replacement bulbs for aqua-one aquariums

[haply]

I'm having a right old moan today. Got my Aqua-One AR850 and I'm in the market for some new bulbs - the originals are on the way out, flickering like mad. Saw a post from Themuleous about www.lampspecs.co.uk, so I had a gander, but no joy - they don't stock the sizes I need.

Further digging online and it seems I'm stuck with non-standard fittings. Not ideal. Current bulbs are:
- 2x 25w - 740mm x 26mm
- 1x 20w - 580mm x 26mm

Lengths include the metal caps, just to clarify. Anyone know where I can get replacements without going through my LFS (who don't stock them, despite selling the tanks)?

[raysun]

You can actually find some replacement bulbs on eBay and also Pet's at Home (P@H) sell them, might be worth checking those out.

[Amiel]

I'm thinking the issue might be with the length of the bulbs, are the ones supplied with the tank shorter than the standard ones? If the light fixtures aren't adjustable, I seem to recall the ADA 20w bulbs being a bit smaller, might be worth checking on AE to confirm.

[Sampson]

I think the ADA 20w T8 would be a good fit, as Sam suggested. I've heard great things about their performance, they're supposed to be excellent for growth and colour rendition.

[haply]

Sorry about the confusion, I should've been more specific. It's indeed the length that's the issue - those bulbs are a really unusual size. I've measured them and they're roughly 23 and 29 inches, which seems to be a bit of an oddball dimension. Even the ADA ones I looked at don't appear to match up.

[Amiel]

Have you had a go at getting in touch with Aqua-One directly, maybe drop them an email or give them a call?

[haply]

I suppose contacting the manufacturer is the last resort, I'll try my LFS first and see if they can order some in for me. Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

[Sampson]

Apologies for the vagueness. The issue lies in the length, which is quite unusual.

They're roughly 23 and 29 inches. Even the ADA ones don't seem to match up.

[tiger]

I've also got an Aqua One tank and I can confirm the tubes are a non-standard size. It's just a bit off, and trust me, you can't force a standard tube to fit. It's a real pain. I've been in a similar situation before and my LFS actually managed to find a replacement that fit. They told me it was a specific length, so make sure you measure yours exactly and see if you can find a supplier that has that size.

Also, I found out that Aqua One is just a rebranded name - the original manufacturer is called Atman. I've got a replacement globe box here from my AR620 and it's got Atman on the side, along with a brand called "CHIUANGXING". So, it might be worth searching for those names as well.

I hope this helps, just stick with it and I'm sure you'll find the right tubes. One more thing, don't forget to replace the starters when you replace the lights - it can help them last longer. And, if I recall correctly, the AR 850 has three globes, with the middle one being smaller than the other two. Keep that in mind when searching for replacements.

[talon]

Found the bulbs you're after on www.fishpetandreptiles.co.uk, might be worth checking out.