T5 ballast wiring help - reasonably urgent!!!

[danelam]

Hi all,

You may remember my last post about when I was looking for someone to help me install a new icecap 430 to my 4x54w T5s. James (ReefNQueens) was thoughtful enough to come out and help me even though he doesn't know me Really nice guy and great reefer to help me out like this.

The problems started though when the lgihts wouldn't stay on, even though James wired it as per the diagram from icecap. We called icecap and said you couldn't do 4 T5 bulbs (only 4 VHOs) with that ballast, only 2 :tired:. I've since disconnected the icecap because I will be getting a refund for it, and have tried to reconnect everything to the original workhorse7.

Here's the crappy part... it doesn't work. Only 3 bulbs are coming on, and very faintly at that. This really sux, as I was trying to upgrade my lighting not render it useless. For the time being I'm running my old PCs on the tank, but there are several higher light corals now that won't last too long under these lights so I need to at least rewire my old Workhorse ballast correctly, or get a icecap 660, which I might actually do.

Here the plea from the bottom of my heart :redface:. I'm useless and not at all handy. I've tried to get it to work and if it doesn't work soon I will have some sick corals and anemone on my hands. I know everyone is busy, but it would mean ALOT to me if someone could help me out. I mean physically, here at my apartment, with rewiring correctly. I'm really useless. Again I know it's a big ask, just hoping someone could help...

I'm on 50th and 10th in Midtown Manhattan.

Please help

 

[coralite]

Hey Dane,
have you considered rewiring your 430 for 2 or 3 bulbs in the meantime? You can actually take a 660 harness and wire it up for four bulbs. When you plug in the 430 only two bulbs will fire but that'll buy you some time until you get a 660. Your corals and anemones should be fine for well over a week with moderate light before you get any serious long term effects. Good luck.

 

[FRY]

Diagrams for T5 Linear HO with a bulb set 4xF54 HO

Diagrams for T5 Linear HO with a bulb set 4xF54 HO

 

[autoponicz]

double check the wiring and the ground wire too...

 

[danelam]

Thanks for your tips guys. I have wired it as per the diagram, and double checked it but I think my problems are more basic than that. I don't even know if I'm connecting them all properly as some of the wires are spliced together and I don't know if the connection is strong enough. Also, I'm not sure if I've connected the power cord properly. White to white, black to black etc...but do I just kind of wrap the wires around each other...

As you can see, the most unhandy guy ever. I'm not completely useless with other things though, I'll invite all you guys to my next concert I can do that ok...

But this is FRUSTRATING!! My light was ok to begin with but I had to get greedy to get more light and more intensity. Instead, now I'm stuck with my PCs again and a T5 unit that doesn't work...ugh

 

[autoponicz]

how about you take some pictures of how you wired evrything together....without the tape on it..

 

[FRY]

if you want give me a call ,ill talk you thur

 

[danelam]

thanks fry...I might do that...can you PM me your number?

 

[FRY]

Ygm

 

[FRY]

danelam corrected phone ###

 

[danelam]

Just had a good chat with Frank, who helped alot. Does anyone have any spare T5 48" I can borrow to test to see if the problem is with the bulbs or my wiring. They were working fine today, but after I tried to rewire are not good...3 with faint light, one with no light.

 

[masterswimmer]

Dane, the IC 430 ballast is only capable of running 8 linear feet of bulbs. The 660 will run 16 linear feet. That's why you couldn't run four 4' bulbs on the 430. The 660 will handle it just fine.

Unfortunately I've got a dozen used 4' bulbs that still work, but I'm up in Orange County, or you'd be more than welcome to four of them.

I can assist with the wiring if you need help. I've wired MANY IC T5 ballasts and endcaps. I'm surprised the person you got it all from hasn't helped you out.

swimmer

 

[grisha]

Russ
Dane will be getting my 660 tomorrow but im as useless as he is....lol...

 

[masterswimmer]

Russ
Dane will be getting my 660 tomorrow but im as useless as he is....lol...

I should be online during the day. I think we can help him out.

Russ

 

[danelam]

Thanks Russ. Grisha is coming over this afternoon with the 660 and we might give it a try. I'll let you know if not.

Thanks alot!

 

[danelam]

ok trying to hook up the 660 and it's still not working. Two bulbs come and then go off. The other two don't work. You can definitely light 4 bulbs with a 660 right?

 

[ming]

Yes
I have (4) four feet bulbs on an IC 660 over a year now
Make sure all the wiring is tight so that you can tug it and it won't come loose off the endcaps

 

[jab161]

swap the bulbs that work with the ones that don't to see if it is the bulbs or the ballast

 

[danelam]

thanks guys. Yeah we've been on the phone with icecap and swapped the bulbs like you said. When we swap them the other two light up so it looks like its the ballast. Will have to send it to icecap under warranty. So much bad luck with ballasts!

 

[danelam]

Thanks again to James (ReefNQueens) for helping me out today, really nice guy. So, it seems pretty certain the Icecap 660 is faulty so I'm sending it back to them under warranty. Been on the phone with them all afternoon!

Luckily, James was able to hook my old T5 ballast back up so in the meantime everything will be dandy. I'm rearing to get that icecap running though and get some good growth going.

Thanks again all you guys who've given me advice. Great community we have here.