pc fixture won't light one bulb.

[mskohl]

Okay,
I have a coralife fixture that is similar to this one:

except both ends of the bulbs are at the same end and run the full length of the fixture.

Anyway, one bulb won't light. I've tried another bulb and it won't light either. So, it's the ballast right? How would I go about figuring that out for sure? Does anyone know about how much a ballast for this thing would be?

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

It could be wiring. Is there a seperate ballast for each bulb?

 

[Reef Happy]

Is it old? I had the same fixture that was about 1 1/2 years old and had the same problem and it ended up being one of the sockets. They get brittle.

 

[mskohl]

I don't know. How old is old? I've had it for about a year and a half. It came with the tank when I bought it, so I don't know how long it was running prior to my purchase.

yes, the bulbs are wired separately - a switch and cord for each.

 

[Reef Happy]

Let me know if you find out it is the socket. I may have an extra to give you.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

It could be a variety of things. Like Doug said, it could be the socket, but it could also be the ballast. In either case, Premium Aquatics should carry the ballast and the sockets if you have to order it. I don't know if the new ballast will fit back in the same fixture though. You could also go with a Workhorse Ballast as well.

 

[rdonchann]

I had one die in my retro kit and ESU sent me a new one for nothing. If you open it up you may find a dark spot on the ballast or a burned smell.

 

[_Sooner_2]

I lost one bulb of a four bulb fixture on my fuge Steph. When I tried to unhook it, the socket shattered. I switched it out for a T5 fixture. No more pcs for me.

Ronnie

 

[mskohl]

My light is working again!!! And all I need is another timer!

Turns out it was the stupid timer. Well, I'm blaming that anyway. I know I should have checked and plugged it in somewhere else, but I didn't. I figured it was the bulb and then when the new bulb wouldn't light, I started looking for zebras. Russell had to take the whole thing apart and started testing with the switch all the way back to the plug....

 

[mskohl]

While Russell was working on the lights, I did some fragging. I had to get to some polyps that were down on the bottom and I couldn't reach. So, I took out the rocks and I found this little guy hiding.

I tried to do some searching here on RC and in some different hitchhikers lists, but couldn't come up with an ID. So, he's in the fuge.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Cool! It's a Mithrax crab, and looks to be closely related to the common Emerald Crab. I don't trust most crabs as far as I could throw them, but there's something about this one that I can't pinpoint. I would put it in an area to watch it under very close observation and where it can easily be removed.