Shelf life of T5

[LOVEROCK]

Anyone know how long t5 bulbs can sit around on a shelf , and not in a fixture ?

 

[rwreef]

A long time..if unpowered and in a temp controlled environment...I would assume

 

[LOVEROCK]

i wooulddd hope so, anyone else can chime in

 

[andrewkw]

I would guess at least as long as a humans lifespan maybe longer. Not that it's been that long but when I moved into my house in 2016 I bought some regular household led's but I did not replace all the lights. One burned out last week and I used the last one from the pack to replace it.

I still have the T5 bulbs I got with my fixture a few years ago. Feel free to PM me in 50 years and I'll check if they still work.

What reason do you think they'd go bad?

 

[JGT]

I have 25 year old T5’s that started right up after I got back into the hobby. They are like cockroaches. Can’t kill em.

 

[LOVEROCK]

I would guess at least as long as a humans lifespan maybe longer. Not that it's been that long but when I moved into my house in 2016 I bought some regular household led's but I did not replace all the lights. One burned out last week and I used the last one from the pack to replace it.

I still have the T5 bulbs I got with my fixture a few years ago. Feel free to PM me in 50 years and I'll check if they still work.

What reason do you think they'd go bad?

Brs said something about t5 being a dieing breed . by the day . its got me real nervous .

 

[andrewkw]

Brs said something about t5 being a dieing breed . by the day . its got me real nervous .

Depending on how nervous "real nervous" is I would suggest you figure out how many T5's you need for the rest of your life, then invest the money in some low risk, low return investment. When it starts looking like they are actually on their way out you can buy them then.

Metal halides are still going strong. Yes a few big manufactures have stopped making them but throwing a guestimate out I would say we are very safe for the next 5 years and probably at least 10 more years of getting decent aquarium bulbs perhaps longer. You can probably find some people here who are still using VHO's and maybe even PC bulbs.

 

[JGT]

They were referring more to the tech. Sim to how LEDs have overtaken MH, they see the same for T5’s .

 

[sfin52]

Depending on how nervous "real nervous" is I would suggest you figure out how many T5's you need for the rest of your life, then invest the money in some low risk, low return investment. When it starts looking like they are actually on their way out you can buy them then.

Metal halides are still going strong. Yes a few big manufactures have stopped making them but throwing a guestimate out I would say we are very safe for the next 5 years and probably at least 10 more years of getting decent aquarium bulbs perhaps longer. You can probably find some people here who are still using VHO's and maybe even PC bulbs.

@fishguy242 is still using vho

 

[LOVEROCK]

@fishguy242 is still using vho

fish guy do you have a picture of your tank ? !

 

[fishguy242]

hi,use em'til the blacken or go out,i am still effectively using t 12 6' 165watt uri vho's until they burn out ,some bulbs 25 yrs old running 11-13 hrs a day they still work ,here is example ,all vho 10 6'er's on standard 240

 

[JGT]

That monti/rock is huge! Second pic, from the angle looks like a toilet.

 

[fishguy242]

That monti/rock is huge! Second pic, from the angle looks like a toilet.

hollywood stunner 19 yrs and tons of frags