Fish tank lamps flashing - not starter motors

JimmyTheWig

Hi,

I posted this in the pet care section earlier, but I guess people here will probably know more about flourescant tubes...

Our fish tank (made by Fluval, the pump company) has two flourescant tubes "built in" to the hood. It has two starter motors which also fit into the hood.
The bulbs are the same size but slightly different specs (e.g. one for plant growth, one for light, or something).
Even though the hood suggests that there is one starter motor for each bulb, this doesn't quite seem to be the case and the whole thing seems to be in a single circuit.

Now, when we switch it on, one bulb doesn't light at all and the other just flashes. Sometimes it looks like it is going to stay on, but never quite makes it.

Googled the problem and replaced the starter motors.
Nothing has changed - one bulb does nothing and the other just flashes.

Any ideas what the problem might be?
Is it worth replacing the bulbs? Would be gutting to do that and it not be the problem as they're considerably more expensive than the starter motors.


Thanks,

Jim

toni_

Hiya, why dont you take the unit with the bulbs into your pet shop and get them to try some new ones for you, then you can see if it needs new bulbs or not? the problem i always had with light units, expecially juwel ones (i dont know if fluval have the same problem) if you dont tighten the end caps to the bulbs water will actually get into the unit and it obviously wont work any more, how old are your bulbs? when you take the bulb out has it got a darkish ring round it on one or both ends?

Mrs_Imp

You should just need to replace the bulb. That's all I did and it worked fine afterwards.

There are loads of different types of replacement bulbs available, so make sure you take your old one in to get the right one. I got a more blue light last time by mistake and my fish hated it, so I replaced it pretty quickly.

JimmyTheWig

Thanks for the replies.
Good thinking if they'll let me try some bulbs, toni.

Clive_Woody

toni_ wrote: »

Hiya, why dont you take the unit with the bulbs into your pet shop and get them to try some new ones for you, then you can see if it needs new bulbs or not? the problem i always had with light units, expecially juwel ones (i dont know if fluval have the same problem) if you dont tighten the end caps to the bulbs water will actually get into the unit and it obviously wont work any more, how old are your bulbs? when you take the bulb out has it got a darkish ring round it on one or both ends?

Similar problems with my Juwel aquarium, apparently you are supposed to replace the end caps for the lights every year to stop water getting in.