28 nano cube LED problems

kristenashley48 · 05/16/2017, 07:27 AM

I tried posting in the equipment thread and didn't get a response so I'll try here instead... has anyone had any experience with this hood that might be able to offer some advice?

I recently set my 28 nanocube up for the first time in close to 2 years. It was running with rock, sand, moonlighting, etc. But I did nothing more than add top off water occasionally. It's back up and running with livestock and doing great. Except for the lights. I didn't notice it right away so I'm not sure when it started, but my lights are occasionally flickering in the middle of a cycle and seem to be having a hard time turning on (flickering on/off for sometimes a full minute). I know LED shouldn't do this and had it running for 3 years with livestock previously and never had a problem. My first thought was ballast... However, when I was working on getting the tank back up I broke a hood clip, meaning I had to take the hood on and off several times to work while I was waiting for a new clip to come. Plus the jolt of actually pushing it back into the clip. I'm afraid it could be a loose wire in the hood itself (which is hugely more expensive to replace!) I never noticed it flickering before reinstalling it, but that doesn't mean it wasn't. It usually turns on before I get home from work so I don't usually see that part of the lighting cycle. Any idea what my best option would be? Has anyone else dealt with a similar issue?

mcgyvr · 05/16/2017, 08:31 AM

Have you inspected all wiring connections and cleaned off any salt creep,etc..?
Obviously do so with the power unplugged..

Then with power back on wiggle what you can and see if you can duplicate the flicker..
Could be a whole host of issues but gotta start somewhere in the troubleshooting..

kristenashley48 · 05/16/2017, 08:33 AM

No, I've never taken the hood apart and one or two of the screws are rusting, so i'm kinda scared to even attempt it. I guess you're right though, I'm going to have to start somewhere! I've wiggled the cords from the outside, but not messed with anything inside the hood.

mcgyvr · 05/16/2017, 09:04 AM

Don't be scared... Do it..
Post detailed pictures,etc.. and we can help walk you though some troubleshooting if possible..

Got a multimeter?

kristenashley48 · 05/16/2017, 09:08 AM

Ok, I won't be home until late tonight so I'll put that on my to-do list for after work tomorrow.

I don't know what a multimeter is, but if it's something electrical my dad would know and I can bug him about it!

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction... I hate to waste money on replacing something that isn't broken. Or to start adding corals and have the lights die on me!

kristenashley48 · 05/20/2017, 04:27 PM

Update: it took all day, but I finally got a the rusty screws out and the hood opened up. At the very least it'll be nice and clean with shiny new screws!
When I plugged it in the whites didn't turn on at all. I left it a few minutes to see if they'd flicker on and they didn't. I opened the stand and shifted the ballast and they turned right on. This is actually the second time this happened, so I don't think it's a fluke. I'm going with something is wrong in the ballast.
However, a twist, one row of the LEDs is still flickering or not turning on at all. That makes me think a loose wire in the hood. Haha, see my confusion?
My dad travels for work and is in town only tomorrow, so I'm trying to rope him into stopping by with his testing equipment and see what he can figure out (he's much more electrically inclined than my husband or I are).

Is it weird that it could be 2 issues happening at once? Could the ballast, even though it turns on, still be the cause of one row of LEDs not working? If it's the ballast is it possible to tear that apart or is it just a lost cause?

The inside was relatively clean, despite all the rust. I'll clean out the little bit of dust and creep before I put it back together.

05/16/2017, 07:27 AM	#1
kristenashley48 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: NW PA Posts: 77	28 nano cube LED problems I tried posting in the equipment thread and didn't get a response so I'll try here instead... has anyone had any experience with this hood that might be able to offer some advice? I recently set my 28 nanocube up for the first time in close to 2 years. It was running with rock, sand, moonlighting, etc. But I did nothing more than add top off water occasionally. It's back up and running with livestock and doing great. Except for the lights. I didn't notice it right away so I'm not sure when it started, but my lights are occasionally flickering in the middle of a cycle and seem to be having a hard time turning on (flickering on/off for sometimes a full minute). I know LED shouldn't do this and had it running for 3 years with livestock previously and never had a problem. My first thought was ballast... However, when I was working on getting the tank back up I broke a hood clip, meaning I had to take the hood on and off several times to work while I was waiting for a new clip to come. Plus the jolt of actually pushing it back into the clip. I'm afraid it could be a loose wire in the hood itself (which is hugely more expensive to replace!) I never noticed it flickering before reinstalling it, but that doesn't mean it wasn't. It usually turns on before I get home from work so I don't usually see that part of the lighting cycle. Any idea what my best option would be? Has anyone else dealt with a similar issue?

05/16/2017, 08:31 AM	#2
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Have you inspected all wiring connections and cleaned off any salt creep,etc..? Obviously do so with the power unplugged.. Then with power back on wiggle what you can and see if you can duplicate the flicker.. Could be a whole host of issues but gotta start somewhere in the troubleshooting.. __________________ Who me?

05/16/2017, 09:04 AM	#4
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Don't be scared... Do it.. Post detailed pictures,etc.. and we can help walk you though some troubleshooting if possible.. Got a multimeter? __________________ Who me?

05/16/2017, 08:33 AM	#3
kristenashley48 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: NW PA Posts: 77	No, I've never taken the hood apart and one or two of the screws are rusting, so i'm kinda scared to even attempt it. I guess you're right though, I'm going to have to start somewhere! I've wiggled the cords from the outside, but not messed with anything inside the hood.

05/16/2017, 09:08 AM	#5
kristenashley48 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: NW PA Posts: 77	Ok, I won't be home until late tonight so I'll put that on my to-do list for after work tomorrow. I don't know what a multimeter is, but if it's something electrical my dad would know and I can bug him about it! Thanks for pointing me in the right direction... I hate to waste money on replacing something that isn't broken. Or to start adding corals and have the lights die on me!

05/20/2017, 04:27 PM	#6
kristenashley48 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: NW PA Posts: 77	Update: it took all day, but I finally got a the rusty screws out and the hood opened up. At the very least it'll be nice and clean with shiny new screws! When I plugged it in the whites didn't turn on at all. I left it a few minutes to see if they'd flicker on and they didn't. I opened the stand and shifted the ballast and they turned right on. This is actually the second time this happened, so I don't think it's a fluke. I'm going with something is wrong in the ballast. However, a twist, one row of the LEDs is still flickering or not turning on at all. That makes me think a loose wire in the hood. Haha, see my confusion? My dad travels for work and is in town only tomorrow, so I'm trying to rope him into stopping by with his testing equipment and see what he can figure out (he's much more electrically inclined than my husband or I are). Is it weird that it could be 2 issues happening at once? Could the ballast, even though it turns on, still be the cause of one row of LEDs not working? If it's the ballast is it possible to tear that apart or is it just a lost cause? The inside was relatively clean, despite all the rust. I'll clean out the little bit of dust and creep before I put it back together.