I find myself in need of T-5, both NO & HO 24 inch, & straight pin 65w PC bulbs...where are the current best places to buy? I'm not ready to make the LED jump ATM...
best source for T-5 & PC bulbs?
- Thread starter fishorama
- Start date
If daylight color is okay, it's really hard to beat the GE daylight bulbs available at Lowes/HomeDepot. They have good daylight spectrum for a great price. If you want bulbs with less common spectra, I used to like ordering from Premium Aquatics, before I switched to LEDs.
Thanks, I'll check out Lowes. I've looked there before, I don't remember what size I needed then but they didn't have it, well maybe a weird spectrum (2700k?). Then I'll check Premium, I don't need anything "special", just to grow medium light plants & make my fish look "normal". I have both old 6500k & 10,000k PCs, either are ok, I lean toward the 6700k (ish), better yellowish than too hard blue/white I guess, but like I said old bulbs...
The difficult bulbs are actual "30" inch T-5 NOs, not 24 inch HOs. I need to measure, as some sites, like Hellolights, list actual bulb length, not "fixture size", better as MANY 30" fixtures actually hold 24" tubes, not mine, that's what I liked...until now...
The difficult bulbs are actual "30" inch T-5 NOs, not 24 inch HOs. I need to measure, as some sites, like Hellolights, list actual bulb length, not "fixture size", better as MANY 30" fixtures actually hold 24" tubes, not mine, that's what I liked...until now...
Thanks Roy, a local club member may be selling his AH PC bulbs separately from his "kits", fingers crossed, that'd be easiest & probably cheapest for my PCs. I don't want his other stuff though, so I'll have to wait...
ah supplies uses the t5 that are power compact
I get bulb for std t5 from aquatraders or kens fish
I get bulb for std t5 from aquatraders or kens fish
Thanks, Ed, I'll check out aquatraders. Ken didn't have the right sizes when I checked recently. S & H adds quite a lot to costs too. I "think" AH had PCs & T-5 HOs in the size I need but not NOs. As you can tell, I was hoping for 1 stop shopping & S & H. Luckily I'm not in a hurry, yet.
If you don't want to go mail-order, like said, check Lowes. I was pleasantly surprised at their selection of ~6500K lamps, T5, T8 and they even had some 48" 6500K T12s! Perfect if you wanted to go with a cheap 48" shop light on a low tech planted tank.
