Lighting question

[BASSNMAN]

I have just built a large hood for my 125 gal tank. I installed 2 36 inch strip light fixtures. They are rated for T12 bulbs. I tried some T5s and they would not light. Most of the tubes for plants are T 10s and others say they will work with most fixtures but do not specify a size. Should these work in my fixtures?

 

[malkore]

T5 is a special kind of bulb...I"m not sure if they can be lit with a cheap magnetic ballast. If they are NO tubes they should work with magnetic ballasts or electronic, but since I stick with power compacts, NO tubes aren't my area of expertise.

What I do know is that if they don't light up, they aren't getting enough power to fire up.