Time to get lights

[superjohnny]

I think I've about read myself to death. I've been searching and searching and reading some really great articles. The Krib (http://faq.thekrib.com/plant-lighting.html) has a good lighting article (though I couldn't figure out their calculation).

I have been a little worried because I have a 'show' tank that is 24" tall. I think I'm going to forget about exact calculations and just go with the 2-3 watts/gallon and figure that I have a little padding if I have more watts since there is more room for the light to escape before getting to the plants. Maybe later, once I get a better understanding I can fine tune that a bit. So I need between 90-135watts of light.

My tank is 36" long, 12" deep and 24" tall. My hood is roughly big enough to hold 1 light fixture that can be 33.5" long and 2.5" wide. So I need to find a fixture that holds two 45-65w light bulbs and isn't too thick. From my trip to Home Depot today I found 28" light strips, but I can't fit two of them under my hood :( 28" isn't long enough to cover the entire length of my tank.

I don't know what to do. To make things worse I have a very limited budget. Any ideas, suggestions or thoughts?

Here is a pic of my tank if that helps :)
.http://download.johnnyanddana.com/images/fish_tank_2.jpg
PS if you're thinking of setting up a plant tank get one that can hold 4' lights... you have a ton of options

<edit> Maybe I should get a different cheapo plastic hood that's a little wider? Home Depot sells 28" "Aquarium lights" for $25. They have 3050K bulbs (F20/T12 size didn't say wattage). At $25 that just felt luke warm to me so I didn't buy.

[Dabbler II]

Here is a DIY site for lighting they have several different setups
http://www.kingvinnie.dynip.com/aquaria/diy/links_page.asp?cat=24
The only other thing that I can think of is going to a Compact Florisent (darn.. I wish I could spell:( ) Or you could put a new Hood on your fish tank. I am not sure what is ment by a limited budget. (When I have a limited budget, I have my wife along:D )

[carpguy]

My understanding of normal output flourescent (NO) is that the bulb length roughly equals the wattage. You won't be able to find a 45-65w 36" bulb. Compact flourescent is basically the same lighting, just smaller. The 36w CF is a little smaller than 18" -- you can fit more into the same space.

If you're interested in Compact Flourescent, I'd check out AHSupply (http://ahsupply.com/) -- they have very good equipment at very good prices. They have a reflector that is 34.5" long, 4" wide, and 2" tall. You should be able to mount that inside the casing you have in the picture, with the ballast mounted on back. You could fit 2x36 watts (http://ahsupply.com/36-55w.htm), or even better 1x96w (http://ahsupply.com/96watt.htm). You order the bulbs separately, for planted I'd get either the 5000k or the 6700k bulbs. The whole thing'll cost about a $100 plus maybe $10-15 shipping. With the bulbs in the reflector I can't really look straight at the 2x36w I wired up last week.

[slipknottin]

how about using a 95 watt VHO daylight bulb?

all youd need is the bulb and an electronic ballast.

Might cost you a little more upfront, but I think its a pretty good solution.

[superjohnny]

Thanks guys, I appreciate your thoughts. I was checking out AHsupply yesterday...

Check out this picture (http://ahsupply.com/_borders/96_in_36.jpg). Here's a quote "The photo above shows a 1 x 96w Bright Kit and a 96w bulb installed in the shell of a 36" twin-tube light strip." So to make that kit work with my hood I'll need a 36" twin-tube light strip as well?

The kit contains:
one 12 ounce solid-state electronic ballast (8.5"L x 1.7"W x 1"H);
one 34.5 inch long, multi-angle MIRO 4 polished aluminum reflector;
one 4-pin Gy10q socket;
two steel bulb holders;
one grounding power cord;
wirenuts, splice taps and screws needed for installation;
optional-use pop-in vent covers, snap bushing, cord strain relief bushing, cord clamp and threaded nylon spacers

Wouldn't it be easier to get these at Home Depot and just order the reflector for $16?

