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Will a tar ballast run an ushio bulb?

you might want to find out if the ballast you have is a pulse or a probe style ballast.. tar ballast were design for probe start style bulbs but i've seen some where its a pulse start... ushio and most european bulbs [ie. radium] run on a pulse start style ballast..
heres a good link
http://www.aquarium-lighting-guide.c...al_halide_ansi

thanks Jesse. I have an M59 ballast, so the ushio 10,000 k bulb will not work with it.
I still have to try my fixture out. I have all the parts for it, it is just time to get the bulb and fire it up.

That was a good site, and that is why I have now bookmarked it :biggrin:

Is it an m59? I was pretty sure that's what're in the standard PFOs... Some one correct me if I'm wrong.. I think it would run it!

Props, a tar ballast can be a pulse, magnetic, or HQI so the above statment dosen't apply to this.

a USHIO is a europen bulbs which has been turned into a probe start so yes any of the above ballasts will fire it.

the only way you will have a problem is if you try using a pulse start bulb with a probe start ballast. the other way is fine.

Steve