Ballast question

jjharrisx4 · 07-18-2002, 01:21 PM

Ok...I purchased a special from an online retailer and now I need to figure out what to do with it. The deal was 2x36w PC complete with bulbs, ballast and wires/sockets for 40$. I've got it, but installation is a question. The ballast is basically just a circuit board (no case). It is wired to the sockets already, and has the power cable installed as well. My question has to do with a few specific areas.

#1. Where should I install the ballast/circuit board? my canopy is wood, and is painted white. I'm probably going to use plexi mirrors to enhance reflection so no metal there.

#2. Do I attach the ballast directly to the canopy with screws (no case for the ballast) or is there some other safer way to do it?

#3. What do I do with the green ground wire from the power plug?

It is an electronic ballast, so I guess that's a good thing. Here is a pic...

nickg · 07-18-2002, 04:13 PM

IMO, I would keep the ballest out of the hood, and off the ground. You don't want any water splashed on it. I have my ballest mounted behind the tank to the wall. I've also seen ballests mounted above the tanks. I'm not sure what you mean by the green ground wire. Is the power cord conected to a male head, if so the ground wire should be connected if it's a 3 prong. HTH

PJenkins · 07-18-2002, 04:25 PM

Hi jjharrisx4,

Here is what I would do. Go to your local Radio Shack & buy a project box that the circuit board will fit into. These are usually made of plastic with an aluminum plate & four screws to hold it on (the plate that is) If Rshack doesn't have any then try an electrical supply house for a suitable enclosure. I would try to install the ballast on the outside of the canopy on the back,if there is enough room. If you can't put it on the outside then you could try sealing the box that you buy with some silicone. The green wire is earth ground and is intended to be attached to a metal enclosure for the ballast board.

Hope this helps

jjharrisx4 · 07-18-2002, 05:14 PM

Thanks for the reply...I currently have a 15w eclipse enclosure mounted in the canopy for this tank. If I leave that in, and install the ballast inside of the protective dome I still have room for the 2x36w bulbs, and the ballast is protected. If I need to I can cut some vents for circulation of the ballast. Then I've got 87watts over a 15tall tank. That should give me some flexibility for coral types! What 'chu think?

PJenkins · 07-18-2002, 05:22 PM

I have no personal experience with the Eclipse canopy, but if you think you can mount the ballast PCB inside it safely and protect it from salt spray, etc., then by all means give that a try.

Brooke · 07-18-2002, 06:35 PM

There is no way I'd put the ballast, unprotected in the eclipse hood. Ideally, you should build a little hood for the tank that has a fan and mount the ballast away from the tank. I have an eclipse at work and have been looking into different lighting options. After seeing a pic of the melted/burned eclipse tank it has really turned me off of shoving as many lights as possible into the hood.

JHMO..you can make it work, but you need to be careful!

Brooke

Rick O · 07-18-2002, 08:01 PM

You should definately mount the ballast in an enclosure. I'm surprised they would even sell it to the end user that way. The Radio Shack enclosures I've seen will work fine if they make one in the size you need. All wires that pass through the enclosure should be held securely with strain relief grommets.

Doug1 · 07-18-2002, 09:44 PM

I was going to make the same suggestion that Pat did, put it in a box and mount it remotely. Do not put the ballast in the hood. The PC lights pruduce more heat and that kills electronics

As far as the light level goes 87 watts is not a lot of Photo Active Radiation, the energy that drives photosynthesis, it may be OK for some low light corals, but its really not a lot

15-29 g tanks commomly run 4x55w PC for soft corals and some SPS and 175 and Up MH lighting setups are not rare , FWIW

Jimbo · 07-19-2002, 12:07 AM

I don't see anything wrong with putting the assembly in your hood as long as it is fan cooled. Also as flourescent bulbs get hot there output falls off some, so keeping them cool increases the amount of light and prolongs bulb life.

Hope this helps

jjharrisx4 · 07-19-2002, 11:30 AM

The eclipse portion is only to provide protection for the ballast, it does not house the PC lights. The protective cover of the eclipse has been cut to allow for a lot of air flow, and the canopy is very airy as well. The canopy is wood, not plastic. I'll be running some very closely monitored test runs with this canopy, monitoring temp, etc.. Here is a pic of how it's set up......

FWIW...I'd have preferred to use 55w bulbs but they won't fit...I've been growing caulerpa under the 15w NO bulb for several months, and will start this out with low light coral types to test the waters...

jjharrisx4 · 07-19-2002, 04:06 PM

Well, it's up and running. Here is the tank before...

jjharrisx4 · 07-19-2002, 05:15 PM

jjharrisx4 · 07-19-2002, 05:16 PM

and now with the new...

hamburglar · 07-19-2002, 05:20 PM

FTI - You can also get cool reflectors and pc bulb holders from www.ahsupply.com

I got a kit for six 55 watt bulbs on my 70 gallon and have been very happy (except for bulb replacement cost) Yikes!

Brooke · 07-20-2002, 08:51 AM

Wow..that looks great!. I thought you were going to use the black plastic hood that comes with the eclipse tanks. I bet if you added a fan in there you won't have any temp problems. Nice job. You should be able to keep lots of softies in there!

Brooke