ODNO lighting

[Starry]

Has anyone tried overdriving t8's on reef tanks? It works great on my freshwater plant tanks, was wondering about how it would work in a marine setting.

Starry

[banditpowdercoat]

How do you Overdrive???

[midgetwaiter]

It works fine but it burns up actinic bulbs fast IME. If you already have the gear you may as well try it but if starting from scratch T5HO is probably more cost effective.

[fencer]

Overdrivng also will tend to melt your ballasts too

[Starry]

I have about 3-4 electronic ballasts ($25-$30each) laying around so yea I have the equipment. The fixture on one of my freshwater tanks has 2 40 watt tubes overdriven 4x... roughly 320 watts not including power lost to heat and age of tubes... have to wear shades when servicing the tank.

For those that haven't heard of ODNO it stands for Overdrive Normal Output.

What it basicly does is tricks a 4 lamp ballast into running 2 , or even 1 tube producing more wattage from a flourecent tube (some is lost in heat, but nowhere near as hot as MH ).

I've been running them for years on FW tanks, they grow plants like crazy. For the cost, you cant beat it.

For more info, see the following:

http://www.plantedtank.net/articles/...utput-ODNO/18/

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...threadid=48133

http://www.gwapa.org/articles/ODNO/

Starry

[Delphinus]

I ran some overdriven lights when first entering the hobby ... it was more light than not-overdriving, but given the cost of T5HO I wouldn't ever really go back to it. I also burnt some endcaps when trying to overdrive some T12's. Been there, done that, moved on. (Sorry!!!)

[banditpowdercoat]

Hmm, me being an electrician all my life and never heard of that LOL. Never really paid much attn to florescents, just installed them. I think I will try that on my 29g. 2 24" bulbs in series. I too have ballasts here that I can afford to burn up HAHA

I guess one could take a 2 bulb 24" ballast and run one bulb, that'd be 2x overdriven, right? That just might be enough light for my 29g FW, or should I go 4x OD with 2 24" bulbs series?

[Starry]

Never tried overdriving t-12's only the t8's.

My father is an electrician as well, and he honestly didnt think it would work. He stood on the other side of the room when we plugged them in.

CAUTION: make sure you use electronic ballasts, not the older tar type, unless you want hot tar all over the walls ect.

Starry

[banditpowdercoat]

Ya, I noticed that in one thread. I was wondering that. Only have magnetic ballasts here They deffinately could melt. I dont know what the electronic ones are for internal components, but I am going to be getting myself a couple

[dsaundry]

Danger Wil Robinson! Danger!...Very scary.. but to each his own. Be vewwy vewwy cawefull. T5 HO's a better and safer way to go. I do lots of automotive electrical and I have seen what happens when you overload a system....