Both T5's & PC's are fluorescent lights. Period. The difference is the shape & sizes of the bulbs at the most basic.
Even though they are all fluorescent in theory but actually they are different in energy efficiency. Many LED also use flourescent material to make different colors but they do not perform the same as regular fluorescent bulbs.
The HUGE difference comes in when you talk about reflectors.
Agreed.
Ming is very when he speaks of losing half of the light of the bulbs without use of an individual reflector for each.
This true to almost any bulbs which cannot emit light at only one direction
That's why when you look at a good T5 - they are so bright.
I don't mean to echo all that Ming said, but I recently learned a LOT about lighting from a fellow who designs lighting systems..so I'd like to reinforce the really good advise when it shows up here
Two other things I learned. They quality of the reflector is huge..
(agreed)it's amazing how much more light you will get from the entire bulb if the reflector isn't made of a more porus material (may still look shiny to us, but there are big differences.) You do get what you pay for in a reflector.
Second thing is fans that run in your canopy...if you & your reef buddy have identical MH lights..and your fans circulate the warm air away from your lights..and his blow directly onto his MH's to keep them cool - you will get better growth (if all other factors remain the same). The cooling of the bulb
itself will reduce the par of the bulb. They need to be run at the temperature they were intended to run at.
(same in T5, if you know the optimal temp, it can much brighter) If we do something to change that temp, we have reduced their ability to do what is expected of them.
Thanks for letting me butt in
