Re: Wireing (amateur)

["Wayne Jones" <waj at mnsi_net>]

Greger wrote:
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Decided to up my lighting from 4 to 8 pcs 36 w tubes on my 540 Litres
tank. Since I'm a bit of amateur on wiering I thought it best to ask
before wiering myself.
Beeing the amateur I am, I decided on buying 8 ready made fixtures. They
are naked (no reflectors or casing and such fancy stuff), just a metal
bar on which everything is mounted from start.
I have to connect 3 wires (Neutral, Ground and Live) to a socket on each
of the fixtures.

Problem is that there are 8 fixtures and I don't know which is best;
Connecting in parallel or in serie?
Which will put the least load ( at the starting moment) on the
electrical wiering in the house and on the timer?
I presume that there is a bigger load while the lighting is starting
than when they are all lit.

By the way, if someone can describe how to pull the wires between the
pluggs when connecting in serie or parallel, would help me much.

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If I understand you correctly you will want to wire all the hots
together, all the neutrals together and all the grounds together. There
is a limit on how many fixtures you can have per circuit due to the high
inrush current. I don't think you are anywhere near that limit though.
Seems to me it might be around 15 fixtures but I can't remember exactly.

Your fixture is not going to be very good. You would be much better off
with reflectors and higher wattage lamps and less total wattage. That
tank is pretty big as well. If it is a standard European tank size then
there are probably some very nice T8 lamps that would fit your tank.

Wayne