Is covering CFL circuit necessary?

[Arjun Tandon]

The water in my tank is somewhere 2-2.5 inches lower than the light
Is there a risk of water splashing into the circuits?

Initially there was a plastic cover on the light when It came
Since I had to upgrade my light from 13 Watts to 27 Watts, I thought there might be a problem with heat build up so I removed the cover
The hood came with a box filter and there is some agitation but I think it is still far off

Please Advice

[asheesh]

in summers a lot of moisture gets accumulated on the inner top side of the Aquarium hood and cause the CFL to go bad

[SCORPIO]

Moisture will also occur in winter after installation of heater. Covering the circuit will be safe for you as well as fishes and equipment.

[Abhi]

Even I face the same issue in one of my tanks. What I do is, before switching on the light, lift the lid and keep it open for an hour allowing all condensed water to drip away. Then switch on the light. The heat from the lam will not let it condense further.

[sushant]

if the circuit you are talking about doesn't includes the ballast , then it won't be necessary to cover it( though moisture will surely result rusting of contact terminals )
care must be taken that moist surface should not be touched to avoid accidents.

[Arjun Tandon]

in summers a lot of moisture gets accumulated on the inner top side of the Aquarium hood and cause the CFL to go bad

Moisture will also occur in winter after installation of heater. Covering the circuit will be safe for you as well as fishes and equipment.

I'm confused... If I cover it, then a lot of heat will build up

if the circuit you are talking about doesn't includes the ballast , then it won't be necessary to cover it( though moisture will surely result rusting of contact terminals )
care must be taken that moist surface should not be touched to avoid accidents.
I'll be careful. How long will it take to completely spoil the circuit.
If it is an year, I can carry on.

Even I face the same issue in one of my tanks. What I do is, before switching on the light, lift the lid and keep it open for an hour allowing all condensed water to drip away. Then switch on the light. The heat from the lamp will not let it condense further.

Looks like a good solution
I'll keep the lid open and ensure that it is dry before switching on the light