Simple Fluorescent Light?

[kevinlaikf]

I am interested in getting a short Fluorescent lights for my small 1.5ft tank.

Formerly it was using a lamp bulb which create lots of heat causing hight evaporation rate.

I wish to replace it with a simple cool fluorescent lamp which do not need any ballast and starter. All I can find are those thin narrow but LONG china-made flo lamp.

Alternative are those DC powered short fluorescent lamp which i don't really know if it is longlasting or not?

Is there any AC powered fluorescent lamp around 6-inch or less?
PL light fit the bill, but they need ballast which can be very hot if switched on too long. Would melt away my plastic hood. Don't wish to house the ballast starter externally.

Any recommendation??

BTW, where can I find those mirror-like reflective plates to maximise lighting output?

[art]

U mean there are FL lights which dont require ballasts ? I tot all of them need it ?

[kevinlaikf]

Originally posted by art
U mean there are FL lights which dont require ballasts ? I tot all of them need it ?

There is one type of white flo light about 1.5ft long..
Use the Figure-8 AC power socket, the tube diameter no more than 0.5 inch. No ballast required.

Selling about $15++ or maybe less.

I am looking for something similar but less than 1 ft.

[art]

Actually i have used a clip on small PL light b4 think 18W one.

Not very hot cos theres quite a bit of allowance btw the light and the tank water surface

Might want to try that.

[kevinlaikf]

Here is the pic of my existing collection of the FL light.

The middle smaller screw-in type do not need the ballast/starter, but dont seems to be water-proof.

The lower longest FL light do not need ballast/starter, but it just too long for mounting onto my 1.5ft tank.

The top one need ballast and starter, and the ballast is too hot to mount internally, and will melt away the plastic top.

[art]

kev, dont think any of these FLs are water proof...perhaps you can design a small housing for the middle tube which seems the best option out of the 3 using trunking and plastic sheet ( can even be those transparency sheets ) to cover the tube up.

The bottom tube looks like an ordinary FL tube...maybe the ballast is in the holder ?

Yeah the top one can get pretty hot , if not wrong these are the type people using in their ceilings..

[kevinlaikf]

Originally posted by art
kev, dont think any of these FLs are water proof...perhaps you can design a small housing for the middle tube which seems the best option out of the 3 using trunking and plastic sheet ( can even be those transparency sheets ) to cover the tube up.

The bottom tube looks like an ordinary FL tube...maybe the ballast is in the holder ?

Yeah the top one can get pretty hot , if not wrong these are the type people using in their ceilings..

The slim china-made FL seems giving less heat.
The best thing about these lights, is that they come in different colors too.. pink, neon-blue and normal cool white.

Another pic of this FL light, I don't think there is any ballast hidden within the housing.

[art]

Looks rather slim profile housing....but may still have a ballast inside, cannot confirm unless you can somehow pry it open.

Does the tube flicker the second it is turned on ?

[kevinlaikf]

Originally posted by art
Looks rather slim profile housing....but may still have a ballast inside, cannot confirm unless you can somehow pry it open.

Does the tube flicker the second it is turned on ?

As instant as a battery-operated counterpart.

[art]

Wa , instant , either means eballast or really no ballast at all..

Quite confused , always tot all FL tubes needed ballasts to light up.
I go try to find something to read up on FL tubes first...

[FishFan]

Really interesting... believe that there is an E-ballast in the casing... :dunnoe:

[Raymond]

just a suggestion. MAybe you could get urself some white LED. can be battery operate and simple construction. all you need is to find urself a housing for it. It is also brighter