spacenyc

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amazed at the price of lights. was at Lowes doing some shopping and they were having a closeout on t-5 light fixtures and ballast. and running a sale which made them extaordinarly cheap, can i use these on a tank, what specs do i look for for a ballast and fixture. what type of t5 can i use on tanks with corals and which fixture on a fowlr. didnt get the actual specs cause i was in a hurry but if someone tells me what to look for i will search for it and post it. thanks in advance?
 

Domboski

No Coral Here
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Montclair, NJ
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I use T5 Ballasts from Lowes on my fixture (Actinics). You have to be especially carfeul with heat though. The ballasts are not meant to deal with heat. I had one leak out black melted plastic. I've been using the ballast on the actinics for 3 years without a problem but it has been only powering 48" T5 pure actinic bulbs.

You probably can buy ballasts that can be used for a reef tank T5 but like I meantioned earlier, I'd buy reef aquarium specifically developed T5s. Research the bulbs you want to get and then see if Lowes has the right ballasts to power them (I'm sure they do).

As far as the bulbs, go with the T5 bulbs made especially for our hobby (not Lowes or HD bulbs). I have found any bulb I have bought and used from HD and Lowes for any aquarium use (plant lights, refugiums, culturing, etc) lose their useful light very quckly. You'll end up spending the same amount of money or more replacing the Lowes bulbs than just buying a bulb manufactured specifically for aquarium use.

If you have a FOWLR, why not buy a shoplight fixture. I have one similar to these from lowes on my FOWLR. You can buy the T-8s anywhere and at all different wavelengths. I only have one actinic bulb in mine at the moment and it is bright enough for a FOWLR.

Just my .02
 
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