t5 vs Pc

what do you guys think are better for coral growth ?

 

I dont think that you can do SPS under PC. You can under t5.

Bulbs last longer with T5.

I have t5 so i am biased. i think t5 is better. I like sps coral...

 

You would be hard pressed to find someone who says PC I think.

T5s all the way, no comparison IMO. PC bulbs give off less (usable) light, use more power and are more expensive.

I have 384 watts of PC sitting over a 100 gal tank, and nothing but mushrooms and green star polyps will grow. Seems to be great for coralline algae growth though.

I am switching out my PCs for t5s.

 

....yea i went straight to the T5's so i really dont know much about PC.

For some reason one of my LFS thinks that PC's are the best right after MH. As long as its not SPS. He hates t5's because he says the technology is too new! Im like, um im kinda new to the hobby, but didnt they come out mid 90s?...Thats more than a decade bud

 

T5s are definitely better than PC, but you can do sps under PC. Maybe not acros but many others. At the same par value in the tank under both types of the same color, growth should be identical in theory, but there are a lot of variables.

If you have PC and are happy with them and can get bulbs at a decent price, then there isn't really any reason to switch. If you can get bulbs cheaper, which most can, or you need new or a replacement fixture, T5s are the way to go.

 

I had PC's a few months back and after upgrading to T5's I am never looking back. Not only is the light much brighter, but the power consumption is less and you have way more bulbs to choose from. I actually get some shimmer on the sand from mine with parabolic SLR's.

~Will.

 

Don't even consider PCs. Nuf said.

 

You simply can't fit as many watts of PC lighting over a given space as watts of T5 lighting you can fit over the same space. The reflectors that accompany T5s also add to the intensity of the lighting.

PC bulbs can however be used to grow many kinds of SPS. You just have to place your corals up higher in the water column.

Like everyone else said if you are looking at buying new lighting, go with T5s. You will be much happier and have more flexibilty in the future.

 

I've had both and would suggest T5's over Pc's any day.

 

T5 hands down