Thanks guys :)

[carpguy]

That case, shell, hood thing is the same thing as you already have on top of your tank, no?. If you can fit the 34.5x4x2 reflector inside, plus a little extra height and a little extra length that will work fine.

I think the 1x96w kit comes with a Fulham Workhorse 5 ballast. After a quick browse around the web, that's a $35 ballast. You might be able to knock a few bucks off that locally, who knows? So say ballast and reflector is $50. There is no way you could put the rest of it together for $10. You'd have a hard time putting this kit together for a lower price.

I just got a call from them concerning a 1x13 kit I'm having trouble with. Sounds to him like a bad bulb… he sending out a new one on Monday. They're still closed for the holidays, but he was returning the messages people had left. Great price, great product, great service. You really can't beat them with a stick. And if I sound like a true-believer its not just me (http://www.aquabotanic.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=2084)…

[slipknottin]

I still think you should just buy a 95 watt VHO bulb, and a fulham workhorse 5 ballast.

It should only cost you around $50-$60 for both. You already have the endcaps and reflector for the VHO bulb.

Besides, VHO bulbs look better and arent as fragile.

[superjohnny]

Ok either way 96w is about right. Do the ballast & lights have to match? Would it be possible to put a 55w light or 120w light (if there were such a thing) in that ballast or do I need to use the same wattage light each time?

Would 1 96w lamp be better than 2 55w lamps?

slipknottin I don't know if that would fit in my current strip light (takes an F8 T16 20w bulb). Could I just replace the ballast, light & endcaps?

Educating myself about lighting has been no small task. Ironically I come from a computer background with a passion for hardware, but I know next to nothing about ballasts & lighting. 2 different things entirely yet still both all about electronics.

BIG Thank you to both of you guys... muchos gracias amigos!

[slipknottin]

so currently you have a 24" bulb?

that would be a 75 watt VHO bulb retro.

See if you have enough room for a bulb thats 1 1/2" in diameter.

[carpguy]

The problem with the 2x55w solution, at least as far as CF, is the length. The 36w works for multiples of 18", the 55w for 24s, the 96w for 36s". If you had a 48" tank the 55s would be ideal.

Your current bulb is 24" but the hood is 36", no? So you'd have room for either 95/96w setup? Does your current reflector run the full length? I think the AH reflector really makes a difference. I don't know about Slip's VHO (Very High Output Flourescent), so I don't really understand how the endcaps are going to play, but I think the T16s are that fat (1.5"), no? Should work.

The ballasts are basically the powerpacks: they're rated for up to a given wattage. With the bigger ballast you should be able to drive either setup. The Workhorse 5 is for up to 110 or 120w. The Workhorse 7 is for after that.

[superjohnny]

I'm fielding two really good options here. The fixture I currently have in there is too small to fit a F20T12 bulb so I highly doubt it'll hold a compact fluorescent bulb like the ones seen at ahsupply.

I think slipknottin is going for the easiest solution, new ballast and a brighter bulb. The only issue I see with that is that the bulb is 24" and doesn't cover the length of the tank. How would that affect the plants? Another issue, my fixture won't fit a 1 1/2" bulb, it's a real piece of... art :rolleyes: I have another fish tank lid that fits F20T12 bulbs, maybe I can fit that in my hood. Would 75w be enough light to have a decent plant tank? At least I wouldn't have to jump into CO2.

If I went with the 96w from ahsupply I'd have to basically gut my hood and fit it in there. Does it come with the fixture to hold the bulb & ballast in light innards in place?

Ya'll kick ***, thanks for the help. I hope I find some way to repay you in the future.

[slipknottin]

technically if you run a 75 watt VHO on a workhorse 5 it will be as bright as running a 95 watt VHO on the same ballast (ie. overdriving the bulbs)

the bulb just wont last as long. (maybe 8-10 months) I dont think having a bulb only 24" long will bother anything. Youll still be getting plenty of light into the tank.

