[Captain326]

I have a light fixture attached to a 75 gallon african cichlid tank in my basement, and yes yes i know, this is a marine forum, but this concerns only the light and the mechanics of its fixture and I'm sure that someone here will know what the problem is.

ok, So the fixture that lays across the top of the tank and houses one flourescant bulb is a little deficient. I need to press and hold down the switch for like 10 seconds before the light finally flickers on. Because of this, a timer will not work on my light. I am wondering if I need to replace the bulb, or the entire fixture for it to work properly. The fixture itself is fairly old. so I wouldnt be surprised...

Thanks

[blue hippo]

sounds like the fixture to me but i am no expert. if a bulb was going out it would flicker like you said but it would do so right when swithced on or it might take a while. it might be just the wiring on the fixture you should take it apart and see if the wires going to the switch are still in tact no shorts or no loose wires.

shawn