Help needed with FLUVAL lights

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coolie

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Help needed with FLUVAL 4FT lights

Hi there, can anyone tell me what size tubes I need as the lights have failed very quickly indeed and I want to order some tonight without delay.

They look like a pair of T8's, but in situ, I can't quite measure the length properly (and I don't want to leave the tank running with the light connections exposed by taking out the tube to measure it). The length looks like 104cm
This doesn't seem to match the standard sizes, but it's the 4ft fluval tank with the fluval fitting with the sealed unit gubbins that hangs down on a central bar with light either side.
Can anyone help?
 
Fluorescent globes normally come in standard sizes like 18 inches, 24 inches, 36 inches and 48 inch long globes. Some companies do their own sizes so you have to buy their globes instead of buying other brands.

Can you remove the light unit and leave it off the tank while you find a new globe?
 
OK, I removed the tube and it's 105cm which go-gle tells me is 41.33 inches. I don't really want to try and operate the one light that might still work (though both old) because it will leave the connections exposed and live in a very splashy tank.

Any idea whether the sizes quoted by suppliers is the exact tube including the metal bits on the end or just the size of the glass itself? There's the glass bit, the two metal end caps plus the spikes that are the connectors.
 
Can you still see the wattage on the tube. I would expect a 42" tube to be 38W and it sounds like that is what you have - but at the end of the day you are the one with the tube in your hand, the best we can do is guess...

In the past when I had a Fluval tank with fluorescant tubes they did use standard sizes if that helps.
 
Yes, I took the tube out and wiped it with a damp cloth so I could read it better, and it wiped all the writing off! But I have now found suppliers of this size tube, you have to search for 1050mm or 1047mm
 
Did that shed any light on the matter? ;)

I can see that General Electric make bulk trade boxes of 25 1050mm tubes so somewhere out there people use them in the real world for lighting, homes? warehouses?
 
If you replace fluorescent tubes, you should replace the started in the light unit at the same time. The starters are small plastic tubes about 2 inches long and twist in and out. They wear out with the globe.

Some double light units have 1 starter and some have 2. Some units also need both globes to be the same otherwise neither globe works.

Contact the manufacturer and ask them if you need both globes in the light unit for it to work. You can also turn the light unit on and see if it works. If the good globe doesn't work, then you need both globes to complete the circuit and get any light.
 
Thankyou for the info. I have already tried one tube on it's own and it doesn't work. I also recall when I bought this tank, looing into replacing the tubes back then and I found a you tube video showing how to cut open (!!!) the central support with a dremmel tool to get to the starters.
So it's a case of wait and see if the tube works fine as I'm not about to become a surgeon.

While waiting for delivery of the tube, I have a clip on spot light, attached to my babies high chair, pointing at the front of the tank to provide them with some lighting. The fish are gathered round looking in awe at the spot light! :) :O
 

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