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#1
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Overdriving T8's or T12's?
I have a question that has been buggin me for some time now...is it possible to wire up some NO T8's or T12's to get enough lumins to keep a good variety of coral...the most demanding I would be keeping would be my anem, and prolly a bubble......I am trying to do a lowbuget 55 tank....a starting with 2 48" shoplights from Home Depot..4 bulbs ...what kind of ballest(s) would I be looking at to overdrive them to the point that it would be worth it...(im out on disability for a while and need a "project" to do..)
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#2
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You will be MUCH better off just purchasing a T5 retro kit with IceCap SLR reflectors. You will get MUCH more bang for the buck.
A Large portion of light from T12 bulbs is wasted (T8 also). Overdriving gets MORE light in the same SPACE, but lowers overall efficiency. We overdrive becasue we can not get enough T12 lamps over a tank. T5 bulbs are narrow and lend themselves to narrow SLR reflectors that are very efficient at getting light into the tank. They also allow MANY bulbs to be placed over the tank. |
#3
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I have an ice cap 660 with t12 bulbs that need to be replaced should I consider rewiring and going with t5 bulbs. I wouldn't be able to use more than 4 bulbs would I? So that would mean I would lose watts.
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#4
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The T5s would still put more light INTO the tank.
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#5
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Well here's my two cents. T5's are expensive.
First thing I would do is go look at some FW Planted tank stuff. Those guys like to overdrive stuff it seems My first experiment would be do get a 48" T8 shoplight and hook up 24" bulbs to it. See what happens - you never know Then maybe see about getting some polished aluminum and making a decent reflector. It seems that's where T5's REALLY have their advantage. Most I've seen on here is T5's don't work well unless they each have their own decent reflector. Heck I'm tempted to try this myself...I could use a little supplemental lighting for my 20g on the cheap. |
#6
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The original question is whether it is possible to do run a 55 with overdriven T8/12s. To which the answer is: Yes. But, is it practical considering the options available? Not really. Properly overdriving requires specific ballasts, which are generally not overly cheap. Also, you simply will not get as much light out of overdriven T8/12s as you would out of T5s. Throw in shortened bulb life and greater heat and you end up with a system that was good enough when reefkeeping first started, but it is no longer really viable.
I've got a 55 FW planted with 2 T5s (10k & actinic) over it and it seems brigher than many PC tanks I have seen. I would opt for a Tek Ready-Fit or Tek Retro-Fit (with Icecap reflectors) from Reefgeek. Both are $159 (but you might have a small upgrade fee for Icecap reflectors on the Retro-Fit). A good VHO ballast can easily cost $100, and then there will be bulbs and endcaps to buy. Jasonh, good luck with the DIY T8 reflector. A well designed T5 reflector is 4-5 times the width of the T5 bulb. Even if you could just supersize a T5 reflector you would end up with a T8 reflector 4-5" wide and it still wouldn't have the benefits of being computer designed. |
#7
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#8
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Re: Overdriving T8's or T12's?
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If you want variable lighting from the same bulb, www.naturallighting.com sells dimming ballasts. In fact, they sell T6-HO bulbs that are rated for 32 to 55 watts. I've purchased T6-HO bulbs from this vendor and they do work at lower wattages. I had 4-foot T6-HO bulbs running with 40-watt ballasts. Here are some links: VHO Kits: http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_Aquari..._subindex.html Dimming Ballasts: http://www.naturallighting.com/web/shop.php?crn=623 T6-HO (32w-55w): http://www.naturallighting.com/web/shop.php?crn=704 The advantage of standard bi-pin T6 lighting is that it is plug-compatible with T8, T10 & T12 sockets. Beware of non-standard T6 lamps that are simply T5's with T6 endcaps. T5's are about 2 inches shorter than equivalent T6/T8/T10/T12 lamps. |
#9
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Overdriving is fine, especially if you are on a budget. Do it with T8, not T12's though. The shop lights at Home depot aren't made they way they used to be when the ODNO DIY articles were published. You have to buy the individual ballasts and end caps and wire the thing up yourself. It is quite easy to do. I have pics of a setup I did if you need to see them.
Truth be told, if I hadn't had so many electrical parts already on hand it would have been cheaper to get a T5 setup. If you figure that I am using 8 ballasts at $25-30 a pop, plus all those endcaps at about $3 a set for the cheapest non-waterproof kind and about $10 a set for the ones you should use you can see that a T5 setup would be a great way to avoid the pains of doing it yourself and getting more light and using less energy for not much more investment. |
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