Fluorescent Wiring Question

Yes... this is what i did verbally:

Each ballast has 2 red wires, two blue wires, and 2 yellow wires. I combined the 2 red wires into one red wire... the 2 blue wires into 1 blue wire, and the 2 yellow wires into one yellow wire. I am assuming what you mean is that I was supposed to keep them seperate so they dont short? I am not familiar with AC Current, really, as I am good with computer wiring, you know, DC. With DC that wont happen (There is only a HOT and GROUND cable...)
 
Yea, I'm afraid that you shorted each circuit out. Each colored circuit goes to a heating element in the bulb, much like the filament in an incandescent bulb. So a red circuit is a circuit of it's own. A blue circuit is a circuit of it's own. Same for the yellow. The circuits heat the element and between the elements on the two ends of each bulb, energize enough electrons to make the flourescent coating glow.

I think where the misconception was is that you thought that red to yellow completed a circuit through the bulb and that blue to yellow completed a circuit through the bulb. At least from what I understand of the way that traditional tar ballasts work, this is not the case.

So, try to run individual red and blue lines to the ends of your bulbs, and send the yellows to the end of one of the bulbs. Then jumper the yellows from the endcap to the other endcap. That will have you all ready to go. :)
 
unless i have permanent ballast damage...

Looks like I need twice as much wiring lol.
 
If you have any spare hood/ballasts let me know :)

I might just switch to using an AH Supply 2x55w system... though I really cant afford it.
 
Actually, that isn't a bad idea AntMan. I'm sure that there are plenty of people here that have extra stuff lying around and would be willing to donate. Just explain your situation - you might be blessed by the outpouring of help you will receive.

If I had anything, I'd help you out. I just don't have any extra ballasts lying around. :(
 
If anyone has any things to donate, these are the things I need...

1 30" Strip Light (All-Glass), with nothing in it. Just the case. Preferable the dual bulb type... because of wider base.

Ballasts. Preferably AH Supply, but no one has extras of those im sure.

CO2 system if you have a spare that you will never use. DIY Yeast is bad and it smells. Also bad for aquariums.

Aquarium Silicon :o

Waterproof Fluorescent Sockets.

Anything you have lying around. I really need stuff because I can afford maybe fish food. Most of my stuff is DIY and i can only DIY so much...

I also do not beleive I will be making money any time soon. Maybe if my design works well, I could sell it :o Or maybe breed fish. Dunno. It all depends on donations though.

I am just a 16 year old aquarist who has been doing aquariums for 5 years but has not had one up for 1. I know a lot and helped my friend set up his. I learned from the mistakes of my last tank, and am ready to NOT make them again.
 
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Mike, you have a magnetic TAR ballast and you're trying to use it to run a bulb that it wasn't designed for. With electronic ballasts, they are generally more forgiving since they are load sensing and could run a variety of bulb sizes.

If you want something affordable, yet offers good light, go for some regular screw in Compact Fluorescent bulbs. The kind that are used to save energy in regular light bulb sockets. Most bulbs are a little too yellow and make the fish look poor and grow algae better than plants, but there are plenty of Daylight bulbs with higher color temperatures that you can use.

Here is the label from a 19 watt bulb I got at Home Depot for $7. It has a 6500K color temperature which makes the fish look great and has grown plants in my 15g tank very well.

6500k_19w_cfbulb-01t.jpg
 
How do you know it is 6500K?

Also, do I have to still add them up to my desired wattage? For instance, if they are 15 watts each, and i want 90 watts, I need 6 of them?
 
K i found out another problem also. If you only test with one bulb at a time it will be dim, but when i used TWO bulbs, i blinded myself with light.
 
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