# Bulb Life?



## 90gal (Jan 7, 2008)

I have CF 96w bulbs - and can never get them to last more than 3 months or so! Two of them are mounted in a well venilated canopy setup, heat shouldn't be an issue in the life of the bulb due to over-enclosure or poor ventilation. Bulbs are 6700k. It's getting kind of expensive - is this normal?


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## andyh (Jan 30, 2009)

I have a 4 X 96W Coralife Lunar Pro, and use 96W 6700K square-pin Current (Sunpaq) bulbs on it. I've only had one early failure in three or four years. I've gotten tired of the expense of changing them out every 6-8 months though (4 X $45 = $180 is the latest price) because of the phosphor aging. I'm going LED.


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## Quetzalcoatl (Feb 13, 2009)

It should last longer than 3 months. Do you have a rid on your tank or on the CF fixture? Maybe moisture is causing the issue...


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## freydo (Jan 7, 2006)

i agree, this could be the result of moisture. i'm assuming this is a DIY canopy? are the connections done properly? is there corrosion at the connections? there is probably a short somewhere causing the lamps to burnout prematurely.


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## 90gal (Jan 7, 2008)

When I built the canopy (yes - DIY); I had to reconnect everything and there was no corrosion on any connections. I built the canopy b/c I thought heat was causing the bulbs to burn out prematurely. Now, there is plenty of ventilation within the canopy. Under the canopy I still have the glass top for the aquarium to keep my fish in the tank where they belong; so I don't think moisture is getting into anything (combination of glass top and plenty of ventilation in canopy). 

Maybe I'm getting my bulbs from a bad dealer???


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi 90gal,

I did a DIY 1X 96 watt CF from AH Supply about a year ago. I also bought the 6700K bulb from AHS as well (good prices). It is still going strong after almost a year. I also put together an AHS 2X 36 watt CF last spring, one bulb burned out after about 7 months.

Most incandescent lights indicate a bulb life rated in hours; different manufacturers have different life expectancies. Some florescent bulb manufacturers give a life expectancy in hours, some don't. Are all the bulbs you have used possibly from the same manufacturer? What is the expected life expectancy in hours if the information is available?


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