Help No Lights

Currnetly I have/ had a helios 2x55 w/ 1-10k and 1 actinic. Well starting yesterday something has shorted out. My tank kept going on and off all day yesterday and today I had no lights at all. It will be friday untill I can get thing going again. My mail question is how long can my tank survive w/out lights. I know that in nature storms sometimes roll through and "turn out the lights" for a couple of days. If things are in dire danger I will just go and swap out for another helois. However if I can get away until Sunday I was thinking of building a hood adn getting a DIY thing going. But to be honest I don't knwo the slightest about the technology behind my tank, I am just in love with the biology part of it.

My tank is 20h and right now the only things I am worried about is my frogspawn, GSP, Rics adn mushrooms, unknown SPS, Zoo anthids. Ya know all the stuff that doesn't wake up till the lights come on.

Any imput or ideas.

since HELIOS lights have external ballasts, it'd be easy enough to do a quick replacement.... but, i don't think fried ballast is the problem. flickering to me sounds like a loose connection somewhere. what happens when you shake the hood? (be careful lol). the tank should be okay for awhile until you find your solution.

How long is a while? when I unplug it from the ballast and plug it back in the the light s work but only for about 30 minutes. So basically long enough to wake up my royal gramma so he will come out and eat. The helios is only about 5 months old. the people said that I can come in even though I don't have a reciept and exchange it. But I don't want to go with helios again since the guy also told me that they have been having a lot of trouble with this unit. That is why I am trying to figure something out in a hurry.

i'd say you're ok for a couple of days (>3) to a week actually. except for the gsp all the others can feed to supplement their diet (if there's something to feed on, that is).

but get another set of lights as soon as possible. the longer it takes the more careful you have to be re-acclimating your tank to the light (assuming the roughly same intensity).

maybe you can spend a little more and try to upgrade it with who you bought it. have you tried just swapping out the bulbs? the time delay sounds like temp is reaching a certain level and then kicking off. switch both bulbs if you experiment, not just one. hth

Everyone I have met or spoke with that has a Helios light system has had problems with them. I know you had mentioned buying another one, I would try and avoid buying the Japanse PC's if at all possible. And if you do swap out the bulbs at least cause the color is a joke.

My LFS stopped carrying the Helios line altogether because he had too many returns on them. My brother recently bought Helios, keyword recently, and has yet to have a problem. We will see. I think you get what you pay for with these, I understand they are very cheap in price.

Originally posted by jc51373

Everyone I have met or spoke with that has a Helios light system has had problems with them.  

hey peepos

yeah well friends, don't buy cheap equipment and not expect some.... baddies to slip through the cracks. a helios 4x55w hood pushes for about $150 (in my part of the world). now take into consideration resale and original MFG markup and conclude that not too much $$$ went into the construction of that puppy. helios uses an external ballast. you want to upgrade, no hood hack required. you have issues with the standard bulbs they provide? consider that "good" new bulbs go for 20+ bucks a pop. etc, blah blah byeee! good luck

I do not want to go with another helios system infact I am off right now to go to the LFS and talk to their lighting guy and see what can be done with in my currently non existant buget.

well if they said they would replace your current lighting for free do that for now so you at least have lights. then do your diy thing. a pos lighting system is better than no lighting system for now untill you can set up something different.

This thread reinforces EXACTLY WHY I DO NOT USE CHEEP ASS LIGHTING.....You get what you pay for.

People complain about how expensive stuff is and to save cost they cut corners where they shouldn't.

Spend a few bucks more and the problems go away....

FOREVAHHHHHHHHHHHH

dayum I wish people would listen to me more often.......

CSL.

If you have Home Depot or Lowes close by, their electronic ballast for four 48" 32 watt bulbs will run the 2 55w PC's just fine. This ballast sells for around $30. I have a 20 long with one of the 2x32 Sylvania ballasts that Lowes sells driving a 55w smartlite bulb. Works great. Very bright. Ballast stays cool. It's a thought anyway.

Logan J

The LFS gave me a store credit todard a new lights they no longer carry the helios. I was able to geta JBJ unit for 60$ more adn I can still use the bulbs that are good, which I already have. What I am going to do is build a canopy and secure the JBJ unit inside. This way it will ook more finished adn secure. Untill then I have two 2x4's that span across my tank to keep the lights up. this is just a temp and will be remidied with in the next few weeks. But now all of my corals are happy