Do T5 HO fixtures NEED cooling fans?

jon326 · 12/30/2011, 03:57 PM

Hey guys, I saw this on ebay;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/30-INCH-T5-H...item41604d066f

while it was junk i saw and been reading posts about making your own t5 fixture from supplies from home depot etc but some sites either neglect or dont say one way or another if cooling fans are a necessity, how hot do they get? is the fan for the lamps or for the ballast ?

billwill · 12/30/2011, 09:18 PM

Not necessarily. None of the horticulture fixtures have fans. Majority of Sunlight Supply fixtures don't have fans. If retrofit mounted in a canopy, I'd recommend fans to keep the tank from heating up.

James77 · 12/30/2011, 09:46 PM

The fan is for the lamps. You can most certainly run any T5s with no cooling fans. However, T5s need to run at a set temperature- 95* IIRC- to give out the maximum PAR(intensity) and have the longest life.

Also, the linked light has one reflector. T5s- again to get the most of them- should have individual parabolic reflectors. The lamps included are crap as well.

When you factor in all the savings of getting a quality fixture or setup- less bulbs needed, longer bulb life, quality, etc- it makes sense to save up for a good one. That said, I'd have no problem throwing a cheap-o over a fish only or a tank with minimal easy coral

rtparty · 12/30/2011, 10:34 PM

If T5s aren't properly cooled they need to be replaced every 6 months and you will get about 50% of their PAR when running.

Is it worth replacing bulbs every 6 months and losing all that performance?

12/30/2011, 03:57 PM	#1
jon326 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 11	Do T5 HO fixtures NEED cooling fans? Hey guys, I saw this on ebay; http://www.ebay.com/itm/30-INCH-T5-H...item41604d066f while it was junk i saw and been reading posts about making your own t5 fixture from supplies from home depot etc but some sites either neglect or dont say one way or another if cooling fans are a necessity, how hot do they get? is the fan for the lamps or for the ballast ?

12/30/2011, 09:46 PM	#3
James77 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 8,158	The fan is for the lamps. You can most certainly run any T5s with no cooling fans. However, T5s need to run at a set temperature- 95* IIRC- to give out the maximum PAR(intensity) and have the longest life. Also, the linked light has one reflector. T5s- again to get the most of them- should have individual parabolic reflectors. The lamps included are crap as well. When you factor in all the savings of getting a quality fixture or setup- less bulbs needed, longer bulb life, quality, etc- it makes sense to save up for a good one. That said, I'd have no problem throwing a cheap-o over a fish only or a tank with minimal easy coral __________________ Jim Current Tank Info: 120g Mixed Reef and 75g Freshwater

12/30/2011, 10:34 PM	#4
rtparty Raise The Reef! Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Utah Posts: 7,404	If T5s aren't properly cooled they need to be replaced every 6 months and you will get about 50% of their PAR when running. Is it worth replacing bulbs every 6 months and losing all that performance? __________________ Ryan Click on my user name and check out my homepage! Current Tank Info: 50g Cadlights/Giesemann Spectra (250w Radium, 2 ATI Blue Plus, 2 ATI Actinic)/2 x Vortech MP10wQD/Skimz SN123/Eheim Compact 3000+

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12/30/2011, 09:18 PM	#2
billwill Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 244	Not necessarily. None of the horticulture fixtures have fans. Majority of Sunlight Supply fixtures don't have fans. If retrofit mounted in a canopy, I'd recommend fans to keep the tank from heating up.