Ballasts
Contents:
[M] Lighting: IceCap Ballast EMI Problem
by garyd-at-pictel.com (Gary Dudley) (20 May 92)
IceCap wiring info...
by Mike Bateman (Thu, 31 Aug 1995)
more about e-ballast ...
A ballast is a piece of electrical equipment that transforms the electricity from the household Mains socket to supply one or more lamps, usually fluorescent tubes, to light an aquarium.
These units come in two type : Electronic and Mechanical.
Ballast Power Input Volts Input Amp PPFD CCT Efficiency
PPFD/Watt
Blueline
386 ...
Metal Halide Bulb and Ballast
Cross Reference Guide
The list below provides a quick reference of most aquarium metal halide bulbs and their corresponding ballast ANSI codes.
Ballast: A transformer, which changes the voltage from your house outlet to the voltage needed to power different types of lighting. It often serves as the electrical supply for some lights, such as fluorescents and metal halide bulbs.
ballast
Any type of fluorescent lamp or metal halide lamp must be plugged into a ballast before a power source, because gases in the bulbs are unstable and they can actually explode without a ballast to ground them.
Ballast: A power source required for fluorescent and metal halide lights. They are highly specialized and each type of light requires its own type of ballast.
Ballast: The power supply for fluorescent and metal halide lighting.
Ballast - The power source for aquarium lighting.
Base Rock - Normal rock not live used to bulk up the rock work in an aquarium.
Barbels - These are the whisker looking appendages around the mouth area of catfish.
The ballast didn't get warm at all during all the tests, the bulbs on the other hand did. At 2x the bulbs feel about as hot as CF bulbs while at 3x the bulb got quite hot, very quickly.
A remote ballast should be mounted in an area where there is adequate ventilation to efficiently dissipate heat. This is especially important in ballast types that generate more heat.
Positioning of ballast. Just as in aquarium light fixtures, ballasts are particularly vulnerable to water damage, and should not be positioned where it's likely water will eventually get spilled.
Special electronic ballasts can reduce the flickering of the fluorescent tubes and are highly recommended since they prolong the useful lifespan of the bulbs and consume less electricity (which is also an issue !).
A separate (remote) ballast unit that can be positioned in a place free of heat and water damage
An indicator light to check for "on" operation
An "automatic on" feature to turn the UV unit back on in the event of a temporary power loss ...
ballast The electrical supply for some lights, such as fluorescents and metal halide bulbs. These are available in several varieties, such as tar, transformer, and electronic. They must be properly matched to the type of bulb you are using.
Most fixtures also have one external ballast per bulb that can be located in the stand. Some ballasts weigh as much as 15 pounds and need a 10 by 10 inch space.
These should not be mistaken for the above bulbs, and should be used with normal ballasts. When in doubt, make sure to check the wattage and identification (3-foot 30 watt and 18-inch 15 watt bulbs are not the new kind).
``What's MH?
If cost of operation is a concern and you want to keep the extra heat to a minimum, I suggest you use efficient T8 lights such as GE-SPX-50 together with electronic ballasts designed specifically for these lamps.
When setting up VHO you basically have two choices of ballasts. Electronic and magnetic or tar as it is commonly referred to. Magnetic ballasts are severely inefficient compared to electronic ballasts.
They run off regular ballasts and fixtures and come in a variety of spectra. They are satisfactory only in very shallow tanks.
VHO Lighting: Very high output (VHO) fluorescents pack much more lighting power. A standard 4-foot VHO bulb is 110 watts.
Metal halide lighting requires special ballasts and special fixtures, and the lights use a lot of energy and produce a lot of heat.
o Ballast power factor is the ratio of the lamp design current over the supplied ballast current.
o For example a energy saving T12 ballasts can have 0.88 power factor resulting in 2775 lumens X 0.88 = 2376.
A separate issue is the selection of a conventional ballast vs an electronic one. There is no doubt the electronic ones are more expensive to purchase, but the savings in electricity offset the high initial cost in a year or so.
type (listed in order of weakest to strongest they would be: T8/12 or normal output lamps, VHO, compact fluorescent, T5 high output and the deepest penetrating bulb the metal halide). And to further complicate matters, the various types of ballasts ...
Use of a hood fan and removal of the ballast from the vicinity of the tank can help regulate water temperatures. However, additional cooling is often required, especially in warm climates.
The ballast too of the lights have undergone changes and the more efficient quick start electronic ballast are now available which can deal with a vast range of voltage fluctuation and still manage to produce efficient light through their connected ...
The use of foam tends to make the apparatus float to the surface, so you must insert a ballast to weigh it down.
To avoid high temperatures associated with fluorescent ballast near the water, the apparatus should be installed behind or underneath the aquarium.
150 watt Metal Halide Enclosure and ballast
Metal Halide enclosure with exhaust fan is 24" x 11" x 4" tall. Ballast has 3 foot cord. Requires double ended 150 watt bulb, NOT INCLUDED.
$50.00 ...
They require a ballast and/or special fixture especially for VHO lights. They have fans incorporated into the lighting unit to help keep the lights and aquarium cool.
You will find metal halides, ballasts, fans, moguls, switches and a wide selection of florescent bulbs. We can provide a ready to go system customized to your specifications or help you choose the supplies to do it yourself. ...
When working around any part of the lighting beware! Some components such as bulbs and ballasts become extremely hot!
Q) The collection cup on my skimmer constantly fills with tank water, why?
If you select a custom fluorescent hood, then you will have to choose between normal output (NO), high output (HO) and very high output (VHO). Most people with fish-only tanks stay with NO lamps. Both HO and VHO lamps require special ballasts, ...
If possible, keep the ballasts on the outside of the hood to avoid excessive heating, and install one switch for each kind of tube...it's nice to be able to control the amount and type of lighting at different times of the day.
Improper ballast is a sure fire indicator of infection. Inactivity could be another indicator. Again, be familiar with your puffer's species.
 See also: Water, Aquarium, Fish, Lighting, Temperature
  
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