Is this a T5 bulb? / Is this ok for baby paphs?

[DeanneD]

I have an old 10-gallon aquarium that I want to use for deflasking some paphs. The description of the aquarium light sounds like it could be a T5, but I don't see that it says T5 on the bulb itself. I remember when I bought the aquarium, I bought the bulb separately and bought a more expensive bulb. Is there a way to tell for sure it's a T5?

Assuming it is a T5 bulb, will this work to start my baby paphs? It's only a single bulb, but I also read that baby paphs don't want a lot of light. I want to put them in the aquarium in S/H. They'll be in a north-facing room in front of windows and under skylights, but from what I read, that's just about as good as being in a closet as far as lighting goes.

[Connie Star]

If I am correct, T5 refers to the physical size of the bulbs, specifically the diameter. The oldest ones are T12- I think that is 12/eighths, so a T5 is 5/8 inches. Then there are different lengths, and also different wavelenghts. First Rays has a good discussion on lighting.
Try this link First Rays' Free Info

[calvin_orchidL]

I'm betting the bulb that you got for your aquarium will be the wrong colour temperature for plants...usually aquarium lighting ranges in the 10,000K colour spectrum, whereas you really want to aim for 5000K. The bulb should have specs written on it.

You need to make sure the ballast (the thing the bulb slots into) can support a T5 lamp, if you decide to buy a new bulb.

I would just go with a compact fluorescent lamp. Typical 10gallon tanks are around 20" in length, which is too short to accommodate a 24" T5. You might find a foot long bulb, but I've never seen one!