T5 Vs T5 HO

this weekend I found a used t5 coralife it has the 10k daylight bulb and the 21 watt blue Actinic , but I have heard that the t5 ho is much better..now I am hearing you can use ho bulbs in the t5 ..Can anyone brak down the differences or pros and cons Thanks I have fish but am looking at adding soft coral and a anemone in the fu:-/ture

 

What are the dimensions of your tank?

 

36 gallon ..36 long by about 18 I think

 

For fish you're fine with what you have, if you are looking to add coral you might want to go with the more powerful lights. Someone else can confirm or give advice on lighting with good PAR. What is the current wattage of the bulbs you have?

 

21 watt

 

I thought that your actinic was 21 watt? What is the wattage of your 10k daylight? any pics?

 

You can use T5HO in a T5NO fixture but they will only put out the same percentage of light as the difference in wattage from the ballast produces. Normal T5 are fine for fish.

You would be better off buying a T5HO fixture if you are planning corals in the future.

 

the guy who sold it to me said he had sucees with soft corals ..maybe he wasnt being totally honest bummer got to save more money again :-X

 

Soft corals tend to be much less demanding of light, so he may have had success with them.

 

so is a t5 at least better than the original tank light or did I totally waste my money Thanks