whats wrong with my light

[red-devil0602]

My light in my aquarium keeps flashing on and off is there any way to fix this

 

[Lateral Line]

I assume it is a fluorescent lamp?

The questions are, how old is it? Most cheaper/older fluorescents fade and flicker as they get older. Newer lamps, this is less of a problem, they generally fade and die dead over a short period.

How old is the starter? A magnetic starter can wear out the actual starter capacitor, (a small round detachable object), which can be replaced.

Is the starter correctly rated for the lamp? Overdriven starters, magnetic or electronic, can become unstable and behave erratically. A correct lamp may fix it, but it is possible the starter has been permenantly damaged.

 

[red-devil0602]

God the light is ABOUT 5 YEARS OLD SO I GUESS THATS THE PROBLEM soory hit the caps button by mistake

 

[Lateral Line]

Er, yeah! I think we have a result! With the fading, I think you'll be suprised how bright your new lamp will appear.