How to switch from t8s to t5s

VanMarine · 04/24/2012, 06:16 PM

So I want to stop using t8 bulbs on my tank and start using t5s. I know very little about lighting and all the information on the internet is just confusing me. Could someone please explain it to me? Is there (hopefully) just an adapter I can stick in my light fixture? Thanks.

Mike31154 · 04/24/2012, 09:40 PM

The best way to make such a switch is to simply replace the entire fixture with a manufactured T5 unit. More importantly than the lamp diameter & different pin spacing, T8 & T5HO require different ballasts. If you're that unfamiliar with lighting it would not be advisable to try any kind of adaptation using existing parts. Even if you are, by the time you get adapters & new ballasts, it's unlikely you would realize any significant savings.

Another option would be to ditch the fluorescent lighting completely and go LED. If you search around the net, you'll find there are LED tubes available that will adapt into T8 fixtures. But most of them are still inadequate for our hobby (depending on what livestock you keep) & fairly costly. You also need to do some rewiring with these, which usually involves removing or bypassing the ballast since the LED driver is built into the tube.

VanMarine · 04/25/2012, 12:10 PM

Thanks for the info!

04/24/2012, 06:16 PM	#1
VanMarine Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 14	How to switch from t8s to t5s So I want to stop using t8 bulbs on my tank and start using t5s. I know very little about lighting and all the information on the internet is just confusing me. Could someone please explain it to me? Is there (hopefully) just an adapter I can stick in my light fixture? Thanks.

04/24/2012, 09:40 PM	#2
Mike31154 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: B.C. Canada Posts: 1,555	The best way to make such a switch is to simply replace the entire fixture with a manufactured T5 unit. More importantly than the lamp diameter & different pin spacing, T8 & T5HO require different ballasts. If you're that unfamiliar with lighting it would not be advisable to try any kind of adaptation using existing parts. Even if you are, by the time you get adapters & new ballasts, it's unlikely you would realize any significant savings. Another option would be to ditch the fluorescent lighting completely and go LED. If you search around the net, you'll find there are LED tubes available that will adapt into T8 fixtures. But most of them are still inadequate for our hobby (depending on what livestock you keep) & fairly costly. You also need to do some rewiring with these, which usually involves removing or bypassing the ballast since the LED driver is built into the tube. __________________ Mike Current Tank Info: 77g sumpless sw with rock, sand, a few critters, fishes & polyps. Lights, pumps..... Last edited by Mike31154; 04/24/2012 at 09:46 PM.

04/25/2012, 12:10 PM	#3
VanMarine Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 14	Thanks for the info!