# ballast question



## TigerLilly (Feb 11, 2007)

So I'm going to be starting a planted tank soon. It's going to be a 55gal with diy co2. Its going to be stocked with java fern, java moss, glosso, a melon sword, creeping jenny, and others. I'm making a canopy for it. I have a question about ballasts though. I bought a ballast the other day. It feels like it weighs 10 pounds! Its a advance, mark III energy saver R-2S110-TP rapid start, 120v, 60 hertz, series NO PCB's. It's designed to run two T-12 fluorescent bulbs. I bought the wiring for it and the bulb fixture connections. I was told the ballast would need to be in its out box away from bulbs. What kind of canopy design would I need to use this ballast? 

P.S. All of this is to grow low to medium growing plants. I can't imagine having to buy two of these ballasts and install it in a canopy over the tank. That would be like 20 pounds in ballast weight alone, over the tank, to get 220watts total.


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## ruki (Jul 4, 2006)

Two linear tubes with a good reflector will do medium light with no problem.

As always, you can use T8 tubes to get more light per watt than the old wasteful T12s. T8's are thinner, so they block less light from coming behind the reflector.

Advance ballasts should be pretty good. These are in some of the better fixtures out there.

A simple box with mylar film stapled behind the bulbs so it forms a nice curve will do much better than most of the commecial fixtures out there.

You can get fancy and calculate the optimum curve, but it might not be worth the effort.


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## Gary Greguire (Jan 13, 2007)

If I was you I would go to homedepot and buy a t8 twin tube light with electronic ballast the whole thing will weigh less that the ballast you have...


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## TigerLilly (Feb 11, 2007)

I'm going to take that ballast back. You're right, too heavy. It looks like I'm going to just buy a workhorse 7 ballast and a twin bulbs shop light and connect the ballast to the shop light. The standard ballasts that come with most shop lights won't give me that wattage I need. What I need to know now is how hard/time consuming connecting the ballast to the shop light will be? Is there any other supplies I would need to do this?


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

The balasts that come with shoplights produce the wattage necessary to run the bulbs that go with the shoplights---usually two 40 watt T12's per shoplight. Balasts come with information on the label that gives the number and kind of lights they can handle. I recommend sticking with that information and not going beyond it. You can get so-called electronic balasts for T8 bulbs that are quite flexible, running three or four T8 bulbs that can be 24 inches long to 48 inches long or 16 watts to 36 watts. All the bulbs in being run by a balast have to be the same wattage. In other words, you can't have one of these balasts run two 36 watt tubes and two 16 watt tubes at the same time.


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## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

My suggestion would be to return it and get a 2x32 watt T8 fixture from Walmart or HomeDepot/Lowes. Make sure you get the one's with electronic ballasts. I do not understand why you want to get a shoplight and then use a Workhorse ballast?

Your best bet, IMO, since you are building your own hood anyway, is to make a hood to hold 2X55watt PC (for medium light) or 2X96 watt PC for high light. If you want 2x55 you can use a single electronic shop light ballast (made for 2x32watt T8) for each bulb, and Advance ballast for 4x32 (available at HD usually) will power both bulbs or a single Advance Centium made for T5HO. It iwll power both 55 tubes just fine (or T5 later if you want to change)

This ebay seller is awesome and I have purchased from him several times. Very fast and reliable.
eBay: ADVANCE CENTIUM ICN-2S54 T5HO ELECTRONIC BALLAST (item 190086341380 end time Mar-02-07 18:18:57 PST)

You should also be able to use this ballast to power 1x96watt PC, though I may be wrong. You can also use a workhorse ballast for that. At $17 shipped though, buy 2 of the ballasts. You can always build the hood for 4x55PC if you want high light later.


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## TigerLilly (Feb 11, 2007)

dennis said:


> My suggestion would be to return it and get a 2x32 watt T8 fixture from Walmart or HomeDepot/Lowes. Make sure you get the one's with electronic ballasts. I do not understand why you want to get a shoplight and then use a Workhorse ballast?


64 watts of light will not keep my plants alive in a 55gallon tank.



dennis said:


> Your best bet, IMO, since you are building your own hood anyway, is to make a hood to hold 2X55watt PC (for medium light) or 2X96 watt PC for high light. If you want 2x55 you can use a single electronic shop light ballast (made for 2x32watt T8) for each bulb, and Advance ballast for 4x32 (available at HD usually) will power both bulbs or a single Advance Centium made for T5HO. It iwll power both 55 tubes just fine (or T5 later if you want to change)


From what I read PC is very expensive. I wouldn't be able to afford it. 
This ebay seller is awesome and I have purchased from him several times. Very fast and reliable.
eBay: ADVANCE CENTIUM ICN-2S54 T5HO ELECTRONIC BALLAST (item 190086341380 end time Mar-02-07 18:18:57 PST)

You should also be able to use this ballast to power 1x96watt PC, though I may be wrong. You can also use a workhorse ballast for that. At $17 shipped though, buy 2 of the ballasts. You can always build the hood for 4x55PC if you want high light later.[/QUOTE]


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## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

Using a bigger ballast on the same tubes won't give you more light either. If your really trying to save money buy 2 shop lights. IIRC they are about $20-25 each. so for $50 you have 128 watts, still probably not enough if you want glosso or high light plants. Its plenty for the others you mentioned in your first post though.

Another option for the most light is 4x55watt PC. 2 of the ballasts I linked too would be $34. 55watt PC bulbs are about $22 each so for $130 you have your 220 watts. 

A slightly cheaper option is to use 2x96watt PCs. The bulbs are about $30 each and give 192watts. Still plenty of light. The tubes are only 33" long but you can stager them so that they overlap in the middle and the whole tank will be lit very well. A workhorse 7 is about $40 and will power up to 220 watts. So, you can use it with either 2x96 or 4x55 with no issues. So, for $100 you will have 192watts, $130=220watts. To get that much light from shoplights, regardless of what ballast they have, you would need 6-8 tubes (3 or 4 fixtures) which comes out to about the same price.

2x55watt PC should grow most plants on a 55 gallon. Also remember if you start adding ~200watts of light, your DIY CO2 won't be enough and you'll be banging your head against the wall with algae issues.


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## Gary Greguire (Jan 13, 2007)

IMO go with a 2x54 retro from reefgeek with gieseman 6000k bulbs & upgrade to the IC reflectors you will have more light than the 2x96w pc...and longer bulb life.


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## freydo (Jan 7, 2006)

if you go with the workhorse ballasts, go to this site: Fulham - Fulham Online

on the right side, select the lamp type, quantity and wattage, and voltage. it will tell you the proper ballast to get and a wiring diagram.


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## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

True, but it sonds like they don;t have a lot of money to spend


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## ruki (Jul 4, 2006)

Menard's sells a decent light called the "Performance Plus" Shop Light. It had reflectors that wrapped behind each bulb. Much better than the typical shop light









It's described online at http://electrical.hardwarestore.com/13-38-shop-lights/performance-plus-shop-light-631971.aspx

http://www.doityourself.com/invt/5953310


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