T5 and T8 fluorescent bulbs

[Anthony Acchione]

I am looking to set up my system with a T5 or T8 fluorescent bulb for a 5 gal system. I was thinking of growing herbs like thyme and basil, as well as leafy greens like kale, spinach, and possibly arugula. would the T5 and T8 bulbs grow these types of leafy greens well?

[darryl cotton]

Inda-Gro lamps do not have to be changed and come with a ten year warranty.  The reason for that is the induction lamp itself is a 58mm (2") diameter coated with PAR phosphors that contribute to explosive rooting at 1/2 the temperature of a T5.  

 

The lamps are energized by two magnets that surround the lamp at either end.  Without a socket or pins the lumen depreciation is negligible.  At 70,000 hours the lamp still produces 90% of it's initial lumen output.  

 

Also the way the fixtures are constructed you can angle them into the plant and the eye does not get blinded while the plant is highlighted as if on a stage.  

 

Yes they are more money but the results speak for themselves.

 

 

 

 

[Vlad Jovanovic]

Anthony here are a couple of updated pics of various leafy greens and some hot peppers with just a pair of 36Watt T-8's... The trick is just keeping them relatively close to the tops of your plants and not way up high. This was accomplished with a 4 dollar investment in small chains which allow me to lower or raise the lights as needed...

 

 

 

[Vlad Jovanovic]

Those induction lamps are truly brilliant. I'm surprised that these haven't caught on earlier (seeing as how Tesla patented this technology in 1890). A 10 year warranty is mighty fine, and the savings of not having to replace the bulb every year is truly significant. It will be interesting to see how they compete with the new generation of LED's coming out. (X-Lens technology and the like)...  

darryl cotton said:

Inda-Gro lamps do not have to be changed and come with a ten year warranty.  The reason for that is the induction lamp itself is a 58mm (2") diameter coated with PAR phosphors that contribute to explosive rooting at 1/2 the temperature of a T5.  

 

The lamps are energized by two magnets that surround the lamp at either end.  Without a socket or pins the lumen depreciation is negligible.  At 70,000 hours the lamp still produces 90% of it's initial lumen output.  

 

Also the way the fixtures are constructed you can angle them into the plant and the eye does not get blinded while the plant is highlighted as if on a stage.  

 

Yes they are more money but the results speak for themselves.

 

 

 

 

[Diane Reilly]

It is important to note that T5s usually require new fixtures and cannot be easily retrofitted into existing T8 or T12 systems.However, using fixtures specifically designed for T5 lamps optimizes performance and prevents the misapplication of other types of lamps – a common problem with T8 systems. Compared to metal-halide systems, T5s offer better lighting quality due to a higher color-rendering index, better light distribution, and lumen maintenance. led high bays

[jerry]

Yeah, induction lamp  for plants growing is better that LED or his lamps

[Vlad Jovanovic]

T-8's are by no means a serious grow light. But for Anthony's 5 gallon system looking to grow basil and thyme and the like, I'm sure they'd fit the bill. Why you'd buy an induction lamp for a 5 gallon window-sill herb system is beyond me.

As for the world of flouro's I've found my light of choice...PL-L lights. http://aquaponicscommunity.com/group/artificiallighting/forum/topic...

Still cannot compete Watt for Watt with my MH, HPS or SON-T-AGROS, but I'm much happier with PL-L's than my T-5's...

And the initial investment as well as the running costs HID's still comes out cheaper than T-5's for all but the smallest of systems.

LED's, like induction lighting falls in the financial real of "FantasyLand" at the moment, but if anyone has any they'd like to donate, I'd be more than happy to give 'em a whirl too...

[Paul Letby]

Good points there on changing bulbs more often than I do.  Ha ha!  I would like to point out that if you have older T12 fixtures installed like I do you can change them over to T8 with a simple ballast change.  Bulbs will fit and if you're at all comfortable with electrical work it's easy.  Wiring is actually simpler than the old ballast.  That's what I'm about to do with my setup.  I grow nothing more challenging than lettuce so I'm good with this.

[Vlad Jovanovic]

If your changing out/buying the ballasts and your already comfortable with a bit of basic electric work, you might want to try running the T-8's ODNO style.

Of all the flouro's, T-8's seem to be the sweet spot for the ODNO modification giving the most gain in light. (T-12's give weaker gains, and many T-5's come ODNO out of the factory already... so no gains there). You can google ODNO if anyone wants to try it, there are many good tutorials/diagrams out there. Basically your just running multiple leads (2x or 4x) into a single bulb (instead of 2 bulbs or 4). 

[Vlad Jovanovic]

That may be true if you are trying to illuminate an office or shop, but for growing plants I just don't see how T-5's are either better or even cheaper. (BTW the "better color rendering index" is only true if your T-5's are tri-phosphor, which is not standard (PL-L's are however tri-phosphor standardized in the flouro realm). And "better lumen maintenance" with T-5's is a total joke compared to metal halide (again for use as a grow light).

That whole last sentence sounds like a silly blurb from a flouro lighting manufacturer...

Diane Reilly said:

It is important to note that T5s usually require new fixtures and cannot be easily retrofitted into existing T8 or T12 systems.However, using fixtures specifically designed for T5 lamps optimizes performance and prevents the misapplication of other types of lamps – a common problem with T8 systems. Compared to metal-halide systems, T5s offer better lighting quality due to a higher color-rendering index, better light distribution, and lumen maintenance. led high bays