How long t5 bulbs last

But by the two year mark the efficiency even for the highest quality bulbs can drop a great deal so I would suggest to replace T5 bulbs every year for best results or very two years if you want to save money but still have great results from your lighting. Another factor that influences bulb efficiency is also the ballast that, too, can play a role as to when you should change your bulbs.

But sometimes even the best fixtures have defected ballasts that can decrease the efficiency of your bulbs. And lastly also that, for what you use your T5 lights , can affect your bulbs life. The most common application for T5 lights of coarse is to use them as grow lights, not without reason I usually call them that, but there are people who use T5 lights also as regular room lighting or even as outdoors lighting because they simply are efficient lights.

Unfortunately T5 lights are quite sensitive to harsh weather, so by keeping them in very cold or very hot conditions you can greatly diminish the time period in which you will be able to use bulbs without replacing them. Crandall, M. Fatherree, M. Ken Feldman Jon E. Shimek, Ph. All times are GMT The time now is AM. TapaTalk Enabled. Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.

T5 Bulbs, how long do they really last. User Name. Remember Me? Mark Forums Read. Page 1 of 2. Thread Tools. T5 Bulbs, how long do they really last I'm curious as to how long everyone keeps their bulbs before replacing. Find More Posts by cr reef. Visit The Grim Reefer's homepage! Visit solitude's homepage!

Find More Posts by [email protected]. Visit thor's homepage! Posts: Find More Posts by chuckreef. Find More Posts by Allmost. Ballast: Programmed-start ballasts typically provide better bulb life than instant-start ballasts, as they are easier on the bulb during start-up. Also, over a 6 month period, the bulb will generally produce less total light than a normally-driven bulb.

Coral Health: If your corals are not opening up as much, or are growing a lot slower than before, it can be a good indication that your bulbs need to be changed. Time: With typical daily photo periods of hours, T5 bulbs carry the average life-span is months. New bulbs typically produce twice as much PAR output as old bulbs. To avoid shock to your corals, it is always best to spread out a bulb change over a period of several weeks. Remember the Reef Tank Golden Rule Nothing good happens fast.

Change out just bulbs per week. This will allow corals to acclimate more easily to the new, brighter bulbs. Brand new lamps have a burn-in period of 50 hours. During this time, they should not be dimmed when using a dimmable fixture. They may also illuminate inconsistently or flicker. Don't worry. Log in. Install the app. You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up.

JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Thread starter FishBeast Start date 21 Jan What would be the life span of T5 tubes when run for 8 hrs a day? Total voters 18 Poll closed 26 Jan FishBeast Member. Joined 27 May Messages Location Australia. I am interested in knowing as the growth in my tank has slowed alot over the last few months.

Joined 11 Oct Messages 4, Location Guernsey. At one time when T8s were more popular it was recommended to change them every six months but this does not seem to apply to T5s. Anyway I change mine every year Joined 16 Dec Messages For as long as it turns on