Changing Fluorescent bulbs

saram521

saram521

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May 10, 2008
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Sara
I have a 5g tank that has a 9w fluorescent bulb in the hood, and I've had the light running since january of this year. The only plant I had in there was java moss, which was growing pretty nicely until about a month or so ago. The moss started becoming squiggly and thin, as opposed to thick with nice fronds which is what it started out as. I haven't changed anything in the tank such as water parameters, etc. and I do weekly wc's of 50% or more. Does my lightbulb need changing already or could the weak growth be happening because of something else?
 
Which type of fluorescent, t8? If so then thats normal for it to have lost alot of its output.
 
Yeah, I find that after 9 months to a year I need to replace fluorescent bulbs in my tanks whether they've blown out or not. They just aren't as bright anymore. You'll notice it as soon as you pop a new bulb in how much brighter it looks.
 
OK, so does anyone know what is the life os a fluorescent bulbs???, I was told to change it every 6 months if used 10hrs a day.
 
The actual life of a fluorescent lamp can be measured in years. The quality of light output as applied to aquaria is in months with 6 months being the average life for maximum light. You may not see the difference but plants and fish will as they are below the surface. The surface reflects a portion of the light back up.
 
T8/T12 need to be replaced after 6months no longer than 9. The reason is that they produce an erratic light spectrum and the plants suffer.

But T5 and CF bulbs will actually burn out before their light output becomes unstable, so its not uncommon for alot of people to run them until they burn out.

@DavidZ which type of bulb are you looking for, since not all retailers have the best prices for every type?
 
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