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30 to 40 watt ballast?
I currently have a 60g planted tank with only three 30w flourescents.
I realize that I need more lighting but need to do so within an extremely
tight budget -- so I seek your wisdom.
After purchasing my whole tank setup used about 8 months ago
(planted 3 mths ago), I just recently discovered that one of my ballasts can
handle a 40 watt bulb by manually sliding and extending the plastic fixture
from 36" to 48". The ballast was made by Robertson Transformer Co. and the
label says Cat. PT40, 120v, 70 amp, 40 watt. To say the least, it was a
happy surprise. My other 2 ballasts, however, are made by Radionic
Industries with a label that says Cat. PT340, line volts 120, cycles 60,
normal line amperes .67, along with a caution that its use is "for portable
lamp fixtures". Most importantly, it says "for one 30-40 watt lamp".
Being a non-electrical person afraid of frying myself, I'm wondering
whether I can use the 2 Radionic ballasts by simply extending (manually
cutting) the plastic fixture to fit a 48", 40w bulb much like the Robertson
fixture. Would I also need a new starter? Or would I be better of in terms
of performance or cost to purchase a new 40 watt setup at Home Depot?
Thanks in advance! Ric ;)