If you look at your fixture, why isnt there enough space? Is the ballast mounted inside the back and that takes up another inch of space?

Could you possibly remove the ballast and break the reflector so its a little wider? If you can do that, then you could mount the new ballast outside the hood. (fulham ballasts are pretty small anyways)

If there normal endcaps and not the waterproof ones, those should hold both T12 and T8 bulbs.

You could always go with a CF kit, but i strongly dislike those bulbs. I feel the light coloration from them is crappy (awful compared to the URI fluorescent bulbs), they loose a LOT of output in the first 100 hours, and there easy as heck to break.

[superjohnny]

Originally posted by slipknottin
technically if you run a 75 watt VHO on a workhorse 5 it will be as bright as running a 95 watt VHO on the same ballast (ie. overdriving the bulbs)


The workhorse 5 is a 120w ballast, wouldn't it be over-driving the bulb to 120w? How did you come up with 95w?



If you look at your fixture, why isnt there enough space? Is the ballast mounted inside the back and that takes up another inch of space?

Could you possibly remove the ballast and break the reflector so its a little wider? If you can do that, then you could mount the new ballast outside the hood. (fulham ballasts are pretty small anyways)


Because it's a cheap POS lamp. I tried a F12T20 bulb and it didn't fit, the end caps are too close to the fixture and therefore there isn't enough diameter where the light tube runs to fit a 1.5" bulb... only the smaller F8T16 lamps. I have another fixture from another tank that fits F12T20 24" bulbs. The ballast currently in that fixture is only able to run a 20w lamp, but if I replace the ballast and retrofit it with a fulham workhorse 5 we may have a winner.



You could always go with a CF kit, but i strongly dislike those bulbs. I feel the light coloration from them is crappy (awful compared to the URI fluorescent bulbs), they loose a LOT of output in the first 100 hours, and there easy as heck to break.

So then you don't like the kits from ahsupply? You feel over-driving VHO bulbs is a better solution? What damage can I do by over-driving 75w VHO bulbs?

[slipknottin]

I have a couple retro kits from AH supply. The kits are very nice, I really like the reflectors (and im a very large fan of fulham ballasts...) I just dont like how PC bulbs are made. They light looks sort of "fake" and i dont think bulb quality is as good as the bulbs made by URI.

And about the 95 watt bulb, i mean the 95 watt VHO and 75 watt VHO bulbs will have the same output if both are being run on the same ballast (workhorse 5)
Many many people (myself included) overdrive VHO and NO bulbs all the time with no ill effects (besides shorter bulb life).

[superjohnny]

Why don't I get a cheapo 36" light strip and replace it's ballast with a workhorse 5? What wattage bulb would/should/could I use with this? I'd like to avoid over-driving bulbs if possible, but I'd like to have enough light. So how many wats is a 36" VHO bulb?

[slipknottin]

36" VHO bulbs are 95 watts.

youd still be overdriving it... most Ahsupply kits overdrive bulbs too. Its a pretty standard practice.

[superjohnny]

Ok, tomorrow I'm going to find a workhorse 5 and a 24" VHO 75w light. If that doesn't provide enough light I'll modify my current fixture to fit a 36" bulb.

slipknottin you're my hero, thank you for the help ;) Will post pics once finished.

[slipknottin]

lol... good luck :D


If you didnt know where to get it (www.fulham.com)

heres the wiring diagram

http://www.fulham.com/NewFiles/wire12.gif

pretty simple, but let me know if you have any questions.

[Gumby7]

Originally posted by superjohnny
Why don't I get a cheapo 36" light strip and replace its ballast with a workhorse 5? ...

Now you’re talking.

This is exactly what I have determined most cost effective for my 48" tank. I'll buy or scavenge a cheapo 48" two tube strip fixture and simply change out the ballast for one with my specifications.

