is the difference in performance between t5 HO, and t5 tek HO?
How much difference is to use a individual reflector?
thanks.. ;)
for Tek think, Tek is a manufacturer, they make fixtures, not bulbs. so "performance between t5 HO, and t5 tek HO?" is the same as "performance between a car, and pontiac car?
and for reflectors, it has been shown that individual reflectors can make a big difference in the resulting light, i am going to try and cover this in part 4