doh...

[LostMind]

dont drop your lights in the water. It sux real bad.

Now, I need new 400w bulbs (2 of them, so thats a nice $300) and a new dual ballast.

The dual 400w ballast wont fire up any new bulbs... I've even gone so far as to change the mogul socket, change the breaker, change the extension cords, etc etc.... so thats a nice $400 gone...

$700 accidents sux! Dont let it happen to you!

bleh

[Aquattro]

I know it doesn't help, but at least your alive to talk about it! Sorry to hear about the equipment loss..

[LostMind]

yah, that very true.

Gotta love gfci.

Any ideas why this ballast wont fire? Nothing is wet inside the ballast. Nothing has that toasted electrical parts smell either.

And one ballast is firing now, but the other isnt. Really bugging me.

[UnderWorldAquatics]

you could have some wet connections, Im not sure about this application but if it was a cars wiring, I would tell you to spay the connections with WD-40 as it dissipates water...

[LostMind]

That may be true kyle.

So far, only one ballast is firing. the other just hums when I turn it on. It never hummed before.

Perhaps there is a wet connection... although I dont know how that would hinder the bulb firing (water being conductive, right?), I am giving up on it for the night.

[StirCrazy]

you could have some wet connections, Im not sure about this application but if it was a cars wiring, I would tell you to spay the connections with WD-40 as it dissipates water...

the problem with WD40 is it permotes corosion after the fact. there are far better drying agents out there than WD40.

Steve

[kuatto]

Glad to hear your ok :biggrin: I had a near fatal(stupid)incident invovling a canister filter,saltwater and a wall outlet :rolleyes: .Maybe let it dry for a couple of days and see what happens.

[LostMind]

well, i borrowed a friends 400w dual ballast and it wont light the bulbs either.

I think I am going crazy

[Doug]

:eek: Sheez, thats sucks. I never dropped my lights in yet. Just about everything else though.

Cordless drills, electronic temp monitors, screwdrivers and so on. :eek:

[smokinreefer]

dang mang! that sux.

how's the tank coming along otherwise?

[LostMind]

well, the 120g has almost outgrown the space...

and I have to cram everything into a 90g downstairs while the big 320g is being setup.

the temp 90g tank is the one I knocked the lights into. I had them balanced on the tank... not balanced and stable apparently.

Anyways, this is really bugging me... I have another ballast here, and it isnt firing any bulbs on ony sockets.. I have 2 bulbs and 3 sockets to play with. I have tried it across several outlets. What the hell can I be doing wrong?

[UnderWorldAquatics]

speaking of lights in water.... one day I had 2 double 4' 40W fixtures sitting on top of a 4' tank, my younger bro bumped into them sending both units(4x40W bulbs) into the tank fully submerged.... funny thing was that they stayed lit up under water for the 10 seconds that they were in there before my darwin award winning bro put his arm in the tank and pulled them out, weird thing was that he didnt even get a shock...???

[LostMind]

Damn Kyle!

And the bulbs didnt shatter? the breaker didnt break? gfci didnt trip? and your bro didnt die? wow :)

Well, I have an update on the ballasts situation...

Good news is that both ballasts work (mine, and my friends). The bad news... both my brand new, never used before 400w ushio 10k bulbs dont work. My old, salt spray encrusted sunaquatics/venkiw bulbs do tho.

soooo. 4 bulbs down the drain and several hours of screwing around wasted on this stupid accident. Oh well, at least my aquarium will have light again. I think I will go pickup some new bulbs tomorrow (because my sun aquatics bulbs are too yellow for my taste now).

The question now becomes - what bulbs should I buy? I like the crisp whiteness of the ushios... but, well, do I trust them again? the two bulbs that fell in the tank had problems firing before they were accidently deep sixed...

Should I try another brand? Also, I've never seen a 14k tank in person before. Bah! Can anyone give me some advice here? Would be greatly appreciated.

[StirCrazy]

what ballast are you running? 14K is blue blue blue if it is a SA bulb.. looks like a radium.

Steve

[LostMind]

Its a pfo lighting ballast model# hq2400mh.

Don't know what that means is inside though.

[Aquattro]

Its a pfo lighting ballast model# hq2400mh.

Don't know what that means is inside though.

That means Son Agro inside if it's the HQI 400w setup

[LostMind]

HQI is for double ended bulbs, right?

This is for single ended bulbs (ended sounds strange...)

[Aquattro]

Nope, the 400w HQI are for SE bulbs.

This one here...

http://www.jlaquatics.com/cgi-bin/shopping/jalstore.cgi?user_action=detail&catalogno=pfo-bh402q