ATI SunPower T5HO Fixture
ATI Aquaristik
A multi-bulb T5 high-output fixture with active fan cooling and individual Miro-Silver reflectors (about 98% reflective) per bulb — the fixture that defined the T5 era's high end when it reached the US in 2009.
Why it mattered
T5HO had been gaining ground through the 2000s, but the SunPower's US arrival in 2009 was a landmark — Reef Builders called it one of the year's most anticipated lighting units, starting at $349 for the 24-inch 4×24W model.
The design treated each bulb as its own optical system. Individual high-reflectivity reflectors and active cooling kept output high and bulb life long, and the even, shadow-free blanket of light grew SPS colonies with a uniformity point sources struggled to match.
Bulb recipes became a hobby subculture: keepers swapped tube combinations chasing growth and fluorescence. The dimmable version followed in 2011, and the SunPower still anchors the T5 loyalist wing of the hobby.
Key specs
- 4, 6, or 8-bulb configurations in 24–60 inch lengths
- Individual Miro-Silver reflectors, ~98% reflectivity
- Active fan cooling for output and bulb life
- Dimmable version released in 2011
- US launch 2009, from $349 (24-inch 4×24W)
Keeper notes
- SPS keepers praise the blanket coverage: no shaded colony edges and no hot spots.
- The running cost is the debate — a full bulb swap every 9–12 months adds up across 8 tubes.
- Many hybrid setups pair a SunPower with LED bars to combine T5 spread with LED shimmer and control.