Fans or no fans on T5 lights?

[metalac]

I'm in a process of buying lights and I would like to know if I should be looking for something with fans. How much do fans increase the life of the bulbs? It seems that with no fans bulbs should be replaced anywhere from 6-12 months, what about with fans? Also any tips on good T5 units out there. It seems that no fan units run around $300-400 while the ones with fan go for $500-$800. I'd like to get something with 6 to 8 bulbs if possible, but I doubt I could afford that for the faned version.

 

[mr_X]

how long did you want to keep your bulbs....over a year? how much are T5 bulbs anyway?

 

[metalac]

how long did you want to keep your bulbs....over a year? how much are T5 bulbs anyway?

well they're about $20, but if you got 8 of them it adds up

 

[mr_X]

i can't see fans increasing T5 bulb life so much that it's not worth buying a fixture without it. halides maybe, but not T5's.
they don't throw that much heat for it to be an issue IMO.

 

[metalac]

Well that's sort of what I thought as well, but I wanted to check. It might be worth it if it would get you twice the life, but it seems it's just a couple of months and that's it. It looks like I will be going with a fanless option, since I can get an 8 bulb unit for the price of the faned 4 bulb unit.

 

[mr_X]

i dont' blame ya. post some pics :wink:

 

[metalac]

I will definitely put some before/after shots, and update my tank tread. I havent posted any pictures since I got rid of algae, and I got some new livestock.

 

[midgetwaiter]

It's not just about life, although that is a concern, a cooler bulb puts out more light. This is why you see really high end units like the ATI powermodule having one fan per bulb.

As with just about everything else the more expensive fixtures are that way for a reason.

 

[ChrisRD]

Yep - the fans will get you better lamp life and better output. Also, take reflectors into account. The better lighting units often have better reflectors which can make a big difference in output.