I wan't to use T-5 but...

[Covey]

I really like T-5 light I think it will end up making most of the other fluorescent lighting out of date. It will probably a run into some of the MH market. Energy effluent, cool running and cheaper by the month. The problem is this someone in the industry must have sent out a memo because every company that makes complete lights seem to make the same dumb arsed designs! What I am taking about is that UFO side profile. The lights themselves take up like 7" of space but the whole fixture is like 11" wide. AquaMedics, Won brothers, Sunlight supply they all have the same style. My tank is only 12" wide and if I wanted to use any of these light I would have to ditch the filter I am using and setup a sump. I might end up buying a retro but I was hope to not have to build a hood. Does anyone know of any company that sell complete T-5 hoods that would fit on my 10" of available space :huh:

[Malachi]

what size tank do you have? Aren't T-5 avaible with a wiring kit to hange from the ceiling?

[Matt Rogers]

Good point Malachi.

[quote author=Covey link=board=lighting;num=1100198778;start=0#0 date=11/11/04 at 10:46:18]Does anyone know of any company that sell complete T-5 hoods that would fit on my 10" of available space :huh:[/quote]

Here's one (48 "L X 9 "W X 2½"H ):
http://www.specialty-lights.com/960030.html

[Malachi]

Hey Covy, Dr. Foster has T5s on sale, i know nothing about them and what is a good deal but i thought i would throw it your way. If you do get them keep us posted on how you like them.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...;N=2004+113175

[Covey]

Thanks for the links guys. If the Tek light came in a 2 bulb setup for 36" I probably would get them. They don't for some reason. I ready some British stuff on the T-5 and it looks like I will only need a 2 bulb rig for softies so I think I am in retro land. This is also a more general gripe about light designer wasting my hood space with dumb design. It is just ironic that I have to worry about the lighting beginning to wide when I am talking about the narrowest light available to aquarist.

[Gresham]

You can get a hood blank and fill it with Tek light retros. I've bought cheap hoods in the past and gutted them to do this. See if any one local has a used one they want to part with. Hoods with blown ballasts usually are fairly easy to secure.