where do the ballasts go

How could i escape the heat with a internal ballast. Is there a way w/out buying a chiller.

 

No there isn't. Did you hear the part about the hood weighing more too? You really don't want internal. No matter how 'neat.'

 

HL14

I would not place a ballast anywhere near my water if it was me. Not only do they get very hot they also produce high electrical voltages which would not be very pleasant considering the conductivity of salt water and salt creep. Put it under your hood if you must, but don't complain when it all goes up in smoke, or you fry yourself..

John

 

My Coralvue electronic stay cool enough you can hold them in your hand while in operation. The T-5 ballast gets hotter than they do. Within an hour of adding my MH the tank was 84. So I bought a chiller. Now I have my halides about 6 inches off the tank. I also think you should go remote ballast and also you should do electronic ballast.

 

could i just put my MH higher from the water surface.

 

The max height is about 10inches. I had mine about 10 and they still heated up the water at super incredible rates.

 

but the one w/ the external ballast is cheaper but it doesn't come w/ the bulbs. Does the light switch just plug into the ballast if so, how can u move the ballast won't it tug on the power cord. Does the external ballast really remove the heat.

 

The ballast does not remove heat....it generates heat.
Under your hood, you would have a MH (heat generator) and Ballast (heat generator) ....it is difficult to keep cool with just the MH bulb under the hood. By having the external ballast, you are taking part of the heat away from the tank and placing it in a more well ventilated area (the room instead of the hood)

You have the light fixture, then some electrical cord (mine was long enough to get the ballast all the way to the floor - about 5 feet) that attaches to the ballast (a usually black box about 5 X 5 X 6 or so inches) then a cord out from the ballast that gets plugged into the wall

Hope that helps ya....I'd send ya a pic, but mine is apart ing the basement being refinished so I can use it again...

 

ok, i would like to see a pic

 

Well, the MH fixture is in about 20 pieces in the basement....my hubby is cleaning and refinishing it for me...
I will try to post a pic of my smaller fixture with external ballast so you can get an idea at least....I'll try to do that tomorrow as it is already nearly midnite and I am going to bed ;D [smiley=sleeping.gif] [smiley=sleeping.gif]