I need some electrical suggestions here for a converted shop light fixture?

[spankey]

I want to light 2 Five gallon tanks that I have for breeding and such. But do not want to have to spend extra cash if I can use what I have now...

I have a not so reflective dual 4 foot shop light fixture. Can I take apart the light and snip (or remove) the piggy back wires off the trailing bulb sockets to just get the MAIN bulb to light?

Is this dangerous to the balast? Will it work?It will drop the watts from 80 to 40 so I can light the smaller tanks without overheating them. Even though at 4 watts per gallon, I still think I am going to have issues.... Any suggestions???

Any info would be usefull...

Thanks alot..

Spankey

[slipknottin]

liekly its a magnetic ballast.

it might light one bulb, but will quickly overheat and shut off.

you also risk bulb and ballast failure. including electrical fires, exploding bulbs, etc.

[Pagipoo]

you can use smaller wattage bulbs in the light as it is now and not have the fire risk of messing with set up as it is now. and you can hang the light higher above the tank to help with the over heating.

I made a box to place a shop light in, made it so the light was raised off of the top of the tank and left the back open to get air into the light, also had to cut a vent hole in the fixture over the ballast to help cool it. I have two 25 watt bulbs in a four foot shop light over a 55 gallon cichlid tank, it provides plenty of light for the tank, maybe a little to much.