Issue with open top tank and lights

[walter]

This is the reason why I have been asking about lights.

 

My Coralife 48" fixture just blew 2 10k bulbs in 2 weeks. The place i bought the lights think im trying to run a scam. They also suggested I get the ballasts checked. Anyway I dont know whats going on.

 

I was gonna buy a retrofit kit to replace the internals, get lights off of some of the members, or buy something off of ebay.

 

Most of these say not to use with an open top tank or covered aquarium only. I dont have a cover. Even with a splash shield they said to only use with a covered aquarium.

 

 

So what gives? I cant invest in lamps and take the chance that salt/water evaporation is killing my fixtures. The only thing I have is some spare eggcrate, but heard about how this kills the light output.

 

So I dont know what to do.

[trockafella]

i WOULD GO WITH THE T5's THAT AMAY HAS, ALL IN ONE KIT, NICE QUALITY, AND A SPLASH SHEILD... USUALLY WHEN YOU SUSPECT SOMETHING IS SHADY IT PROBABLY IS... I DONT THINK YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED WITH THOSE LIGHTS... ALSO I WOULD WANT EGGCRATE COVERING THE TOP OF MY TANK EITHER..

[SeanCallan]

This is the reason why I have been asking about lights.

 

My Coralife 48" fixture just blew 2 10k bulbs in 2 weeks. The place i bought the lights think im trying to run a scam. They also suggested I get the ballasts checked. Anyway I dont know whats going on.

 

I was gonna buy a retrofit kit to replace the internals, get lights off of some of the members, or buy something off of ebay.

 

Most of these say not to use with an open top tank or covered aquarium only. I dont have a cover. Even with a splash shield they said to only use with a covered aquarium.

So what gives? I cant invest in lamps and take the chance that salt/water evaporation is killing my fixtures. The only thing I have is some spare eggcrate, but heard about how this kills the light output.

 

So I dont know what to do.

 

Not sure how much of a fix it is, but a fan may be enough to push the evap away from going directly to your lights.

 

I'm not familiar with your tank, but is there a chance you're over lighting it and heating the water enough to have excessive evaporation? Again, a fan may be one of the cheapest solutions you can try, but it's definitely not a sure thing.

 

This is just my personal uninformed opinion, so be warned.

Edited October 28, 2008 by SeanCallan

[treesprite]

I have a Nova Extreme fixture T-5s which has a splash guard on it over an open-top tank and have not had a bulb problem.

[trockafella]

Ive always had open top tanks and never had a problem with lights going out.. My last set up, the lights didnt have a splash gaurd and i never had any problems with that either...

[gastone]

Is your fixture for SE or DE lamps? I'm assuming SE in which case a shield *shouldn't* be needed. It could be faulty lamps (once maybe, but twice in so short of time I doubt), or a shoddy ballast. What ballasts are you using and where are resting (build in to the hood, under the stand, inside a bucket of topoff water - that's not good by the way)?

 

Garrett.

 

Edit: after reading back, I'm not even sure what hood you are talking about. Are these hallide lamps, T5 lamps, incandescent lamps???

Edited October 28, 2008 by gastone

[walter]

This is my lamp

 

http://www.hellolights.com/index.asp?PageA...&ProdID=329

 

 

[treesprite]

Power compacts. I have a PC fixture with no splash guard over open water. It has a ballast out but only because it's old, not the water.

[chucelli]

Ive always had open top tanks and never had a problem with lights going out.. My last set up, the lights didnt have a splash gaurd and i never had any problems with that either...

+1

Coralife products are bad. I've had a few personal experiences with their ballasts in the past when I first started reefkeeping.