Power compact ballast question

Alto

New member
I just got a used dual 96 watt custom sealife retrofit setup. Only I had forgotten how long they were. I would need the fixture to go over a 29 gallon tank (30").

Can I do one of two things.

1) put 96w quads on it with no other modification?

2) put 65w bulbs on it? I know I have heard with normal flours that you can put lower wattage bulbs on electronic ballasts and the ballast will compensate for the lower wattage... is this the case with power compacts as well?
 
96w quads will work fine.

I don't know for sure about the 65w bulbs - the ballasts may end up overdriving the bulbs a little. Hopefully someone with experience doing the same will chime in.
 
bump...

Anyone know if I can put a 65w on a 96w ballast w/o damaging or shortening the life of the bulbs?
 
Hmm okay that last message posted but didnt bump the thread. Can anyone give me an answer to the 65w lamp part of my question?
 
run three 65watt bulbs.

wire8.gif
 
The custom sealife setup is a retrofit with the endcaps already wired etc. If I want to run 3 65w is there an easy way to do this or do I need to disassemble the whole thing and rewire from scratch. IE more or less just use the balast and chuck the rest.

It's sounding like quads may be the way to go...
 
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