I was just reading that aquarium manufacturers are now trying to replace the standard t8 lighting in all basic kits to t6 lighting which is better for plants and very similar to t5! can anybody confirm this?
New concept: t6 lighting soon to become standard to replace t8
- Thread starter mr.bigglesworth
- Start date
Well, without seeing the story (a link would be helpful 
) I can only venture an opinon: I don't see how a very minor change in the diameter of bulbs would create any sort of dramatic difference in either the appearance or effectiveness of the lighting. We already have T12, 8, and 5, ranging from 1 in diameter to just under 1/2 in. And most of them are on the verge of being considered obsolete as LED becomes the current rage.
If I were an old cynical person I would suspect that somebody is out to make a buck with a Big New WhoopTeDoo Different Thing that makes very little difference at all but can be sold for a premium price.
i could of course be completely wrong. If it works, it works. But I would not jump on a T6 fixture until guaranteed continuing availability of replacement bulbs. /shrug.
) I can only venture an opinon: I don't see how a very minor change in the diameter of bulbs would create any sort of dramatic difference in either the appearance or effectiveness of the lighting. We already have T12, 8, and 5, ranging from 1 in diameter to just under 1/2 in. And most of them are on the verge of being considered obsolete as LED becomes the current rage. If I were an old cynical person I would suspect that somebody is out to make a buck with a Big New WhoopTeDoo Different Thing that makes very little difference at all but can be sold for a premium price.
i could of course be completely wrong. If it works, it works. But I would not jump on a T6 fixture until guaranteed continuing availability of replacement bulbs. /shrug.
There was a post maybe 6 months or so ago (perhaps even longer) about T2 lighting becoming the next big thing for planted tanks...IF they want to change, I can't imagine why any manufacturer would pick T6 over T5 when the availability of bulbs is probably dramatically different.
From what I've read(which admittedly isn't a lot) these are primarily geared towards retrofits. In that they give more light from and existing T8 fixture than when using a T8 bulb but saves you the cost of upgrading to a T5 fixture. They claim that by upgrading your T8 fixture to a T5 ballast you can get even more light, although I don't see specific numbers stated(just ranges of 10-40% increases) which always makes me suspicious. If what they say is true then it certainly could be a useful option for planted aquariums(especially non CO2 setups) to get a bit higher light with out the expense and what usually amounts to overkill of buying a T5 fixture.