I've done a lot of reading on ballasts. It’s all in the "ballast factor" measurement. Your average T12 fixture has a BF of 0.7 (or 70%) while your average T8 fixture (admittedly electronic) has a BF of 0.9 (or 90%). These percentages are measured against a reference 1.0 BF ballast.

Let me explain. If a tube has a design of 2800 lumens it will emit 1960 lumens on a typical T12 ballast and 2520 lumens on a typical T8 ballast. That's 20% more.

What is interesting is that run of the mill T12 and T8 bulbs do actually have a similar design output of approximately 2800 lumens.

Tip: *Buy an electronic ballast and shop by the ballast factor.* Everything else is smoke and mirrors. Don't get confused by the "Power Factor"; it relates to big consumers negotiating rate breaks from the electric utility and the size of wiring on large scale installations.

Tip 2: You can inexpensively change your lamp holders to standard length ones that will hold either T8 or T12. Some fixtures specifically designed for T8's have short holders.

You can even build your own provided you protect the wiring and have a grounded sheet of metal near the tube (can be painted white) to serve as a "ground plane" (has to do with the tubes firing and stray EMI.

PS you've got your tube numbers backwards. The number after the F is the wattage and the number after the T is the diameter in eights of an inch. Thus, for example, it should read F32T8 841 = Fluorescent 32 watts, 8/8" diameter, 80 something CRI, 4100K.

The wattage is very roughly 80% of the length measured in inches.

If you do opt for electronic ballast it will mostly likely be "instant start". This will shorten the life of non-IS tubes. I believe all generic T8 tubes are IS. Some specialty tubes however may be "rapid start" which isn't too bad but avoid "preheat start".

Be wary of "energy saving" ballasts/fixtures in the guise of "energy efficient" Energy saving simply means they use less energy _AND_ produce less light. The upshot is you need more fixtures for a given illumination. Energy efficient on the other hand means they use less energy and produce equivalent light. Check the ballast factor - do you really want 40 watt tubes running at 30 watts?

Does carpguy work for AHSupply? (just kidding).

Gumby

[slipknottin]

of course Gumby, you could always go nuts and retro in 1 or 2 54 watt T-5s

:D

[superjohnny]

This ballast can run the 75w VHO bulbs or CF bulbs as well right? So if down the road I want to try something different I'm not stuck with a $30 ballast. Just checking

[slipknottin]

it can run any bulb or combination of bulbs as long as its under 128 watts.

meaning you could run 4x25 watt fluorescents bulbs or 1x96 watt CF...

Im using one currently to run 2x54 watt T5s.

[Gumby7]

Originally posted by slipknottin
of course Gumby, you could always go nuts and retro in 1 or 2 54 watt T-5s

:D

Sure but standard T5's (not U tubes) are pretty scarce, if they exist at all up here. If you are lucky you can find 3 temperatures of T8's. (Besides I understand U tubes/Aquarium bulbs lumen output drops off rather dramatically with time).

A cheapo 4' fixture with _magnetic_ ballast runs you close to $30 Canadian. And you have to assemble it!

I need something I can go to the local store and economically replace the bulb when it dies (or, gasp, before the output drops off). Buying it on the internet doesn't cut it.

Gumby

[superjohnny]

I went to a (not so) local fish store this weekend and they had a ton of CF light strips, but they all cost $200+ :rolleyes: I haven't been able to find VHO daylight bulbs anywhere. The VHO bulbs I've found online are around $40 shipped (OUCH!) That 96w kit from ahsupply is looking pretty good, but they haven't emailed me back from 2 days ago.

Where do you get your VHO lights slip?

[Sumpin'fishy]

I'm just wondering what everyone's experience/opinions of IceCap Electronic ballasts and how they claim how much more efficient these systems (ballast, encaps, etc.) are? Why have I heard more about Fulham on this thread? Is Fulham cheaper, better quality, both?

