Looking for Rear Lighting Ballast
- Thread starter Seagars
- Start date
Pat24601
Well-Known Member
You could probably get one from Red Sea if you call them. I have their number somewhere if you want it.
The new email address for all USA & Canada technical inquiries or product issues is: usa.info@redseafish.com
U.S.A. Office: Red Sea 18125 Ammi Trail Houston, Texas 77060
Tel: (281) 447-0205 Fax: (281) 447-1153
Toll Free: 1-888-RedSea9
U.S.A. Office: Red Sea 18125 Ammi Trail Houston, Texas 77060
Tel: (281) 447-0205 Fax: (281) 447-1153
Toll Free: 1-888-RedSea9
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
If this is a Tube light, it should be fairly simple to change out. I have a Hamilton 6 bulb t5 I picked up that had a shot ballast, and it was a half hour repair. Ballasts are fairly straight forward, and so long as you get one rated for the amount of wattage and bulb types, just about any SHOULD work. Most are quite cheap as well. You may do best financially to find out the model number, and order from an electrical supply house versus red sea direct. I doubt they design/build their own ballasts. Most likely they are a premium quality item however.
Pat24601
Well-Known Member
You are the way better DIY guy than me, but the thing I would worry about in this case is taking the hood apart to replace the ballast is a bit of a pita. At least, it is on my C-250. Also, things are crowded in there pretty tightly so I'd want to make sure the fit is the same. I assume ballast can be different sizes? I guess I don't even know if there is a standard.
I totally agree that Red Sea is just reselling someone else's ballast. So, if you can figure out what ballast they use you can just order it more directly and probably more cheaply if you wanted to.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
I don't know that there is a standard, but most of what I have seen is 1&2 bulb ballasts. Similar spec items usually are similar in size.
Is this similar?
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/2x80w-t5-high-output-ballast-ati.html
I am super duper cheap. I found that the horticulture web sites also supply electronics etc, and no surprise the overlap in hobby is amazing. Prices sometimes are better. Id not be shocked to know that most 2x80w ballasts are made by the same place. It does not seem like a common size, but Id bet its standardized to a certain degree.
I think the 650 bulbs are bigger.
But I have a 4 bulb set (available for sale) for the Red Sea Max C-250. They were used about 2 months before I replaced them with LED's.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
So you are saying that your "rear channel" is out. Do you have 2 sets of lights? If so, I would imagine that you have 2 ballasts. If this is the case, you would need a 2x 80w ballast. I don't know that there is a commercial 4x 80x...so this is just a guess.
Find the part number, then find the cheaper distributor. Any time a vendor slaps a fish sticker onto a piece of electronics, the price goes up 30%.