250w mh fixture might be haunted

Ride_The_Walrus · 12/11/2009, 12:57 AM

i have a coralife aqualight pro with a 250w 14k phoenix that has been working flawlessly, yesterday i came home and my actinics were on but my mh was not. i of course flipped my ballast off and on, tried unplugging and plugging in again, i even took aluminum ballast housing off to see if some wires were loose or fried. Nothing, i reassembled it doubled checked all electrical connections and tried turning it on again, no light. so i grabbed an old 96w pc light to put over it turned it on so the fish/corals would get some light. about an hour later i look over and the mh is on, i think to myself great it fixed itself. so today i come home and the mh is off again! i put the same pc back under it and about 30 minutes later my mh is on again.

I am truly baffled and the only thing i can think of is that lately it has been cold (for where i live) 45-50 degrees, and since it is only firing the bulb once my 96w pc (source of heat) is placed about 4 inches below it that maybe it is too cold for the bulb to fire. if anyone has any input or similar experience that would be greatly appreciated.

12/11/2009, 12:57 AM	#1
Ride_The_Walrus Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: San Francisco Posts: 27	250w mh fixture might be haunted i have a coralife aqualight pro with a 250w 14k phoenix that has been working flawlessly, yesterday i came home and my actinics were on but my mh was not. i of course flipped my ballast off and on, tried unplugging and plugging in again, i even took aluminum ballast housing off to see if some wires were loose or fried. Nothing, i reassembled it doubled checked all electrical connections and tried turning it on again, no light. so i grabbed an old 96w pc light to put over it turned it on so the fish/corals would get some light. about an hour later i look over and the mh is on, i think to myself great it fixed itself. so today i come home and the mh is off again! i put the same pc back under it and about 30 minutes later my mh is on again. I am truly baffled and the only thing i can think of is that lately it has been cold (for where i live) 45-50 degrees, and since it is only firing the bulb once my 96w pc (source of heat) is placed about 4 inches below it that maybe it is too cold for the bulb to fire. if anyone has any input or similar experience that would be greatly appreciated.