A Bright Idea
When it comes to aquarium lighting, we find that a lot of fish-keepers are somewhat stubborn, and a little bit stuck in their ways. Don’t take this the wrong way; we understand that a lot of aquarists have devoted countless amounts of hours and copious payslips to their hobby, and when they’ve struck upon a winning formula, they’re probably going to be reluctant to change things up a bit. Our latest aquarium lighting product, however, a range of T5 bulbs, have been designed to supersede our popular T8 models in a number of ways, resulting in a more efficient way to illuminate your tank.

T Is For…
In case you didn’t know already, the ‘T’ in T8 or T5 bulbs basically refers to their size, and perhaps more specifically their diameter. T5 bulbs by design have a smaller diameter than T8 lighting counterparts, and thus have less surface area – this is important for reasons of energy efficiency, but we’ll get to all that in a bit.
In the large part, the biggest advantage of switching to T5 bulbs are their increased ability to mimic or replicate the natural environment of your corals,plants & fish – and at the end of the day, that’s what we’re all after really, isn’t it? As a result of a very specific engineering process (which is definitely too boring to make it into this blog), T5 bulbs are able to closely reflect the natural lighting found in a wide variety of natural settings. This has a much more positive effect on growth stimulation, and encourages a healthier, more diverse aquarium resulting in a much more vivid colour palette. Our T5 lighting products have also been designed to offer deeper water penetration, which leads to a balanced level of light saturation throughout the tank. As a result of switching to T5 bulbs, then, you’ll notice a more vibrant tone across the entirety of your tank, not just the corals & plants situated at the top.
Energy Crisis
You’d be forgiven for expecting, of course, that all of this increased light saturation would come at the cost of energy consumption, however T5 bulbs are actually proven to be more efficient than their predecessors. We understand that those dreaded energy bills are somewhat of a bone of contention when it comes to maintaining an aquarium, which is why we’re committed to stocking only the most efficient options on the market. For a marginally higher initial cost, our T5 lighting fixtures offer greater illumination, enhanced water penetration and an extended shelf life.
Change is Good
So how are our T5 bulbs looking now? We understand that you’ve probably nurtured your aquarium as you would a small child (and in some cases, probably even more attentively), so we get that trying new products can be a bit intimidating. Here at iQuatics, however, we’ve developed a reputation for quality and advice, so why not try out our latest innovation? You can find more information on our T5 bulbs, which are available in several colour types and quantities, over at our dedicated ‘Bulbs’ page.