Coralife T5NO aqualight problem

bpb · 03-04-2012, 07:40 PM

Last night as I was lounging around the house I heard a POP come from my 75 gallon running this fixture. I have a medium sized bala shark (please save the stocking comments) as one of the many inhabitants, and he is constantly making clicking noises audible from even separate rooms, so I thought nothing of it. When I turned to look, the light was out. I figured the bulb may have just burned out. It did....literally. The bulb got so hot, it melted the acrylic splash guard onto the bulb and killed it. I had to get a hammer and screwdriver and basically shatter the bulb to get the splash guard free so I could inspect the unit.

The bulbs were about a year old this week actually (installed early march last year), but it's odd that they melted the acrylic so suddenly. I'm always inspecting the fixture as with every piece of equipment I have.

I cleaned out the fixture, got rid of all the glass, trimmed the splash guard so the melted end was gone, but it's still usable. I replaced the bulbs, and it appears about twice as bright now (bulbs were probably ready to go anyway). I'm kind of afraid of the fixture now though. It melted a piece of plastic once. I hope I don't come home to a house fire...

ShadowBeast · 03-04-2012, 07:55 PM

Is this the aqualight fixture that just lays on top with nothing holding it up?
I think I have the same fixture and mine just melted it's splash guard too.
I was told to call coralife and see if they can help.

bpb · 03-04-2012, 07:59 PM

Thats the one. I don't want to suspend it because its my only light on a standard 75 gallon. My moss and ferns are doing well, but if i lower the intensity by raising it, even they wont grow.

ShadowBeast · 03-04-2012, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bpb

Thats the one. I don't want to suspend it because its my only light on a standard 75 gallon. My moss and ferns are doing well, but if i lower the intensity by raising it, even they wont grow.

I was asking about the suspending because there's a couple of coralife fixtures that have something that holds the fixtures up except the one the one I'm thinking.

SPKehl · 03-04-2012, 08:13 PM

I have had the same thing happen to 2 of mine. One of them has a 2" hole that was burnt in the cover. I'm surprised it did not start a fire. I didn't trust using the fixture and ordered a different one.

SPKehl · 03-05-2012, 10:44 PM

Here is a picture of mine.

algarciajr · 03-05-2012, 11:20 PM

I have the 30" Coralife NO T5 dual bulb fixture like yours, and I removed the splash guard on mine since it is resting on the glass tops so that heat would not build up in unit.

bpb · 03-05-2012, 11:23 PM

Mine melted in the exact same spot. Maybe ill remove my splash guard entirely and find something to prop it up on by like a centimeter so it is enough to avoid melting my acrylic tank lid but close enough to not lose intensity

Jetbo · 03-06-2012, 11:07 PM

After reading this post I just removed my splash guard from my 30" Coralife NO T5. To bad there is not allot of fixture options out there for a low light 20 gallon long.

SPKehl · 03-06-2012, 11:56 PM

Without the splash guard, I would worry about water splashing on the bulbs. Also if the bulb get so hot when they blow, what is to keep it from cracking the tank lid.

**jreich** · 03-07-2012, 12:00 AM

GREAT i have 2 of them resting directly on my glass lid over my 40b.

SPKehl · 03-07-2012, 12:27 AM

I still have 7 fixtures still in service. I have 13 tanks.

Jetbo · 03-07-2012, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPKehl

Without the splash guard, I would worry about water splashing on the bulbs. Also if the bulb get so hot when they blow, what is to keep it from cracking the tank lid.

I am using a glass canopy so its unlikely to get water splashed on the bulbs. There is about a 2cm gab between the glass canopy and the bulbs so with that extra ventilation the bulbs should no longer get very hot. Other then the fixture being made out of aluminum and acting like a heat sink these fixtures have no ventilation with the guard on so heat is building up around those bulbs all day.

bpb · 03-07-2012, 02:46 PM

Seems like a good idea to remove the splash guard. Eventually in the future I will just get a single bulb T5 high output light with a good reflector and not worry about heat since it'll be suspended. I'd probably still use this fixture with 2 colormax bulbs since I like the hue they cast on the tank, but definitely suspend it somehow. Seems like even a small space would provide adequate head disipation. Unfortunately I don't have $100 bucks burning a hole in my pocket to drop on a new light fixture.

