Could bad ballasts cause poor coral growth?

SaltieG · 10/29/2015, 09:30 PM

I am in need of some help here because my coral have begun to suffer severly in my 125 and my gut feeling is my light fixture. I have an older odyssea 3 x 250w MH fixture with some no name ballasts. I got the fixture for very cheap and about 3 months ago put Phoenix DE 14k bulbs inside so I am not concerned about the bulbs but instead could my ballasts just be under powering the bulbs so bad that its causing my LPS to recede and my zoas to stretch and slowly stop opening/dying as well? Whatever these ballasts are, they are rated at 250w but I am assuming they are old and probably junk. They power the bulbs on but as I said my concern is they are underpowering. I mean I have never had zoas reach like this and especially not what I would expect under 250w halides. Some of my colonies are even up in the top half of the tank and are still reaching. Then when it comes to my LPS, I have lost half of the heads. I have had this fixture over the tank since June and its just been within the last 3 weeks or so that this has all occured, but even beforehand I had little/no growth.

All my parameters are in check as well, even had them all double checked at the LFS and I have actually been performing more water changes than normal over the past few months. I admit I have never been great with them but hell even when I was doing less changes, I was getting better growth so I am very confused. I don't consider any of this to be due to light shock either, as like I said, the coral were fine but the decline has been slow. I don't currently have PAR numbers, but am renting a par meter from the LFS tomorrow so maybe that will shed some light. What was once a beautiful tank is going downhill quickly.

alton · 10/30/2015, 05:41 AM

Once you check your PAR numbers, you should be able to see if your lighting is your problem? Also if your ballast are getting super hot, then your ballast are putting more energy into heat than light. Get a watt meter and see if they are drawing the wattage called for on the name plate.

SaltieG · 10/30/2015, 08:46 PM

I got some PAR readings tonight. My numbers were roughly 300 at the very top just under the water surface, 120-140 mid tank and as low as 65 on the sand bed. Not good.

shifty51008 · 10/30/2015, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaltieG

I got some PAR readings tonight. My numbers were roughly 300 at the very top just under the water surface, 120-140 mid tank and as low as 65 on the sand bed. Not good.

Deff not right, you should have alot more on the sandbed, i would be looking into new ballast. But haveing an odyessya setup you would prob be better getting a new setup, better reflectors, ballast, ect. Check out hamilton

SaltieG · 10/30/2015, 11:50 PM

Yeah I am ditching it all together. Its an old fixture and I could probably get by on new ballasts but why chance it.

10/29/2015, 09:30 PM	#1
SaltieG Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Mentor on the Lake, Ohio Posts: 745	Could bad ballasts cause poor coral growth? I am in need of some help here because my coral have begun to suffer severly in my 125 and my gut feeling is my light fixture. I have an older odyssea 3 x 250w MH fixture with some no name ballasts. I got the fixture for very cheap and about 3 months ago put Phoenix DE 14k bulbs inside so I am not concerned about the bulbs but instead could my ballasts just be under powering the bulbs so bad that its causing my LPS to recede and my zoas to stretch and slowly stop opening/dying as well? Whatever these ballasts are, they are rated at 250w but I am assuming they are old and probably junk. They power the bulbs on but as I said my concern is they are underpowering. I mean I have never had zoas reach like this and especially not what I would expect under 250w halides. Some of my colonies are even up in the top half of the tank and are still reaching. Then when it comes to my LPS, I have lost half of the heads. I have had this fixture over the tank since June and its just been within the last 3 weeks or so that this has all occured, but even beforehand I had little/no growth. All my parameters are in check as well, even had them all double checked at the LFS and I have actually been performing more water changes than normal over the past few months. I admit I have never been great with them but hell even when I was doing less changes, I was getting better growth so I am very confused. I don't consider any of this to be due to light shock either, as like I said, the coral were fine but the decline has been slow. I don't currently have PAR numbers, but am renting a par meter from the LFS tomorrow so maybe that will shed some light. What was once a beautiful tank is going downhill quickly. __________________ 125 Reef.

10/30/2015, 08:46 PM	#3
SaltieG Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Mentor on the Lake, Ohio Posts: 745	I got some PAR readings tonight. My numbers were roughly 300 at the very top just under the water surface, 120-140 mid tank and as low as 65 on the sand bed. Not good. __________________ 125 Reef.

10/30/2015, 11:50 PM	#5
SaltieG Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Mentor on the Lake, Ohio Posts: 745	Yeah I am ditching it all together. Its an old fixture and I could probably get by on new ballasts but why chance it. __________________ 125 Reef.

10/30/2015, 05:41 AM	#2
alton Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Zuehl, Texas Posts: 4,460	Once you check your PAR numbers, you should be able to see if your lighting is your problem? Also if your ballast are getting super hot, then your ballast are putting more energy into heat than light. Get a watt meter and see if they are drawing the wattage called for on the name plate.