Hi all
Not sure if anyone has any ideas, but I'm trying to repair my Marine Fish Tank lights. At present I have 2x 18w T5 4-pin Double turn bulbs in. These were run by two 1x18w ballasts (around 100mm x 40mm x 40mm) with 2 connection points. Each 4 pin bulb had a standard starter unit wired between the middle 2 pins.

Salt water has got to them and rusted them away.

My mate has given me a single 2x 18w ballast which is around (120mm x 50mm x 50mm) with 2 connections. Have wired it all up but 8/10 times you turn it on it trips our house electrics as soon as you push the on switch. When you are lucky enough for it to start the lights stay on all day as good as gold!!

I cannot find the same original Delta ballasts anywhere. Mate has suggested to try an electronic ballast as it doesn't "kick" so hard when turning on.
I'm limited on space and all the electronic ones I find are 300mm + long.
Local electric supplier has 1x 16w 2D Ballasts. Would a 16w ballast fire a 18w bulb?

Many thanks
Tel Accept, some days your the pigeon, some days your the statue!

Ah yes, fond memories of that pain.

So, ballasts and tubes should be the same wattage, or as close as possible. Ballast should never be under-rated for a tube, but can be slightly over-rated.

If you want trouble free marine lighting either go LED as I have or use Hagen GLO ballasts.

This kind of thing - appropriately rated as you need.
http://www.completeaquatics.co.uk/glo-39w-...oCY0Pw_wcB

Thanks for the reply MZ
It's on my small Nano Tank. A little TL450 so can only fit about 300mm max in, -as space in there is so tight and I don't fancy the no lid look.. It has 2 T5 compacts in which were "ok". I was thinking about fitting a TMC 1000hd tile in, but for pure ease and laziness it would be ideal just to replace the 2 burnt out ballasts.
So I won't get away with the 16w ones..

The only electronic ones I can find are 300mm+ long.

The tanks come up occasionally on EBay for £30-£50. May be worth grabbing one and just using the lid. Prob is the corals have been without lights now for 3 days so want to just get something back in there to keep them ticking over. Accept, some days your the pigeon, some days your the statue!