03-04-2012, 07:40 PM	#1
bpb Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: College Station, TX Posts: 598	Coralife T5NO aqualight problem Last night as I was lounging around the house I heard a POP come from my 75 gallon running this fixture. I have a medium sized bala shark (please save the stocking comments) as one of the many inhabitants, and he is constantly making clicking noises audible from even separate rooms, so I thought nothing of it. When I turned to look, the light was out. I figured the bulb may have just burned out. It did....literally. The bulb got so hot, it melted the acrylic splash guard onto the bulb and killed it. I had to get a hammer and screwdriver and basically shatter the bulb to get the splash guard free so I could inspect the unit. The bulbs were about a year old this week actually (installed early march last year), but it's odd that they melted the acrylic so suddenly. I'm always inspecting the fixture as with every piece of equipment I have. I cleaned out the fixture, got rid of all the glass, trimmed the splash guard so the melted end was gone, but it's still usable. I replaced the bulbs, and it appears about twice as bright now (bulbs were probably ready to go anyway). I'm kind of afraid of the fixture now though. It melted a piece of plastic once. I hope I don't come home to a house fire...

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03-04-2012, 07:55 PM	#2
ShadowBeast Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (8/100%) Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Elizabeth,NJ Posts: 380	Is this the aqualight fixture that just lays on top with nothing holding it up? I think I have the same fixture and mine just melted it's splash guard too. I was told to call coralife and see if they can help.

03-04-2012, 07:59 PM	#3
bpb Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: College Station, TX Posts: 598	Thats the one. I don't want to suspend it because its my only light on a standard 75 gallon. My moss and ferns are doing well, but if i lower the intensity by raising it, even they wont grow.

03-04-2012, 08:13 PM	#5
SPKehl Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Waco, TX Posts: 16	I have had the same thing happen to 2 of mine. One of them has a 2" hole that was burnt in the cover. I'm surprised it did not start a fire. I didn't trust using the fixture and ordered a different one.

03-05-2012, 10:44 PM	#6
SPKehl Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Waco, TX Posts: 16	Here is a picture of mine.

03-05-2012, 11:20 PM	#7
algarciajr Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 55	I have the 30" Coralife NO T5 dual bulb fixture like yours, and I removed the splash guard on mine since it is resting on the glass tops so that heat would not build up in unit.

03-05-2012, 11:23 PM	#8
bpb Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: College Station, TX Posts: 598	Mine melted in the exact same spot. Maybe ill remove my splash guard entirely and find something to prop it up on by like a centimeter so it is enough to avoid melting my acrylic tank lid but close enough to not lose intensity

03-06-2012, 11:07 PM	#9
Jetbo Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Schaumburg, IL Posts: 18	After reading this post I just removed my splash guard from my 30" Coralife NO T5. To bad there is not allot of fixture options out there for a low light 20 gallon long.

03-06-2012, 11:56 PM	#10
SPKehl Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Waco, TX Posts: 16	Without the splash guard, I would worry about water splashing on the bulbs. Also if the bulb get so hot when they blow, what is to keep it from cracking the tank lid.

03-07-2012, 12:00 AM	#11
jreich Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: philadelphia Posts: 2,940	GREAT i have 2 of them resting directly on my glass lid over my 40b.

03-07-2012, 12:27 AM	#12
SPKehl Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Waco, TX Posts: 16	I still have 7 fixtures still in service. I have 13 tanks.

03-07-2012, 02:46 PM	#14
bpb Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: College Station, TX Posts: 598	Seems like a good idea to remove the splash guard. Eventually in the future I will just get a single bulb T5 high output light with a good reflector and not worry about heat since it'll be suspended. I'd probably still use this fixture with 2 colormax bulbs since I like the hue they cast on the tank, but definitely suspend it somehow. Seems like even a small space would provide adequate head disipation. Unfortunately I don't have $100 bucks burning a hole in my pocket to drop on a new light fixture.