choosing a ballast for odno t8...

9am53 · 05-10-2008, 02:16 AM

I have been doing research on overdriving my T8 for a bit more light, but have some fundamental questions that seem to get ignored in all the articles/posts I have read.

I have a Coralife aqua-glo 20watt 24 inch bulb. Is this an F32T8, or some other type of T8? What do these designations mean?

If I go to Home Despot and buy an electronic ballast to overdrive this T8, I was planning on getting a ballast that runs 2 bulbs and just doing 2xoverdriving. Are there different wattages on these ballasts, or are they typically load sensing?

Thanks!

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sick lid · 05-10-2008, 03:23 AM

Don't quote me if I'm wrong, but IIRC, with electronic ballasts, they're load sensing.

DiscusIt'sWhats4DinneR · 05-10-2008, 04:09 AM

F32T8's are 48 inch t8 tubes that run at 32 watts.
i was stoked when i read about overdriving fluorescent lights.

read this article. i call it the "big book of ODNO."
a lot of good info. be sure to scroll down. it has wiring diagrams and everything you could want to know.

http://www.geocities.com/teeley2/overdrv1.html

ideally you would want to find an electronic ballast designed to run two 24 inch t8 tubes. but i think they might be hard to find. an electronic ballast designed for two 36" tubes would work as well, as would a ballast designed for 2 48" tubes, which is the most common. i had an aga 29 gal with the fluorescent hood. i canibalized a dual 24" fluorescent fixture as to make it fit inside of the all glass hood and it utilizes a sylvania quickronic 4x32t8 ballast, mounted with screws on the back of the fixture. it sheds awesome light.

in your situation i would use a sylvania quicktronic 2x32t8, or the similar advance rel 2x32t8.

these are both designed to drive two 32 watt tubes, but they will overdrive a single 24 inch tube very nicely.

9am53 · 05-10-2008, 04:58 AM

cool, thanks a heap!

9am53 · 05-11-2008, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiscusIt'sWhats4DinneR

ideally you would want to find an electronic ballast designed to run two 24 inch t8 tubes. but i think they might be hard to find. an electronic ballast designed for two 36" tubes would work as well, as would a ballast designed for 2 48" tubes, which is the most common. i had an aga 29 gal with the fluorescent hood. i canibalized a dual 24" fluorescent fixture as to make it fit inside of the all glass hood and it utilizes a sylvania quickronic 4x32t8 ballast, mounted with screws on the back of the fixture. it sheds awesome light.

in your situation i would use a sylvania quicktronic 2x32t8, or the similar advance rel 2x32t8.

these are both designed to drive two 32 watt tubes, but they will overdrive a single 24 inch tube very nicely.

I would like to do a 10 gallon shrimp tank with around 35 watts of light for my HC...can I ODNO a pair of the little 14 inch tubes? or would using a ballast designed for larger tubes as mentioned above fry the little guys?

9am53 · 05-12-2008, 01:11 PM

just wanted to bump this up one time...

05-10-2008, 02:16 AM	#1 (permalink)
9am53 Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: canada Posts: 158	choosing a ballast for odno t8... I have been doing research on overdriving my T8 for a bit more light, but have some fundamental questions that seem to get ignored in all the articles/posts I have read. I have a Coralife aqua-glo 20watt 24 inch bulb. Is this an F32T8, or some other type of T8? What do these designations mean? If I go to Home Despot and buy an electronic ballast to overdrive this T8, I was planning on getting a ballast that runs 2 bulbs and just doing 2xoverdriving. Are there different wattages on these ballasts, or are they typically load sensing? Thanks! __________________ is there an Aquarists Anonymous?

05-10-2008, 03:23 AM	#2 (permalink)
sick lid Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: BC, Canada Posts: 94	Don't quote me if I'm wrong, but IIRC, with electronic ballasts, they're load sensing. __________________ 15g QT 32g Eclipse 3. Rainbow fry tank. 86g, Fluval 404, low tech. Breeding pair of Boesmanis, common plec. 180g, Fluval FX5, 320watts t-12, low tech, heavily planted, with ABN, 12 Congo tetras, 30 or so Amanos, 5 Glass cats, 4 Corydoras Sterbai, 2 Botia dario, 5 Boesmanis, 2 sae, & 20 or so Otos. 180gallon in-wall build journal: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/low-tech-forum/65085-180g-inwall-build-journal-post594469.html#post594469

05-10-2008, 04:58 AM	#4 (permalink)
9am53 Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: canada Posts: 158	cool, thanks a heap! __________________ is there an Aquarists Anonymous?

05-12-2008, 01:11 PM	#6 (permalink)
9am53 Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: canada Posts: 158	just wanted to bump this up one time... __________________ is there an Aquarists Anonymous?

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05-10-2008, 04:09 AM	#3 (permalink)
DiscusIt'sWhats4DinneR Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Fresno, CA Posts: 61	F32T8's are 48 inch t8 tubes that run at 32 watts. i was stoked when i read about overdriving fluorescent lights. read this article. i call it the "big book of ODNO." a lot of good info. be sure to scroll down. it has wiring diagrams and everything you could want to know. http://www.geocities.com/teeley2/overdrv1.html ideally you would want to find an electronic ballast designed to run two 24 inch t8 tubes. but i think they might be hard to find. an electronic ballast designed for two 36" tubes would work as well, as would a ballast designed for 2 48" tubes, which is the most common. i had an aga 29 gal with the fluorescent hood. i canibalized a dual 24" fluorescent fixture as to make it fit inside of the all glass hood and it utilizes a sylvania quickronic 4x32t8 ballast, mounted with screws on the back of the fixture. it sheds awesome light. in your situation i would use a sylvania quicktronic 2x32t8, or the similar advance rel 2x32t8. these are both designed to drive two 32 watt tubes, but they will overdrive a single 24 inch tube very nicely.