Light Wont Stay On

[Orbit887]

Yesterday the bulb in my tank started to flicker and just now wont stay on for more than about 2-3 seconds at the most.

Am I right to assume that it's the starter unit that's gone, and not the bulb itself?

If it is the starter then my next problem is how to change it! As far as I can see all the bulb electronics are totally sealed away in the hood. Can i just rip it all apart to access it? I had a quick check last night and there doesnt seem to be any hinges, flaps or re-sealable parts to the hood, just all contained within sealed plastic.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

what make and model of tank is it?

 

[Orbit887]

I'll have a check tonight, at work at the moment

It's a 2nd hand tank I got about 5 months ago, 30x12x18, and am sure the hood has something like 'Lite(something)' written on it.

 

[SuperColey1]

If it was the starter, the light wouldn't flicker because nothing would tell it to start!!! Must be the bulb

 

[Orbit887]

If it was the starter, the light wouldn't flicker because nothing would tell it to start!!! Must be the bulb

Sounds good news to me then! Bulb is much easier to replace on this hood than anything else by look of it.

I will have to either sort this out at some point or buy a new hood for the tank, as in the near future i'm looking to upgrade my lighting, so need to work out what that hood will and wont let me do!

 

[SuperColey1]

This thread of mine might give you a few ideas/options/solutions.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=180270

I'd buy a new bulb. If it doesn't work and it is the starter (which I doubt) then it doesn't matter, because you now have a spare which you would've bought anyway.

If you are talking about updating, then assess what you are wanting to do. planted or not, and buy the apllicable lights for your plans.

If you have a smaller tank (meaning not 4ft) then the Interpet T5 twin compacts are awesome power for their length

i.e. you can get a twin starter for 2 x 55W (110W) which is only 23" inc cap and is about £40, the bulbs are quite cheap at surrey Pet Supplies Website.

Bear in mind that this is huge amount of light over a 20 or 29G and would require a lot of planting and management to avoid creating a tank of Green Algae.

Good Luck

 

[freshwaterfishlover]

I was thinkinig it was the starter, but if it was the starter it would flicker on and off rapidly not on 2 seconds off 2 seconds.

 

[Orbit887]

Thanks for your help with that SuperColey, I'll head out tonight and get a new bulb (if i've got enough time after work) and see if that resolves the problem.

Yeah I've started to look into putting some t5's into the tank, the bulb going yesterday has half spurred me onto doing it, but gonna have to give it a month or so till pay day and to give me a chance to do a bit more research! I've got the the basics i think, working out watts per gallon, possible CO2 depending on how much light is in there etc But main thing I need to look into are what plants I would be able to grow, species and varient size, and also getting enough in to cover the floor of the tank! But that's all 'homework' for next couple of weeks

I was thinkinig it was the starter, but if it was the starter it would flicker on and off rapidly not on 2 seconds off 2 seconds.

Ah ok, that's quite what it's like. It'll come on, then flicker off and on, holding out for a few seconds at a time, then occasionally going into a near strobe-like flicker. Hope doesnt bring out any epilepsy in my fish!

 

[SuperColey1]

If it was the starter there would be no ignition and therefore no flicker. If its the bulb the starter keeps trying to ignite and thus the flicker.

 

[Bignose]

I was thinkinig it was the starter, but if it was the starter it would flicker on and off rapidly not on 2 seconds off 2 seconds.

I do not know the details of how the lights work, but when my lighting would flicker on and off a few seconds at a time, it was not the bulb, but indeed it was the starter. The good news is that a replacement starter was like 59 cents, so it is not that costly of a repair. Probably costs more in gasoline to go to the hardware store than the actual thing itself. I would get both a replacement bulb and a replacement starter, if you have plants a new bulb will do wonders for the plants.

 

[JackoUK]

I had a similar problem recently and it wasn't infact the starter or the lamp. It was the in line switch connections being oxidized due to a dodgy connection. Replaced the switch and it hasn't gone of since. Probably still the lamp on yuors though.