Arcadia Marine Blue T5 54W 1150mm (46") Lamp

Arcadia 54W 1150mm (46") Marine Blue T5 Bulb

The Marine Blue 420nm Actinic lamp re-creates the effect of a moonlit ocean and brings out corals natural fluorescence. Unlike many competing products the Marine Blue Lamp peaks at 420nm, the optimum point in the spectrum for marine photosynthesis
• High Output T5
• Near UVA light creates fluorescence
• Promotes marine photosynthesis
• Moonlight effect


The Arcadia Marine Blue Actinic lamp range has been created to provide the specific spectrum (400 – 480nm) necessary to achieve the blue chlorophyll absorption for zooxanthellae symbiosis to develop. This concentration of light energy in the so called ‘actinic’ range peaking at 420nm, is essential for the survival and good health of fish, corals and invertebrates in marine aquariums.

Another important element of the Arcadia Marine Blue Actinic lamp is the UV output present, which creates a very pleasant fluorescent effect on corals, invertebrates and exotic marine fish. When used at night with no other lamps, the effect is of a dark moonlit night with the vivid colours of the corals and invertebrates fluorescing brilliantly.

T5 lighting - Increased power from fluorescent tubes

Increased Power
Increased Intensity
Increased Penetration
T5 - A short phrase, which has sparked much debate recently, but what are the facts?

What does T5 actually mean?
The 5 is obviously relevant, and being as so much has been spoken about how much better these are than average fluorescent tubes, then surely it must refer to an aspect of the light which is five times greater - probably the strength of its output, or maybe its effective distance, or expected lifespan.

This is the understandable, but incorrect conclusion that many people draw. What the 5 actually refers to is an aspect of the tube that your fish, or invertebrate livestock, could not care less about - its diameter.

Technically, any fluorescent tube should be referred to by the letter T followed by a number. That number indicates the diameter in 8ths of an inch, so the one inch diameter tubes that most of us are familiar with are T8 (eight 8ths of an inch), and the fatter tubes that used to be the standard, and that are still used by some are T12.
So T5 actually only means a light with a diameter of 5/8s of an inch.

So why all the fuss?
Small 12" long, 8Watt tubes have been on the market for a long time - these are only 5/8 of an inch diameter, but they don't appear to be any more powerful than a regular tube. The reason being that these are regular output T5 lamps - when talking about the new type of lamps, we should strictly speaking refer to them as high output T5's, and it is the high output part that really makes the difference - producing a light of much greater strength than a conventional tube, and as a result the energy input into the aquarium is greater.

Also, light diminishes very rapidly as it travels through water, but with T5 lamps the effective distance is significantly greater than with conventional tubes, meaning that deeper aquariums can be maintained with an illumination that is effective to the base.

You may also be interested in:

Hydor Aqua Colour Green light £18.37 £14.70 Arcadia Marine White 15W 450mm (18") Lamp £19.25 £15.40 Arcadia Replacement Metal Halide Lamp150 W £58.99 £47.99 Hydor Aqua Colour Blue light £18.37 £14.70 AquaRay MMS T5 End Cap x 2 £5.10 Arcadia Series 4 Slim Pendant 1 x 150w - Freshwater £545.99 £491.39 Arcadia Freshwater Lamp 8W 300mm (12") Lamp £17.99 £14.39 AquaRay MMS Rail 2415mm £25.01

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