PC ballast to run T5's

[getfooled]

I currently have 4 - 96 watt pc lights which are powered by 2 ballast. So each
balast is carrying 192 watts of lights. K my question is could i ditch the PC's, keep the ballast and run some T5-HO lights? If so, how many of what wattage. I dont have a clue how strong the ballast is. They are just a black rectangle box about 3" by 12" nothing written on them. My aquarium is 60L x 24D x 20W.

 

[fbm]

No, it could work but chances are you will blow the bulbs or destroy the ballasts or both. Ballast are designed to work with certain type of bulbs and vice versa. Could even cause a fire hazard, and it isn't a question of if it will fail it is a question of when it will fail.

 

[scsinet]

Agree.
Ballasts are rated to run lamps based on 4 characteristics.
1. Number of lamps
2. Wattage of each lamp
3. Lamp type (T12/T8/T5/PC/VHO/HO/etc)
4. Length of lamps (Lamp Feet)
It's doubtful that you'll be able to match up anything other than the number of lamps in this case.
If you need a cheap way to run T5s, check out Fulham for a ballast. They have a configurator right on their front page where you plug in your lamp type and quantity and it pops out a ballast model and wiring diagram. THe ballasts are pretty reasonable... 35-40 dollars each usually.

 

[moneyman]

It all depends on the ballast.
My Fulham Workhorse 7 can run practically any lamp including 2X96W 4-Pin Twin Tube and 2 X 80W T5HO Linear. I currently have 2x110W VHO on that ballast.

 

[getfooled]

That's a big 10-4, Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[fender]

Originally Posted by MoneyMan
It all depends on the ballast.
My Fulham Workhorse 7 can run practically any lamp including 2X96W 4-Pin Twin Tube and 2 X 80W T5HO Linear. I currently have 2x110W VHO on that ballast.
Yep. I ran 2x95w VHO on the same ballast and am now running 1x55w PC. WH7 is a good ballast.

 

[scsinet]

Be careful what advice you give out guys.
Fulham, Icecap, and Coralife all make "universal" ballasts that can drive a variety of lamp types and combinations, but manufacturers almost never use them in their products, as it's FAR cheaper to buy a specific ballast.
In his case, he's wanting to drive T5s off a ballast that came with a commercial fixture, which almost certainly does not have a universal ballast in it.
I just don't want him to get the idea that this will work and end up wrecking his stuff.

 

[getfooled]

K, a local fella has a: 6 bulb 48" SunlightSupply T5 fixture for sale. Dont know the spefic's yet but would this light be strong enough for sometihing like a BTA or calm. Im assuming they are 54watts. Any thoughts if this is something worth having. My tank is 24" deep

 

[scsinet]

IMO, nothing but metal halide has sufficient intensity to really get down 24", but many people will probably argue with me on that one.
For a 115 gallon tank, 324 watts of light is not much, even 324 watts of T5 light. I run nearly much more that much on a 55 gallon, to put it in perspective. In my case, I run 350 watts of Halide and 108 watts of T5.
I'd say that the lower light clams such as Derasa will do okay when placed near the top.
The BTA on the other hand can easily move to a low light area and end up dying on you, so you need to be careful there.