11 What's T-8?
Description
This article is from the Aquaria: Plants FAQ, by multiple authors.
11 What's T-8?
The term T-8 refers (usually) to high efficiency fluorescent tubes
installed in most modern office buildings, as opposed to the "T-12"
standard fluorescents. They are currently in vogue with some aquatic
plant keepers because of their relative inexpensiveness, longer life,
and high energy savings (consider that the ballast and tubes for a
4-tube 128-watt setup can be had for under $50). They can be
distinguished from their standard counterparts by three things: 1,
diameter (which is the literal meaning of T-8: 8/8 inch, as opposed to
T-12 = 12/8 inch), 2,wattage (4-foot 32-watt, 3-foot 25-watt, and
2-foot 17 watt), and 3, their markings ("FO-32", "F32-SPX" "TL7xx",
etc., depending on manufacturer). T-8's use a different (but
inexpensive) type of ballast, so you should not use them
interchangably with standard fluorescents. The one trick with T-8's is
that you may need to get the tubes and ballasts from a commercial
lighting supplier (check the phone book). Tubes are available in 5000K
and 6500K color balances, ideal planted tanks, but they may need to be
special ordered.
One word of warning, there are some standard fluorescent tubes that
are T-8 diameter, most notably 18" and some 36" tubes. These should
not be mistaken for the above bulbs, and should be used with normal
ballasts. When in doubt, make sure to check the wattage and
identification (3-foot 30 watt and 18-inch 15 watt bulbs are not the
new kind).
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