help needed with fluro

[sid 201]

hi all

due to an exess of guppies I'm setting up a small tank I've had for a while , Theres a problem with the light though-it's fine when it's first switched on but after a few seconds it dims to less than half (buy my estimation) of its full brightness -its not an expensive tank

http://www.aa-aquarium.com/showroom4.ph ... line_id=24

and I'd used it for a little over a year before this started , there isnt a balast-but a small circuit built in to the light assembly.

Any body have any ideas what the problem could be -had a sparky at work have a look but he couldn't find any thing wrong(at this point I'd fitted the wrong tube and it didn't work at all)

theres a brand new tube fitted

If noone has any ideas I'll be using an old Fluval 1 filter and geting a jebo clip on light

cheers sid

[richms]

Quite possibly its a rapid start ballast and you are using an instant start tube. It may be supposed to have a t12 tube in it, those are still commonly used in the Us an parts of asia since you cant instant start longish tubes off 110 volts.

Does it have a starter in the fitting?

[TM]

It should be all 12volts.

Sounds like the ballast has crapped out

[sid 201]

I'm using the manufacturers recomended tube and there isnt a balast as such -just a circuit which Im guessing does the job instead.

I've just noticed that one of the components in the circuit (on a wire to the swich)is getting very hot -and becomes untouchable (it is 12v) at the same point as the light dims -

not even sure what it is(not a resister any way!) but I'll cut it off and see if they have anything similar at dick smiths tomorrow or saterday-hopfully that may work.

[Ira]

That's probably the ballast.