# Hagen Glo T5 HO Lighting System



## seattle_530

I was thinking about purchasing this fixture for my 55 gallon heavly planted aquarium and i was curious if anybody had any thoughts on this one?


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## goalcreas

For a 55 it would probably be OK.
I don't think it has much of reflectors and I don't think it is HO but I could be wrong.
I thought they were a little overpriced also, but again, am not sure on this.
The current nova extreme, the two bulb one is priced very nice, is HO and has decent bulbs in it.
The reflector is not much in it either, but over a 55 it should be enough light to pretty much do what you want with.
I think ANY 4 bulb T5 HO system will be overkill on your tank.


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## Shurik

I do have Hagen Glo T5 HO 

It IS T5 and it does have a very nice reflector, like a mirror actually, and its half-sphere shaped, highly polished.
I was thinking of getting the same light fixture for my 50 gal to be, only bigger. They come as 24", 36" and 48" .
Does not generate too much heat and I like it because of that reason as well. Comes with nice legs (not as flimsy as CoraLife), and with everything you need if you want to suspend it from your ceiling. 

But I am new to all of this and I don't really know that much. So I am not the expert. 

I got this idea of Hagen Glo from some other European forum (lost it already), it is very popular in there and people like it. And so do I. 

I got mine 24" on e-bay for $40 shipped, but I guess I was just lucky. 

But also I have an estencive experience that Goalcreas gives really good advises! So I would do what he sais. Honestly!


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## lauraleellbp

I've never seen these in person, just pictures- and they're always shown mounted on rimless tanks; will the legs on these fixtures mount OK on tanks with rims?

Hagen's a great brand name, and these fixtures are pretty reasonably priced for T5HO, so I've been interested in one of these over my 29gal...


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## goalcreas

I stand corrected?
As far as cost, at PetSmart they are really expensive, and that is the only place I had seen them.
I only remember somebody saying they were junk, but I actually have no experience with them.

And like I did say, on a 55 it will probably be more then enough light.


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## Shurik

Yes, those legs are adjustable like valise, it’s got a screw and grips up to… I can’t remember, maybe 1”1/2 wide rim, or maybe even wider. It supposed to grip pretty fat rim though. I can look it up tomorrow and even take pictures. I don’t use those legs and I have to find them, because I just put the hole light fixture on top of my SeaClear, right on the acrylic surface. Because it runs so cool, it doesn’t have a fan, no need for that noisy thing. Now I am talking about 24” fixture with two 24 w bulbs and I have it over 20 gal tank.
36” I think comes without fan either. It is not icy cold, but people say it is just as reasonable. 
36” has two 40w bulbs. 
For some reason this light fixture is not as common in US as some other places, so you have to look on e-bay and shop around. 


Yes, dear Goalcreas, and just look who is talking!


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## seattle_530

well right now i have a coral life 48" with 4x65w 50/50 bulbs and i wasnt sure if i was getting everything out of my plants with that set up. To change bulbs would be pretty pricey so i thought it might be more cost effective and better for the plants to just swith to the hagen set up. Brand new a double 48" is 160.00 and it has 2x54 w t-5HO bulbs.


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## goalcreas

:tea:


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## goalcreas

What are the bulbs, K rating I mean


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## seattle_530

looks like there 6700k


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## goalcreas

See, this is what I was referring to
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...urrentusanovaextreme482x54wt510000kfreshwater

It is a bit cheaper then the Hagen, I don't know if it performs better.
I don't know if the hagen's bulbs are as close together as this one is.
I don't know if the Hagen's reflector is just a polished piece of sheet metal that surrounds both bulbs like this one is.

If it is similar, then the performance would be about the same.

Only if the Hagen has the bulbs spaced out more and then if it had an individual reflector instead of just the one behind both bulbs, then and only then will it be much of a boost over this current fixture.

Also, would need to compare the bulbs to see if one comes with better bulbs over the other.

I have always been happy with Current lights, never had T5's, but most all PC fixture I ever had was a current and I like them all very much and never had a Sunpaq (current brand bulbs) burn out early on me, they all last a good 12 to 18 months no problem.

I don't have any experience with Hagen bulbs or light fixtures, but I love their filters and many other products so that is a plus also.


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## Shurik

They are definitely not as junky as my hit of the season Led Light for $13, that I can tell! 

Mine Hagen Glo is made in Germany. 
But as I said, I don't know what I am talking about.
I don't even know if we are talking about the same light fixture.
48" comes with two 40w, which is 80w over 55 gal&#8230; Hmmm&#8230;

They make different bulbs in K. 
http://www.bigappleherp.com/Hagen-Glo-T5-HO-Linear-Fluorescent-Lighting-Systems?sc=8&category=1906

Now on this site is is kinda expensive, you can definitely find better price.

