Do JBJ light stink? YES! Advice please

[phil1964]

I got a tank that had lights installed in the canopy. JBJ lights, retro fit. Need I say more? I have heard (all) bad things about these lights. GIANT ballasts, bad fans, bad bulbs. I have gone thru 5 bulbs in 2 months. Buy them, they burn out in 2 days. Return them, same thing. It would not be so bad but I have to drive 50 miles to get them. Anyone know where to order them online? Just to hold me over. I want new lighting. Something that can go in a canopy.
PC, VHO or MH. As long as it can go in a canopy and be purchased online. Money is no object. Did I say that ? I want the good stuff. I cant have MH lights hanging over the tank because "it has to look nice" (wife quote) It is a FOWLR tank but I will want more down the road.
I just had a bulb pop and spent 30 minutes picking glass out of the tank. I will make one more 50 mile trip to get a new one but I want something very reliable. Any links to buy will be rewarded with many thanks and a JBJ light setup, maybe! Not kidding, if I get something else the lights are up for grabs. I should say I have 4 lights and 2 of them have been ok from the start. I would think it is the ballast but the bad bulbs are different ones.

 

[dindi]

What are you using to protect your HOT lights from water? I have 2 JBJ PC's and never had a problem with them. You must protect your lights from splashes. Have you ever watched your tank with the lights off to determine how much is actually splashing up? Even with no air bubbles mine splash plenty when I thought the surface should be moving but not splashing. Suprise! It still sends a fine mist of gases and water up onto my glass hood shield. Which I have to clean off every week because salt deposits crust up. How does it get there? Only physics will tell.

 

[phil1964]

I am not using anything to protect my lights!
I get salt crust on them!
I have never cleaned the crust off!
What should I be doing!
Please tell me!

 

[slick]

I agree that something is wrong with your set up. I have JBJ hood also and it waork perfect. Are you sure it is wired up correctly and ther is nothing shorting out? If you decide to get rid of them go with VHO's

 

[phil1964]

I have done no modifications to the setup but I am leaning towords VHO's
Hate to spend the $ but I knew NOTHING about lighting and have seen some VHO setups and like them.
The 2 I have seen have ballasts with no fans which is the loudest part of my setup.
Where to buy online?

 

[fishman88]

loudest part of your set up? man i need the pumps you have lol. i have the JBJ lighting it is great the are bright and i hope they dont break. but i am going to go with what every one has said so far you need protection!!!!! i dont know if you saw this post or not it was in the reef section. some guys light "exploded" on the end and it almost caught his canopy on fire one more day out of his house and he would have had no house. but i gues what i am trying to say is get a glass hood or just a sheat of glass to cover your lights. because i have heard that the salt creep can chew threw thin glass like light bulbs. but if you do decide to get rid of you lighting get the MH"s they are realy bright.
o and if you do get rid of them E-Mail me
mike

 

[dindi]

Jeeze, get protection for your lights, who wants to fish glass out of their tank? Either raise the lights at least 10 in or buy a glass canopy for your tank. Not hard to do, alot cheaper and no chemicals in your water from exploding lights. It's not your lights but where you have them and protection or lack thereof

 

[kris]

OK wait..am I understanding this right?
You have a wood/metal canopy (yes they do look nice) with a jbj metal fixture with glass pc bulbs in it directly over open water?????????
If thats the case, cut it out before you blow up your house or electrocute yourself or your fish or some other terrible thing. Don't you have a glass top to your tank??
JBJ I thought was supposed to be one of the best,but obviously there is something wrong with yours. If in fact you are using it over open water thats the problem, if I was incorrect and you are using it appropriately then try and exchange the fixture from whoever you bought it cause there's obviously a problem with the unit itself and maybe you just got a bum unit.
Be careful things like that make me nervous (electrocution, fires, other disasters you know, bad stuff)

 

[phil1964]

You are all correct. The tank came with glass tops but I was told they block out most of the light. I will put them on and try again.
Thannks for all your help.