T5 Aquarium Lighting Fixtures - What You Need To Know

These days there are so many different T5 aquarium lighting fixtures available, that it can be hard to know where to start! Which length should I get? How many T5 lamps do I need? How many watts? What's the best setup for T5 aquarium lighting? So many questions!

But the first thing to ask yourself is: which lighting will be best for my aquarium? Know the specifics of your tank and what you're planning to grow. Keep that in mind while we take a look at the latest and greatest T5 aquarium lighting fixtures available on the market today.

If you want to cut to the chase, you can check out one of the most recommended brands right away – click here. Or keep reading to find out the best features to look for when selecting T5 aquarium lighting.

Before we go on, it might help to clarify some of the terminology and numbers you'll come across when researching aquarium lighting. Here are some basic definitions.

T5 – refers to the shape and size of the fluorescent lamp (from the standard naming system). 'T' is for tubular and the 5 refers to the diameter being 5/8 of an inch. T5 lamps are typically energy efficient, and have a long lamp life. T5 lamps are noted for their lumens per watt efficiency (where lumens is a measure of the 'amount' of visible light).

HO – stands for 'high output' – a brighter, high power (but lower efficiency) version of T5 lamp

Ballast – an electrical device that starts and controls the flow of electricity to the lamp. (Changes the frequency so the fluorescent lamp doesn't flicker.)

10,000K – this is a measure of the 'colour temperature' of the light. White and blue lights are said to be 'cool' colours while yellow and red lights are said to be 'warm'. Daylight has a colour temperature of about 6,500K. 10,000K is roughly equivalent to bright white light on an overcast day. Higher colour temperatures, such as 18,000K start to look more blue and are called actinic.10,000K bulbs along with actinic bulbs are typically used in marine tanks, whereas 6000-6,500K are often used in planted freshwater tanks.

420nm – 'nm' refers to nanometres and is used to measure the wavelength of light. The wavelength determines which part of the optical spectrum the light belongs to. 420nm is light in the blue-violet spectrum.

460nm – light in the blue spectrum (not as blue as 420nm). Some lamps include a combination of 420nm and 460nm light.

700nm – light in the red spectrum.

Now, to choose the right kind of T5 aquarium lighting for your tank setup, obviously, you'll need to know the dimensions of your tank – length, width, depth. If you're tank is more than 30” deep, then T5 lighting might not be strong enough to penetrate to the bottom.You'll also need to consider what you're planning to keep in the tank.

Different living things require different amounts and types of light to thrive, so you might need to do a little research into the species you plan on keeping. Generally speaking, freshwater aquatic plants rely on red light for photosynthesis. Corals and marine invertebrates generally rely on actinic light, but some species are more sensitive than others. It's important to take into consideration your particular species, so you can best accommodate their lighting needs.

So now let's look at the different brands.

AquaticLife is a popular brand, recommended by many hobbyists, and produce a range of T5 aquarium lighting fixtures in various configurations, and sizes. First, there's the basic AquaticLife Dual Lamp T5 HO Fixture – available for either freshwater or marine. The freshwater version comes with one 6,000K (daylight) lamp, and one 650nm Roseate lamp (red light). The marine version comes with one 10,000K(daylight) lamp, and one 420/460nm Actinic (blue) lamp. Sizes range from 20” to 48”. Tank frame mounts are included, and it's handy to know that you can easily clip two or more of these Dual Lamps together, for greater coverage. This is a simple, straightforward fixture without the bells and whistles, that looks great.

If you're interested in a slightly bigger, more sophisticated lighting system for your reef tank, then you should definitely check out the AquaticLife 4 Lamp and 6 Lamp T5 HO Fixtures. The 4 Lamp model comes with 2 x Actinic (420/460nm) lamps and 2 x 10,000K(daylight) lamps, along with 2 x Lunar LEDs. Now what's very cool about these T5 aquarium lighting fixtures is that they include a digital timer that controls the Actinic lamps, the daylight lamps and the lunar lamps independently. So you can easily create a 24 hr cycle. This is certainly a stand out feature, when compared to other brands. Another neat feature is the single power cord - no more messy tangled cords. Sizes range from 20” up to 72” for the 4 Lamp fixture. The 6 Lamp fixture is available in three sizes: 36”, 48” or 72”. As you might expect, the 6 Lamp fixture includes 3 x Actinic lamps, 3 x daylight lamps, and 4 x lunar LEDs. This larger lighting fixture also includes a built-in fan.

Now, a note of warning. Although the AquaticLife fixtures are highly recommended and durable, the stock bulbs that come with the fixture are not so durable. A common complaint is that the bulbs burn out before their time, so some people prefer to replace the bulbs with higher quality ones, of a different brand. Aside from that, the AquaticLife T5 aquarium lighting fixtures remain a popular choice, providing many years of reliable lighting.