Your electrics might be a bit flaky. Either have them tested or try running through a surge suppressor. Is it the ballast or the tubes that give out? What ballast do you have? Which tubes are you using? How long do they generally last?

Moving the tubes while they are switched off shouldn't be a problem, but avoid doing it when they are on for any number of reasons.

Watergal,

My electronic ballasts definitely need a surge suppressor, which I now use religiously. I have fixtures and bulbs that have been burning nicely for several years now, including overdriven fixtures.

I burned an electronic ballast out once by just plugging it into a regular wall plug a little bit off-center such that a spark momentarily appeared in the plug. That ballast died immediately and would never light another bulb.

My fixtures are suspended on chains that came with them, which do isolate them considerably from vibrations in my chrome wire shelves. I usually do unplug my fixtures before I move the shelves.

MM

Thanks for the suggestions. I have them in an outlet strip but I don't think it has a surge suppressor in it - I never considered that (I use one religiously on my computers tho!)

I'm thinking about just switching to Wonderlites. I have one in a reflector to supplement at the end of my table that has the HID light over it and the tropical hibiscus bushes are loving it.