# T8 or led



## Andrews29 (Aug 16, 2016)

what t8 bulbs do you guys like / use ? Going on a 29 gallon tank. Need high light for carpet plants. I run co2 and dose with ferts. 

Or am I better off going to a lower price LED ?


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## Jabolko (Jul 18, 2016)

T8 is "old technology". I would choose between T5 or LED.


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## Andrews29 (Aug 16, 2016)

Ok what t5 bulb ? What's better a t5 or low end led ? Sorry this is my first planted tank


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## [email protected] (Jan 8, 2010)

GE Starcoat T5 HO 24W 2 ft 6500K . Now you need a fixture


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## Andrews29 (Aug 16, 2016)

I already have an old hood but the bulb is really old in it


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

"Old technology" still grow plants. Each situation is different. GE and Phillips bulbs around 6000K light spectrum (daylight) get the job done.

T8 vs T5 vs LED - lots of choices and you need to start some place: setting a budget will cut the choices down a lot. Then ask yourself what plants you really want to grow. You already have a hood, ask yourself if you want to deal with retrofitting / replacing it or stick with what you got. Everything has trade offs, you got to decide what are yours first.


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## easternlethal (Feb 13, 2016)

OVT said:


> Then ask yourself what plants you really want to grow.



how does this help you choose what type of light to use?


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

easternlethal said:


> how does this help you choose what type of light to use?


In terms of fixture type or light bulb type?

Hard to grow high light plants with low light fixture. High light in LED will cost more then high light in t5. High light in T8 will take more T8 bulbs. The more you move away from high light the more choices at lower price points. The more color plants you want the more you have to think about light spectrums.

Like everything else: the more you want the more it's going to cost you, exponentially.


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## easternlethal (Feb 13, 2016)

you can achieve the same lumens with any technology


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

True that, but at different cost per lumen/PAR and at different space requirement.

Eh, I lost my way here. One part of of the OP's question was answered. The other part is an oximoron to me: currently, LEDs are not cheaper then t8, not at the start-up.


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## Monrankim (May 28, 2016)

I love my old technology lights. My tanks (75 & 29) are turning into jungles. It's harder with smaller tanks because of the lower wattage, shorter bulb. My 75 gets 128 watts, half 6500k half 3100k, with t8s. My 29 needs an upgrade though.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Jabolko said:


> T8 is "old technology". I would choose between T5 or LED.


Yes and no. T8 has a smaller power density in a bigger diameter tube than t5 ect. but it is as efficient (and sometimes more so) at lumens/watt


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