how often do you change your PC lamps

[vanreefer]

Hey everybody,
I have heard everything from 8 months to not till they burn out ... what are your opinions?
Thanks
Dano

[j83]

They say 8 to 12 months. Don't wait until they burn out - you will lose the spectrum (may not be that noticeable until you change bulbs) which will increase the chance of unwanted algae.

[Willito]

It does depend on the quality of the bulb. I used to run these cheap 96W Catalina Actinics and they were shot after about 3 months. In the future I am going with a reputable brand....etc, Japanesse, German.

[Richer]

I've been running the same PCs (4x55watts) over my plant tank for 2.5 years. There is a very noticable differences in the brightness of the fixture. It is quite a bit dimmer now then it was 2.5 years ago. To the point where, I don't need to run my CO2 injection system on the tank anymore and it still looks fine. Back then, my entire tank would be covered in algae if I delayed refilling my CO2 tank for a couple of days.

So even if the spectrum stays the same, I would still replace bulbs after 8-12 months just to keep the brightness level at around the same level.

-Richer

[vanreefer]

Thanks for your thoughts
Dano