Problems with my light

[Stretch]

My light seems to be working intermittently. I don't know how old it is, I bought it with my tank setup (used). I don't know if there is a short somewhere, or if the ballast is failing. Sometimes it takes 30 minutes or more to turn on after I hit the switch, sometimes it doesn't turn on at all. The switch has been on for almost 24 hours now, and no light. It's just a regular flourescent setup with a 24" (I think) PowerGlo. Is this what happens when a light goes bad?

I've been shopping for a new 30" light, I guess I might need to order one sooner than planned.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Sounds like the bulb is going bad...

 

[Stretch]

I bought a new bulb and that fixed the problem. I thought that if the bulb was going bad it would fail the same way an incadescant bulb does - not gradually. Thank you.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Flourescent bulbs like to flicker. Good thing, because it gives you a warning before it actually dies completely.

Glad the bulb fixed the problem.

 

[malkore]

or the starter. old or cheap fixtures have an FS-2 starter that helps ramp up the ballast power to kick the light on, then the ballast keeps it going.

but if the bulb has dark bands at either end, its pretty worn and may have finally died.