Coralife 48 Inch 4X65Watt Power Compact Aqualight Deluxe re-wiring

mitchelljared · #1 10-30-2009, 07:45 AM

So on my 135 gallon tank, I have the following lighting: Coralife 48 Inch Aqualight Deluxe (4X65 Watt, 2 10,000K and 2 actinics) and my 2X250 Watt XM Metal Halides. I'm pretty sure it's doing the job. We've only had our tank up and running for roughly 3 and a half months, have lots of fun things in it (SPS, fish, inverts of every kind, LPS, soft coral, etc), and we see growth all over. Here's a bad pic of our tank a few weeks ago:

So knowing the Coralife light fixture was used and now one of the lights doesn't work, I'm faced with wanting to rewire the entire thing myself. I'm not even sure it's doable or something common in this hobby, but I'm stubborn. All of the other three bulbs work (and no, it's not the 4th bulb that is broken...it's the "socket.") Two of the other three bulbs/sockets work after they have been heated up by the first always working bulb running. It seems to have dried out the other two, then they kick on. Sounds complicated, but it works. However, I'm tired of it...and know this lighting system can be salvaged. I've looked inside and the wires are super stiff, almost break when you touch them (no, not very safe). So I'm sure the ballast works fine, as the lights all work (except number 4). I just need someone to confirm that this is a task I can do. So all I do is take a sample of the wire to a home store, say I want a bunch of it, then come back home and take this puppy apart? I know I can buy some new plastic end caps at the LFS. I can do these things. Would it work? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm a DIY kind of guy.

freddy · #2 10-30-2009, 03:23 PM

Go online to mops.ca they have the wiring harnesses for corallife,I had the same thing happen to me,the wiring unplugs at the ballast,make sure you get the long wiring harness.

Mrfish55 · #3 10-30-2009, 03:53 PM

J&L sells the replacement wiring harness as well, I have done a number of Coralife rebuilds, easy to work on. Tank looks good.

mitchelljared · #4 10-30-2009, 06:00 PM

Thanks MrFish55. You say it's easy to do? I like to think I'm more than competent to do this type of a thing. Based on what I wrote above, it sounds like it just needs to be re-wired, right? It's not a matter of the wires coming out of the ballast, otherwise they wouldn't turn on at all, right? So J&L sells the wire I need? What about hardware stores? What type of wire do I need? I think this will be my weekend project!