When buying high output T5 lighting whether it is already pre made fixture or self made one you need to buy the best bulbs for these lights to get the best possible light. Some pre made fixtures come with bulbs included into the purchase but there will come a time when you will need to change the bulbs and other pre-made fixtures can be bought without bulbs so here is an article about top 5 4 feet T5 bulbs.
Hydrofarm FLT5464 4 feet 54 watt bulb. They are produced by a company with the same name – Hydrofarm, who specializes in manufacturing high output energy efficient grow light fixtures and bulbs. The color temperature of this bulb is 6500K so it is the best for plants when they are vegetating because this color temperature is very close to the color temperature the sun when it shines directly above the plants. The lifespan of this bulbs is up to 20000 hours and they are made to not be greatly affected by any vibrations or frequent on/off switching. This bulb gives out 5000 lumens so they offer very bright light without producing a lot of heat, which means that you can put them just a couple of inches above your plant canopy. And the best thing about these lights is that they are made to fit all Hydrofarms T5 grow light fixtures, so with these you won’t need to figure out if the bulb will fit in your 4 feet fixture.
Wave-Point Sun Wave High Output T5 Lamp is also a 4 feet 54 watt replacement bulb. It is manufactured by a company called Wave Point Technology that specializes in creating high tech and quality aquarium lighting. These Sun Wave bulbs have the color temperature of 12000K which is called super daylight and is suited for reefs, all different kind of plants and underwater freshwater and saltwater plants. This bulb also have low operating temperature which means that you can put them very close to the plants or the water surface to get the maximum light usage from these bulbs. These bulbs are also good for regular plant growth as you can fit one or two of these light into your existing fixture and get better overall light spectrum and let your plants grow taller and stronger.
ViaVoltTM 4 feet Red Spectrum HO T5 Fluorescent bulb is a 4 feet grow light bulb which is produced by Viagrow – a company who develops and manufactures high quality gardening supplies including grow light fixtures and bulbs. This bulbs color temperature is 2700K so it is perfect for indoors gardening at the flowering phase of any plants growth. Its lumen output is also up to 5000 lumens and the rated lifespan is rated up to 20000 hours making it very long lasting and efficient. And because these ViaVolt bulbs are made with a new technology that allows these lamps to have high lumen output but produce little heat you don’t have to worry about the heat anymore and can put them close to your plants. These bulbs also come in a consumer friendly packaging and are compatible with other ViaVolt products.
Quantum T5 HO 4 feet is a 4 feet 54 watt T5 grow light bulb manufactured by a company called Quantum Horticulture, that has been working for 45 years to develop the most efficient but at the same time the most lower priced grow lighting. They also test all their production in real greenhouses to provide the customers with the most adequate lighting and descriptions. This T5 bulb has the color temperature of 2900K with is better for blooming plants. The light of these bulbs is very intense and bright but in spite of that they produce very little heat and you are able to put them close to the tops of the plants. They also have very even light spread to ensure that every one of the plants grown under these light get the light they need to grow big and strong. These light are made to fit directly into the T5 badboy 4 feet fixture but they will fit in any HO light fixture.
GE Straight T5 Fluorescent Tube Light Bulb is a 4 feet 54 watt grow light bulb. it outputs around 4700 lumens so for its 54 watts it has very bright light to let the plants that are under it get the most efficient light. It is manufactured by a very well known company called General Electric who for over 121 years \works in many different fields and now have become the 6th largest firm in the US. The color temperature of this bulb is 3000K which is best for plant when they are blooming. The average lifespan of these lights is up to 30000 hours so you won’t need to change them often even if your grow schedule is 24/0.
Now that you know a little about each of these bulbs separately i will compare them a little to make the decision of which bulbs to buy a little easier for you.
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So when thinking about the heat emission of these bulbs they all produce very similar amount of heat so you can put all of these bulbs just a couple of inches above you plants canopy and there won’t originate any heat burns or other damage.
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The color temperature and therefore the use of these bulbs are quite different, because most of them have different color temperatures. You can use the Hydrofarm FLT5464, Wave-Point Sun Wave HO T5 Lamp when your plants are in the vegetating stage of their growth although the Wave-Point Sun Wave HO T5 Lamp is more made for aquariums. But the ViaVoltTM 4′ Red Spectrum HO T5 Fluorescent bulb, GE Straight T5 Fluorescent Tube Light Bulb and Quantum T5 HO 4 feet is better for plants when they are blooming because the color temperature of them is closer to 3000K. So you need to figure out when you will use these bulbs and then choose the right color temperature for the stage of growth your plant is in in that moment.
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The other stats like lumen output and wattage is pretty similar to all these bulbs because they are all T5 HO grow light bulbs and meant for similar purposes. But you need to look out for the manufacturers of these lamps because usually they are made to fit only the light fixtures that are manufactured by the same company as the bulbs are and there can be some complications fitting different manufacturer bulbs in other fixtures but in general they all have the 4 feet 54 W standard so most often than not there won’t be any complications..
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And lastly the lifespan.For the most part all of these light are rated around 20000 hours which already is a lot so you won’t need to change them frequently. But to one of them the GE Straight T5 Fluorescent Tube Light Bulb the life span is rated even longer – up to 30000 hours which is very impressive and worth considering.