OOOOOO! Dear Goalcreas, you got some nice interesting link.
No, I guess it doesn't matter, my lightbulbs ARE sitting close together and do have only one reflector. 
Ooops, Current USA Nova has a fan!


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## goalcreas

if the bulbs are 40w, they might not be T5 because the T5 HO would be 54w each.
Those might be T8 bulbs??

T5 bulbs are 5/8" dia and T8 bulbs are 1" dia


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## seattle_530

The hagen T-5HO you can get with a single 54w or the double but it comes with 54w bulbs.


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## Shurik

Hagen T5 bulbs are:

39W for 36" fixture.
54W for 48" fixture.
24W for 24" fixture.

Sorry, I got confused in what size we were talking about. I was talking about 39W for 36" fixture, I guess, and I rounded up 39W to 40W


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## goalcreas

That link from Shurik was actually better priced.
I wish I could see the under side of it.
It is probably comparable to the current, just as good or better.


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## Shurik

Yes, it looks very similar, only Hagen is not as flat, so probably the reflector shaped differently. Mine is totally rounded. 
Plus I see no fan in Hagen. And in my family noise (the absence of it, to be exact) is important, so this is why I am getting Hagen filter, but this is all different story! :mrgreen:


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## Shurik

I'll take a picture of it, Goalcreas, from all the angles, with the legs, sometime tomorrow, just for a heck of it.


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## evercl92

I love my Hagen Glo fixture. It is T5 HO, single curved reflector over both bulbs. Everywhere I saw it for sale, it didn't come with bulbs. So, you get to choose what bulbs you want. I went with the Life Glo 2 bulbs. I found that one 2x54 watt fixture put out more light than my 4x65wt CF coralife fixture did. I can't say enough good about it. It was cheaper than the CF, higher lumen output, simple mounting-legs setup, uses less wattage.


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## seattle_530

I wanted to maintain at least 3 watts a gallon, so if a i got a double t-5HO light and then and my standard coralife T-5 which is 6700k at 56w i should maintain that. I heard from afew sources that a HO T-5 is equal to about 1.5 watts per gallon.


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## goalcreas

seattle_530 said:


> I wanted to maintain at least 3 watts a gallon, so if a i got a double t-5HO light and then and my standard coralife T-5 which is 6700k at 56w i should maintain that. I heard from afew sources that a HO T-5 is equal to about 1.5 watts per gallon.


That is because it puts out more lumens.
in a 55, I don't think you will need the extra fixture, but if you already have it, then turn it on for a few hours in the middle or you might be overdoing the light.


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## Shurik

Good day!
I am trying to be useful, and I hope it is some of a help, so here are some pictures I took, they could be better, but this is what I managed to get:









The width is about 13 centimeters, but because of pretty crazy reflection and my inability to take a decent pictures you can't really see it.









Extending brackets, they slide in and out. On top of the fixture you can see little loop, you can hide it and slide it.









The leg, adjustable in every way possible, but I don't even use them.









Another close up of that leg. On the background you can see included wires and hooks if you want to suspend it from the ceiling.









So here it is.

I don't know about all the technical details, it works and I am happy about it.

Also I like the fact that it has very solid feel. Nothing rattling, dangling, falling off and nothing feels cheap or junky about this light.

Cheers! 

P.S. Sorry for my dusty carpet! :mrgreen:


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## goalcreas

looks pretty good.
I am now convinced this is a better deal then the current.rayer:
Thanks for the photo's.


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## Shurik

Well, it does cost more money, I guess, if you count every penny… Its just I can’t do it! :mrgreen:
Plus you have to get your own bulbs. I picked two of Life-Glo-II, 6700 K. 
But!.. If you shop for it, just because it is not that popular of a light fixture in US, you can find some pretty good deals on e-bay. 

Like I said, it is not dingily squeakily humpty-dumpty piece of something… :smash:
And there is virtually no aquarium you couldn’t fix it to because of all the options you can use. I just threw it on top of the tank and forgot about it, and it is OK to do with this one.

To me it is all matter of what you like to look at and what doesn’t irritate you every time you look at it. :heh:

As of technical details… I guess it should be pretty similar. The only thing is a mystery to me is that one fixture has a fan, and another doesn’t have the fan and does not need one. I wonder what it depends on? 


And now I am after Fluval 404!


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## goalcreas

There is more air space in this fixture, so the heat is not as trapped inside, so it will cool by itself more easily IMO


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## Shurik

That’s right!!! I knew you know everything! rayer:rayer:rayer:
It got to be it!  As long as I have a tiny space underneath it (1/3”), it does not hit up my acrylic top at all because of that shape, it’s got more air space and it escapes out – and voila! No noisy fan! :mrgreen:


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## lauraleellbp

Thanks for the pics, Shurik!

I think once I'm ready to turn my 29gal into a planted tank I'm going to be on the lookout for one of these...

Happy hunting for your 404!


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