Light bulb question - T8 with single end connection

[Robson]

Help! I just bought two replacement bulbs for my tank but it only has a connection one end. The bulbs I bought have two prongs on both ends and will not work when connected to the only connection I have. Is there something I can get to 'plug' the other end and complete the circuit or are these bulbs completely useless?

Here's a couple of photos of the old bulbs, so you know what I'm talking about.

 

[Colin_T]

Presumably the old globe is a specialty globe made for a specific light unit and you will have to get another globe that is the same. The only other option is to get a different light unit that takes normal globes.

 

[Robson]

It may well be a specialist bulb, but there are plenty of other bulb units that only connect on one end. Having spent a lot of money on two new bulbs, I would prefer if it I could use them. I've seen just a blank end you can plug a T8 into (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DHB63HY/?tag=) but there's also https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0796VJLMK/?tag= but what would I connect the wire too?

 

[Colin_T]

Unless you're an electrician, you don't want to muck around with wiring up a light unit. The current unit might be wired in a particular way and you could cause things to fry if you don't do the job properly. It might also need components that aren't in there if you want to run double ended globes.

Do you know an electrician, maybe a friend or family member?
If so, ask them to rewire it so it takes the different globes.

 

[Robson]

No friends who are electricians.

So one of these - would they not complete the circuit - does anyone know?

 

[Aussie_Bristle]

Why don’t you take them back and swap them? I take my old tube with me to match up when I need to replace