T5 bulbs how often you change them

[larryl]

ATI bulbs and I change every 10-12 months.

 

[H2O]

Did any one check par on their new bulbs and then checked them again after 12 mo of use to see how much it dropped ?

 

[reefknight]

This will be my first change out on mine. Running an ATI PM 10 x 54w with ATI & KZ lamps. All lamps have been in service about 10 months. I'll begin changing them out in the coming weeks. Probably half of them this month, the others next month. Figuring that it help to acclimate the corals to the newer lamps.

 

[Rubensreef]

well ,depends on your lighting cycle....but most will be between 9 - 18 months ..........if you see some alge growing ...its one topic to check

 

[kuyatwo]

When I ran an ati powermodule I changed them every 6 months sell them for half the price so I ended having new bulbs every six months for price of a set of bulbs


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[Dave3112]

I changed mine out every 12-14 months. I ran all ATI bulbs in a Current Nova Extreme fixture. In my experience cheaper bulbs will not last as long as better quality bulbs. But most of the time I changed out the "daylight" bulbs right away and the "blues" a couple of months later.

 

[GoTakeANap]

i change mine out every 12 months

 

[EpicWin]

This is an interesting topic. Most people answer with what psychology would predict. The manufacturer tells us 12-18 months and those of us who " love our tanks the most" will only use them half that long. I have the technical background/ degrees to back the statement that I think the bulbs last longer and the manufacturers just want us to change them so they make money. Now, I fully concede that bulbs shift to a more red spectrum over time and that they produce less par. However natural conditions also do this with the earths rotation. I think if the bulb is still bright and not dead at the ends keep using it.

 

[kuyatwo]

I change mine every 6 months. I can sell them for 1/2 the price of new bulbs quite easily on our local fish forum.

I get bulbs changed twice a year for the price of one set of new bulbs


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[Ike]

I change mine every 6 months. I can sell them for 1/2 the price of new bulbs quite easily on our local fish forum.

I get bulbs changed twice a year for the price of one set of new bulbs


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I think we got the point the first two times you posted it...

I change my T5's every 12 months and run them about 8 hours a day.

 

[DontMakeNoSense]

I changed mine every 6 months but now I have LEDs.


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[NanaReefer]

Once a year here Tax return don't ya know-lol

 

[JMSKI333]

Wow there is a clear winner on here!

 

[jerl77]

Every 8 months

 

[nitro'sreef]

I change every 10-12 months.

 

[reefstc]

would be good to know this in term of hours. Everyone runs different light period and it can translate into big difference in terms of months.

 

[ReeferRookie]

Eeek bulb changing ill stick to leds although t5 is awesome.!!!

 

[ThaBeast]

I change mine every six months in a Sfiligoi 8 lamp (has active cooling). I run my t5s 12 hours a day. I considered changing to LEDs to have a new tank gadget but all my buddies convinced me otherwise

 

[pwhitby]

i found that in the tek fixture i needed to change bulbs more frequently than i did with the retrofit reflectors. i used to get 10 months, now inn 12-13/14 mo

 

[ronnie]

Well I have had both overdriven and non-overdriven T-5 setups and here is what I typically did:

Overdriven: Replace every 9 - 12 months, 12 being the max

Non-Overdriven: Replace every 14 - 18 months, 18 being the max.

I typically stuck around the lower end of that except for my last replacement as I wanted to go LED, but couldn't round up the cash to do it...

You will see color shift and coral growth issues at the top end of the range. If you use the coral growth as an indicator you will know when they need to go.

** Edit: This is assuming you are using quality lamps as they can typically last longer than the cheaper lamps out there. Cheap lamps you may have to replace much sooner.

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