# Ballast Retrofit??? (help a newbie)



## Xcooper (Feb 27, 2003)

I am in the process of choosing some lighting for a 65 gallon aquarium. I have posted a question earlier where I was recommended to a AH supply or pet supply liquidators. 

I am building my stand, tank on a limited budget so I decided to dig around the 'bone' yard at my place of employment. (Lucky for me we are moving buildings and everything must go!) I found two 4 ft shop light fixtures, each containing 2 F40T12 bulbs. Great except my tank is only three feet wide. 

This is my questions, can I use the existing ballast to run two 30 watt (36") bulbs? I have taken the fixture apart and am confident I can fabricate a good fixture with the parts here. Is this possible? 

Ballast info printed on ballast--

BenchLite
Cat. No. RL-240-1-TP
for two F40T12
Rapid start lamps 40 Watt

120 Volt
0.85 Amp


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## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

Unless it is an electronic ballast, and specifically is labeled as such, then you cannot. Magnetic ballasts are designed for a specific load and can't be modified to run different sized bulbs.


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## Xcooper (Feb 27, 2003)

Gulf,

What Electronic ballast would you recommend? I then would only need to add the bulbs correct?


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## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

You could pick up a 4-F32T8 electronic ballast at Home Depot for around $25, but the Workhorse 5 ballast is more powerful, lighter (made of aluminum) and much more versatile. Pet Supply Liquidators has them for $25 so I'd recommend you get one.

128w Workhorse 5 ballast

If you go to www.fulham.com (the manufacturer of workhorse ballasts) and put in your bulb configuration, it will recommend a wiring diagram that works. I put in a T12 bulb with a 2 x F30 configuration (I think that's the three foot bulb) and it recommended this:
Wiring Diagram 11

All you would need after that are the bulbs and some endcaps/sockets. Home Depot has the sockets for $2 a pair. Oh and you'd need a power cord and some misc wiring supplies like wire caps.


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## Xcooper (Feb 27, 2003)

Thanks Gulf, between working on my thesis and my Pair of Angels spawning every 6 days I am quite swamped and have tostart and stop alot on my designs. Thanks for the info on ballast. Have you purchased anything from Pet Liquidators? Reliable?


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## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

Yes, they are very reliable. Whenever I've had questions about my order, the responded very quickly.


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