I thought I was starting to understand how lights worked, then I read this thread and heard about the "factors" and such! Now I need some more learning. Man, anyone want to run through the whole shebang with me? Or point me at something explaining this 70% to 90% factor? I only see 4' VHO tubes being sold in T12 sizes.

Basically I have a 55 gal that I'm going to heavily plant and want 3w per gal (or thereabouts). I plan to inject CO2, and I'm trying to figure out the most price/energy/availability combo for my needs. I really want to get my money's worth out of the thing, and I understand that sometimes it's better to put down cash up front in order to save in the long run. For this reason I also plan to go pressurized CO2.

I don't really want to wear out my bulbs faster than normal, but I'd be willing to use NO (normal output) flourescent bulbs with an electronic ballast if it works fine. I am going to (DIY) build my own suspended wood canopy and plan to have it hold up to 4 tubes (maybe 5 if necessary). I was looking at the IceCap model 660 (so I'd have room to upgrade in future for larger tanks) It also only costs slightly more than the 430 model. These systems seem very versatile as they can acomodate NO, HO, or VHO bulbs in any combo. Are all electronic ballasts the same? Any I should stay away from? Any advice would be nice. I'm sure others would benefit also. Thanks for info so far, BTW!

[superjohnny]

I heard a lot of good things about the IceCap ballasts at reefcentral (in fact I think they are a sponsor so be careful what you read). I (finally) found the Fulham Workhorse 5 ballast at a local Eoff's electric for $19.94. I think the IceCap's cost a bit more than that.

I'm going to take slipnottin's advice and go with a VHO 95w fulorescent tube as opposed to the CF because they are a little more cost effective. Since these ballasts support NO, HO and VHO output I should be covered if I want to change to CF.

So $20 for the ballast, $30 for a light and ~$15 for end-caps and misc pieces I should have a nice setup for around $70... if all goes as planned that is.

[Sumpin'fishy]

Hope this all works out well for you SJ. I'm still confused about the whole lighting thing. Seems like the more I read, the more questions I have.

For instance: How many Lumens do I need to cover a 55 gal tank? I can understand the 3w/gal rule, but Lumens isn't explained here. I know people are trying the new screw in PC bulbs and I only see lumens listed for these. I also am confused about how if VHO or PCF lights are supposedly more efficient then how does the amount of Watts compare to planted aquariums then.

Another question came to mind when I went to this web site (www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/Fluorescent.htm) and saw the screw in PCF light bulbs. There is one that is a 55w bulb that says it "replaces" a 250w bulb. Now there is clearly a difference between the output of each watt in this instance. Anybody got an explanation?

[carpguy]

I researched this for a bit before I went and bought the lamp and I feel like I have a decent handle on it. To date I've built one lamp for one tank. Slip seems much more knowledgeable on the subject and I imagine there are some other folks out there as well. So that's the grain of salt, this is my understanding of it…

How many Lumens do I need to cover a 55 gal tank?
Lumens are a measure of what we see -- it doesn't really have anything to do with what plants use. You could have a bulb with plenty of lumens and very little photosynthetically useful light. Some bulbs will have a PAR rating, which is basically lumens for plants. Can't remember what it stands for. Most folks just go by watts per gallon of flourescent light…

…so if you see something that says "There is one that is a 55w bulb that says it 'replaces' a 250w bulb" they are comparing flourescent to incandescent. I replaced my old 60w bulb with an 11w screw-in flourescent.

I also am confused about how if VHO or PCF lights are supposedly more efficient then how does the amount of Watts compare to planted aquariums…

It took me a staggeringly long time to wrap my head around this (much too thick :D ). All flourescents are equally efficient with regards to output. The difference is in the amount of bulb it takes to get this output. I think an a 15w NO bulb is about 18" long. My 36w CF bulb is also about 18" long (a little shorter actually). I'm not getting more light out of the watts, I'm getting more light out of the space. The 95w VHO bulb was likewise only 36" long.

