T5 lighting technology has become quite popular because it offers consumers an alternative or more precisely an energy efficient option to metal halide fluorescent lighting. T5 light bulbs are more compact in size and require less energy to operate. Aquarium enthusiasts were the first to discover the advantages of T5 aquarium lighting because up until 1995, metal halides were the only option of lighting for an aquarium. The new technology also offered aquarium owners a much cooler lighting system. There are however, some disadvantages associated with the new technology. According to some aquarium owners, T5 lights lack illumination or lumen output which they feel also affects the penetration of light in an aquarium. Many of the plants and organisms that live on the bottom of an aquarium cannot survive or reach their full potential if they lack adequate lighting.

Replacement of only a few of your existing metal halides with T5 bulbs, can still give you the benefits of energy efficiency without affecting the crucial levels of light penetration needed for the plants and fish in your aquarium. A second alternative is to switch all of the bulbs out with T5 light bulbs but also adding a few extra bulbs in order to increase the illumination penetration but not too many because you still want to retain your energy efficiency benefits. Many consumers have found that it is cheaper to convert existing fixtures instead of purchasing new a T5 light fixture. T5 conversion kits are fairly inexpensive to purchase and depending on the amount of fixture you currently own, the kits can save you the much higher cost of replacing all of the fixtures. The kits come with extensions that lengthen the T5 technology so it can fit in the larger fixture.

T5 compact fluorescent lighting options have greatly reduced in price over the years. Originally many aquarium owners did not switch to the new technology because it was way too expensive but that is no longer the case. The bulbs are not that much more expensive than metal halides and the long-term savings in energy costs are quite substantial. The introduction of T5 HO or high output light bulbs has also changed the market. They are a little more expensive to purchase but they offer many more options in lighting especially for aquarium hobbyists. If you are considering becoming an aquarium owner or if you are ready to make the switch, you should definitely consider investing in one of the top brands like Nova or IceCap because not all T5 light fixtures are made the same.

This artical is quoted from http://fluorescentt5lightingfixtures.com.