Tanks with T5, temperature

b16drag · #1 06/30/2007, 02:53 AM

I know there have been quite a few of you who have switched over to t5's. One of the advantageous of having T5 vs MH is that it is cooler, but how many of you have resorted to chillers or some sort of cooling measures while having only t5's? Also what are your temperatures averaging so far this summer.

Thanks.

sjm817 · #2 06/30/2007, 08:16 AM

My temps dont vary between day and evening. So far this Summer, I maintain 78 - 79 degrees. No chiller. My heaters dont come on very often if at all.

blmeier7 · #3 06/30/2007, 09:33 AM

Over my 55g I have 4-54w T5 and my temp never gets above 82 in the summer and 80 during the winter. I do keep a small fan blowing across the fixture that comes on when the lights come on during the summer months only.

RichConley · #4 06/30/2007, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by blmeier7
Over my 55g I have 4-54w T5 and my temp never gets above 82 in the summer and 80 during the winter. I do keep a small fan blowing across the fixture that comes on when the lights come on during the summer months only.

And I have 2x250w MH on my 58, and dont need a chiller either.

This whole T5s are cooler thing is mostly untrue. If you need a chiller, its generally not your lights that are the problem. Its either pumps, or a poorly designed hood.

blmeier7 · #5 06/30/2007, 10:40 AM

T5's aren't cooler than MH??? I would like to see some proof on that one. Are you going by par, watts or what to come to this conclusion?

Engine 7 · #6 06/30/2007, 10:49 AM

I have seen many tanks with halides and with T5's. Myself, I have (2) 250 watt halides going. Metal halide tanks are always hotter and need supplimental cooling such as extra fans and chillers. T5 tanks donot seem to need extra fans and chillers.
I am setting up a new tank that I hope to go T5's on to save on cooling/power costs.

Jeff

RichConley · #7 06/30/2007, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by blmeier7
T5's aren't cooler than MH??? I would like to see some proof on that one. Are you going by par, watts or what to come to this conclusion?

Electrical efficiency. Their light output (and heat output) per watt are within 5%.

MHs are hotter, but dont put out any more heat, its just over a smaller surface area. Its like a 60w lamp vs a 60w soldering iron. Both produce 60w of heat, one just does it over a 2" circle while the other does it on a pencil tip

Plenty of people run MHs and dont need supplemental cooling. Plenty of people run T5s and do.

Its all about how the fixture and hood are designed. Not about the lighting technology.

blmeier7 · #8 06/30/2007, 11:14 AM

I agree that if you have 500w of MH and 500w of T5 that one isn't going to be any cooler than another. It seems that most people that run T5's don't have near the wattage that a MH user is running. For example, you have 500w over your 58g and I have 216w over my 55g. I don't know what your tank temp runs and it probably wouldn't be fair to compare because of the house temp, room ventalation, outside temps, and so on.

My argument would be if you have two identical tanks in the same room and one has T5 and the other MH both with comparable par (not watts) that the T5's tank would run cooler. It would be an interesting experiment at least.

b16drag · #9 06/30/2007, 11:35 AM

There is a reason why I asked only for T5's. I dont want this to be a T5 vs MH debate. I guess I should have rephrased my question a bit better. Thanks for those who have answered!

sean obergfell · #10 06/30/2007, 08:12 PM

I believe much of the issue has to do with the fixture....not all fixtures are created equal.

aninjaatemyshoe · #11 06/30/2007, 08:28 PM

Throw this one in there: Using a Metal Halide with a light mover will allow you to acheive a much better result with less Watts and will avoid having one area of the tank getting too much concentrated heat.

Absolutely it has alot to do with the fixture and the method of cooling. Metal halides typically are less restrictive in terms of air circulation above the tank than bulky T5 fixtures are. Since evaporative cooling is critical to keeping temps down in lue of a chiller, I would propose that Watt for Watt MH setups are easier to cool than T5 ones.

sjm817 · #12 06/30/2007, 09:35 PM

From what I can tell, my 600W worth of T5s in a low enclosed canopy do not raise the temperature at all in my system. The temp is the same with the lights on during the day as at night with them off. I cant complain about that.

chem-e · #13 06/30/2007, 09:47 PM

My tank stay around 78F without fans or a chiller. It'll go over 80F once in a while, but that about it. If I know that it's going to be a really hot day, I just won't turn on the lights, but for the most part, I don't need to do anything.

Henry Bowman · #14 06/30/2007, 11:27 PM

My 90 gl tank with an Aquactinics T5 fixture runs betw 78-80. I do have a chiller but have not had it kick on yet this year. It will get hotter and I dont keep the house cool to keep the tank from going over 81 (that's what the chiller is for !) IF I kept the AC at 75 +/- I would not need the chiller.

The Aquactinics fixture is completely enclosed with fans on it. No heat from the light is exposed to the tank.

silverwolf72 · #15 06/30/2007, 11:31 PM

The surface area of T5s is a lot higher than MH lights, the more surface area the easier it is to remove the heat. I think MH also put out more UV radiation than fluorescents which is converted into heat energy, but I may be wrong on that one

Ti · #16 06/30/2007, 11:36 PM

82 at most so far

b16drag · #17 07/01/2007, 01:39 AM

Good replies. Thanks!

The Grim Reefer · #18 07/01/2007, 01:55 AM

I've ran halides and overdriven T5's on the same tank. Trust me, the halides cause more heat. I got more light from the T5's and even running them in a canopy with glass lids on the tank the temp was easily controlled with a couple fans blowing in the canopy. I think it maxed at 81 degrees. The tank was in front of a west facing window too.