T-8 or T-12 ?

[zoalover34]

im about to order bulbs b/c i just got my new tank and the bulbs that are in it are a whopping 15watts lol! i measured from pin to pin and its almost 1" so i think thats a T-8? i hear that they are better than the T-12's.. is this correct or was i mislead? if anyone can tell me if i have a 8 or 12 that would be great!! its 18" from pin to pin.. the bulbs im looking to get are 25.00 each.. pretty expensive but they say that they are supposed to help the colors of the coraline be bright and everything so i don't know.. what would u guys suggest for a FOWLR tank.. im not getting MH or a t-5 light b/c i don't have the money.. any info would be great.. thanks in advance!
~ Jim

 

[TheMainer]

What does your ballast say on it?

 

[wayne]

That sounds like T8 - frankly they're pretty similar to T12 in effect. T5's are a great improvent.

You can always get electronic ballasts and overdrive T8's to get better output, but frankly it's a lot of faff, wires, you go thro' tubes like heck and a year later you wish you'd got MH. You can research overdriving on here, on the web.

Lighting is crucial , crucial to reefs so don't look to skimp here. This, and water movement are your big technospends, and you do NOT want to skimp, and spend the next n years bodging round your upfront bad decisions.