You could put 4x55 watts of CF very neatly over a 55. Likewise the VHO. I don't think you could fit that many NO bulbs over the tank. The screw type (curly) bulbs are just a way of getting a longer (brighter) bulb into a smaller space: I think as far as tanks are concerned you are losing a lot of light into the center and blocking light bouncing back from the reflectors and that at the end of the day you're better off with straight and thin. In a light fixture or a table lamp they're great.

AH Supply uses Fulham ballasts in their kits, which is how they came up. My impression is that they're well-regarded, as are the Ice-Caps. Both good quality. Not really that familiar with the ballast market.

I found an article on ballast factors that I still only vaguely understand but it had this point: "It is important to note that the ballast factor value is not simply a characteristic of the ballast, but of the lamp-ballast system. Ballasts that can operate more than one type of lamp… will generally have a different ballast factor for each combination."

I was under the impression that all flourescent saw a fairly significant drop after the first little bit and then evened off. Not sure how the various types differ here…

HTH

[superjohnny]

Originally posted by carpguy
AH Supply uses Fulham ballasts in their kits, which is how they came up. My impression is that they're well-regarded, as are the Ice-Caps. Both good quality. Not really that familiar with the ballast market.



I called them yesterday and asked them what kind of ballasts they use. They said they have the ballasts made specifically for them and the ballast used in the 96w kit is a 110w ballast.

Maybe Fulham makes them?

[Sumpin'fishy]

I appreciate the input, Carpguy! I think I'm starting to soak it through my skull now.

What would everyone do in my boat? I can fit 4 NO bulbs over my tank and get 160 W of output (that's almost perfectly 3w/gal).
I also am wondering whether or not I should buy an electronic ballast to use with those NO bulbs (should I get IceCap?) and do I need to get some fancy endcaps with my order? I am trying to not lose any output through my "ballast factor", which I'm understanding will be about 70% with T12 bulbs. Will that only give me around 112 watts of power? (about 70% of 160)

Another option is to go with 32 watt T8 bulbs (4' also), or even 34 watt T12 (4', energy efficient I believe).......man, this stuff gets confusing! The main thing throwing me off now is wether I'd get more light out of a 32W T8 (90% BF), 40W T12 (70% BF), or 34W T12 (70% BF?) all using some type of electronic ballast (maybe IceCap). Which of these gives more raw photosynthetic light? From what's been said, I'm understanding that with a lower BF I'm getting less actuall light output, regardless of wattage. Am I misunderstanding? This explenation should conclude my Flourescent Lights 101 coarse:D

Man, this thread sure was needed for me!

[carpguy]

Superjohnny,
I know that Slip posted earlier that they use rebadged Fulhams. I just went in and looked and it has a generic gray label that mentions AH Supply in a footnote (its says its four up to 4 bulbs totalling not more than 110w when wired to AH specs…). I know that when he wrote that I already knew it, but I don't remember where from. It may have been Slip again in an earlier post (when he was explaining all of this stuff to me :D ). My experience has been that he knows what he's talking about.

Sump,
I wrestled with the lighting issue throughout the fall, and I still don't have the whole thing together. This whole bit about the ballast factors and differing efficiencies in nominally similar bulbs is a new wrinkle for me. I found this the other day while trying to research crypts and thought it was pretty on point (http://cryptocoryne.com/tips.htm). You can wrestle with the details indefinitely. The Krib (http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Tech/), as usual, has some good stuff archived -- including the difference between lux, lumens and PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation), and a bit on how much is too much.

As for the setup to go with… it all depends on everything else. The canopy, the fish, the plants, the growth rate you're looking for.

One consideration for me was overlighting. My 2x36w is giving me 2.4 wpg. I'd read that most of my fish liked subdued lighting. If I had to do it over I'd go with the 96w. That would be 3.2 wpg for me. I like the light, fish don't seem to care -- they sometimes shade themselves under the plants, but no one spends the day in there. Plants are growing well as is.

