How Many Hours on your CF lamps?

montanabay · #1 08/30/2007, 07:39 PM

Factory grade 36wt CF lamps on my tank that have been running for ~8hrs a day for 6months, when is it time to change them out?

Cheers,

Josh

blink* · #2 08/30/2007, 08:14 PM

More than overdue, IMO. When I ran 96w PCs, there was a visible degrade within 2-3 months. PCs just don't hold intensity long.

ianiwane · #3 08/30/2007, 08:17 PM

PC's will degrade in intensity fast (think a few weeks) however will continue with the same intensity pretty much until they burn out. There has been a lot of dicussions in the plantedtank forums about this. People have used par meters to prove this. Unless your coral are not doing as well as before there really is no need to change out the bulbs. Use them until they burn out.

rhythmicfire · #4 08/30/2007, 08:33 PM

Isn't 2-3 months kind of quick to be switching out bulbs?

blink* · #5 08/30/2007, 08:59 PM

Thats why I don't run PCs anymore. Hot, and in the long run not worth the expense. Bulb color was not to my liking either. They are pretty bright, but not for long. VHOs and T-5s look and last better in my opinion/ experience.