# T5NO or Osram PL?



## Tanan (Mar 11, 2009)

Hey everyone.
I have been using Osram PLs 36W 8000K for a year and I've had some tremendous results. Lately the lights have disappeared from the market and the cost of importing is 3-4x the cost I used to buy them at. I'm thinking of using Philips T5 28W Daylight tubelights. Are these T5s more intense than the Osram PLs? I know the PLs are just 18" long while the T5 is 4" long. Should I use the same wattage of T5 as I did of PL.i.e. 4x36W PLs= 144W over 55G are equal to 5x28W T5=140W over a 55 gallon?
http://www.philips.co.in/c/other-li...20A26E36BC09A056.app102-drp1?t=specifications


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

A PL, PLL or Power Compact (PC) aka Compact Fluorescent (CF) is basically a T5 or T6 bent/formed into a biax bulb. Watts is an input value not output of the bulb; however, they should compare very similarly.


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## TropTrea (Jan 10, 2014)

I will disagree with Newt on this to some extent. The t-5's do to there shape as being straight allows you to have a reflector that is much more efficient. True the bulbs may produce an equivalent amount of light if vertically mounted and righting a room. But with an aquarium hood a larger percentage of the light is reflected back into the light bulb than down into the tank. 

With a 55 gallon tank if it is standard dimensioned 48" long I would look at pair of ho T-5 bulbs which were 54 Watts each and a total of 108 Watts with a quality hood that has a separate reflector for each bulb and you will have more than enough light.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

He didnt ask about T5HO


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## Tanan (Mar 11, 2009)

Yeah, cause the only shop that sells T5HO fixture is a marine one, selling marine fixtures. Ranging from $150-$200. Not very affordable. The PL fixture cost me around $30-$40.


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