On a 55 the 4x55 is going to be high but not crazy. If you're canopy is designed to hold them, maybe the NO is a better route for you. By having a single strip I can open my top without disturbing the lights. I could build the same thing for 2 strips on a 75, but with either 4x55 or 2x96 AH CF you'd have 2 strips, 8" wide and that may or may not interfere with your access just as much as the NO, depending on your design. I could probably get it to work, but its trickier. It would work fine for me with the 4x36 kit over a 55 (2 7" wide reflectors). A similar wattage to what you're talking about with the NO. You may have a different solution canopywise. I like leaving the lights in place as much as possible. Others have expressed a preference for wide coverage. If you don't want the space for something else, conserving it is not really a factor.

The reflectors -- all this talk about watts and ballasts. The reflectors are ridiculously bright and are IMO a significant contributing factor. The AH reflectors are supposed to be especially good (and can be ordered separately). I don't know what other reflectors are like so I can't compare. At least worth considering.

The AH end caps come with rubber sleeves for waterproofing. I've read about corrosion problems, especially if your tank is open. I don't think they invented it: it must be out there somewhere, some sort of weatherproofing. Worth noting.

I'll stay with the AH for the time being. I'm happy with it. I have a canopy design that I'm basically happy with that works with it. It suites my tastes. Slip thinks the bulbs break to easily and he doesn't like the light compared to other types. He tried it and went a different way. I read a thread (http://www.aquabotanic.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=1168) that basically revolved around how much people didn't like wooden canopies. I like wooden canopies. At some point its just personal preferences,

[superjohnny]

It makes sense that AHsupply has the ballasts made for their kits, if they know what kind of lights the ballast will drive they can better match the ballast with the light.

Which leads right into the ballast factor question...

I found an article (http://ateam.lbl.gov/Design-Guide/DGHtm/ballastfactor.htm)that tries to answer what ballast factor is.



Ballast factor is a measure of the actual lumen output for a specific lamp-ballast system relative to the rated lumen output measured with a reference ballast under ANSI test conditions (open air at 25 °C [77 °F]). An ANSI ballast for standard 40-watt F40T12 lamps requires a ballast factor of 0.95; the same ballast has a ballast factor of 0.87 for 34-watt energy saving F40T12 lamps. However, many ballasts are available with either high (conforming to the ANSI specifications) or low ballast factors (70 to 75%). It is important to note that the ballast factor value is not simply a characteristic of the ballast, but of the lamp-ballast system. Ballasts that can operate more than one type of lamp (e.g., the 40-watt F40 ballast can operate either 40-watt F40T12, 34-watt F40T12, or 40-watt F40T10 lamps) will generally have a different ballast factor for each combination (e.g., 95%, <95%, and >95%, respectively).

Ballast factor is not a measure of energy efficiency. Although a lower ballast factor reduces lamp lumen output, it also consumes proportionally less input power. As such, careful selection of a lamp-ballast system with a specific ballast factor allows designers to better minimize energy use by "tuning" the lighting levels in the space. For example, in new construction, high ballast factors are generally best, since fewer luminaires will be required to meet the light level requirements. In retrofit applications or in areas with less critical visual tasks, such as aisles and hallways, lower ballast factor ballasts may be more appropriate.



I'd be willing to bet the kits AHsupply sells has a very good ballast factor since they knew exactly what they needed when they designed the kits.

[slipknottin]

sorry, i havent been around much the past couple days.

anyways- icecap does not advertise that their ballasts are more efficient than fulham ballasts. Likely because their not ;)

Icecap ballasts cost more because they have the ability to dim fluorescent bulbs.

I buy all my bulbs and wiring stuff from either http://www.hellolights.com www.championlighting.com or www.marinedepot.com

They all carry the same or similar stuff, just look for the best prices.

[superjohnny]

Here is a email conversation from me to Fulham...



