Catalina Power Compacts

[Josh Vincent]

Anyone in the forum owns them? I'm thinking of getting the Aqualina 24 inch Compact Double Fluorescent Light for my 130 L Planted tank. Can someone tell me their experience with the lights?

Thanks

Josh

[ml29]

They are good lights but when you put them in a hood the ballast heats up too much and burns it. I had to replace the ballast after a year.

[revkev]

I have a 6ft double & 4 ft single Catalina Power Compacts the 6ft ballast burnt out from over heating to fix the problem punch out the holes in both ends of the light housings. Do not put the lights under a cover as they make too much heat and might burn out the ballasts which happened to my light. The lights are very good for a planted tank just get the 10000-6500k tubes.
Revkev

[axl]

i have 1 of these lights under my hood and just found out that the ballast will burn out after a year ****, can someone help on how i stop my light from heating up as its going to be hard work replacing the ballast in the light as its kind stuck there for good. What to do, i dont wont to take the hood off because it would look ugly and how many of the ballast go 1 or do both go
cheers axl

[revkev]

Try computer cooling fans you may need a power supply to run them.Attatch to one end of the light where the punch out holes are and blow cool air through the light body.
Revkev

[axl]

Hey,
where do you buy them from and how much would they cost and where do you mean by the punch holes, are they in the end of the caps or where

[Ben]

Awesome looking tank Kev!!!

[revkev]

Catalina Power Compact light end with hole punched out for cooling a small computer fan should fit over hole try your local dick smith or tandy shop for a small computer chip cooling fan and power supply to run it.
The fan might fit inside light if your lucky?
don't forget to run it of your light timer as well.
Revkev

[dreamer]

if the light fixture isnt using e-ballast maybe you should replace it e-ballast. it produces very little heat

[axl]

hey,
what you mean by that dreamer, there are 2 electoric ballast in the light

[dreamer]

my e-ballast produce almost no heat, how can yours overheat?