-cut email header-

Hello,
Does the Fulham Workhorse 5 electronic ballast have the ability to run NO, HO, VHO and CF lights? I am thinking of purchasing this unit to power my aquarium lighting system and want to give myself as many options as
possible.

Thank you very much,
Johnny

their reply:


NO, HO and CF, yes, for VHO you have to use WH7.

Thanks for your inquiry.
Best Regards,
Michelle -cut her last name-
National Sales Manager
-cut her email address-


I wonder why it takes a larger ballast to run a VHO bulb? Anybody have any ideas?

[slipknottin]

Fulham is notorious for underrating their ballasts.

They wont recommend you run 2x110 watt VHO bulbs on a workhorse 7 either.

Their reasoning? Because if one bulb burns out then both turn off.

A workhorse 5 can easily run a 110 watt VHO.

[carpguy]

Superjohnny,
I don't think they have them made specifically for their kits. My impression was that they just get them w/o the Fulham name on them: I don't think they're custom.

They are not specifically tailored to each kit. For instance, the ballast that came with my kit (2x36 watt) was for 4 lamps up to 110w. There are 2 extra lives from the ballast that I just capped off. I can't really think of how you'd get 4 lamps at a 110 total watts. Slip had said a Workhorse 5 could go up to 128watts. Perfect for a 4x36.

Slip (or anyone else who might know)
I've got the ballast factor idea, and the varying ballast factor according to the lamp being used. How does this effect overdriving?

[Gumby7]

Originally posted by carpguy
Superjohnny,


Slip (or anyone else who might know)
I've got the ballast factor idea, and the varying ballast factor according to the lamp being used. How does this effect overdriving?

A ballast factor greater than 1.0 is overdriving by definition.

Firstly I want to clarify that I am by no means an expert, however I have been doing a lot of reading and in my current office environment I am surrounded by electrical engineers, architects etc.


The "watts per gallon" measurement:
When people make a statement like "3wpg" they are referring to fluorescent lights. Period. You cannot use a measurement like "3wpg" for any other lighting type because it assumes a certain lighting efficiency (i.e. fluorescent). There are several picky reasons why this measurement is unreliable. However, if you don't need to or don't want to research too deeply it is a reasonable measurement you can use.

Picky reasons why this measurement is unreliable:
a) Doesn't measure light but rather measures energy consumed. In the extreme case you could remove the tubes and your ballast would still be consuming some watts.
b) Assumes a given lighting efficiency, probably by default traditional T12's on magnetic ballast.
c) Doesn't take into account tank depth and its effect on light penetration.
d) Assumes decent colour temperature for growing plants.

Reasons a) and b) could be eliminated if we used "Lumens per gallon". Lumen measurements are skewed towards the colour sensitivity of the human eye BUT they are the only decent intensity measurement you will find in the bulb specifications (measured with a 1.0 BF ballast).

Recommendations:
If you're on a budget or like DIY be sure to buy an electronic ballast with a 0.9 or greater BF. If not buy one of the specific systems the other guys mentioned (they are all electronic).

Further picky details you may not want to read about:
- T8's are usually powered by electronic ballasts and produce more lumens per watt than T12's.
- T5's (if you can find them) produce more lumens per watt than T8's.
- The "green ends" on the tubes mean reduced mercury content and has nothing to do with brand or colour temperature.
- I understand the end caps/lamp holders on some specialty fixtures add to the overall length of a "4 foot" tube and may not fit your canopy.

Gumby

[superjohnny]

I found this thread (http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=62232) over at reefcentral that talks about overdriving lights. To paraphrase you take all the hookups on a ballast and hook it up to one light. So if a ballast is capable of driving 4 lights you take the 4 yellow wires and connect them to one side, the 4 red wires go to the other side. So you basically feed all the power of the ballast to 1 light.

The Workhorse5 puts out 120w. If I use it to overdrive a 75w 24" VHO Coralife light... tell me I'm not going to burn down my house please. :D

[Heady]

*bump*