odyssea MH fixture review... new electronic version - Page 38

Rewd · #**926** 09/28/2007, 04:37 PM

True, and I've already cut it back to 6.5 hours on the MH. Was thinking of getting 14K Pheonix bulbs to go along with my ballast replacements and then cutting the actinics back to a few hours (when the MH's are on actinics are off). I've been told that using pheonix 14ks basically eliminates the need for the actinics.

My photoperiod would be:

about 6 hours of Actinics, then 6 hours of MH. 5 hours of actinics in the morning until about 3, then 1 hour at night to simulate a dusk effect.

Right now I run actinics for 12 hours with the MH coming on for 6.5 because the stock ballasts look horrible without the actinics on.

naldopr · #**927** 09/30/2007, 01:10 PM

hi guys I need help
one of the hqi glasses broke on me today is there any place that sell those or I can get them at lowes or home depot?

Rewd · #**928** 09/30/2007, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by naldopr
hi guys I need help
one of the hqi glasses broke on me today is there any place that sell those or I can get them at lowes or home depot?

It's easy and cheap to have glass cut at Lowes. The question of whether these particular pieces are some special sort of glass I can't answer.

Cody112 · #**929** 10/02/2007, 04:19 PM

Well here is another update for my system. I am still using the stock 15k bulbs (still look like 10k), until my Hamilton 14k get here next week - found a great deal of 49.99 a bulb too. I replaced the ballast with the coralvue.

First pic shows original setup

Second pic shows the left side ballast replacement w/both lights on

Third pic shows both new ballasts (wow, what a difference)

PeppersF · #**930** 10/02/2007, 05:49 PM

I have the old 72" 3x175 version and would like to try one of these stock ballast on it so if anyone would like to sell me one please let me know how much to 43551. If it works well I will probably buy two more. Thank You

miatawnt2b · #**931** 10/02/2007, 06:05 PM

Nice pics Cody showing a HUGE difference between ballasts.
-J

naldopr · #**932** 10/02/2007, 10:17 PM

well I went to a glass place it cost me $13 and the glass crack in 10min by the heat.
I keep calling aquatraders and no answers. any sugestions on type of glass?

carlso63 · #**933** 10/02/2007, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by miatawnt2b
Nice pics Cody showing a HUGE difference between ballasts.
-J

Been thinking on what I want for Christmas... most years, the wife asks and I just shrug (because I really don't need anything; if I needed something then I already bought it

)

Anyway, I think I will actually suggest something this year...

(Like 3 Coralvue 250w ballasts and 3 Pheonix 14K 250DE bulbs)

and maybe a NASO TANG

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyway, here's a few new corals that I got over the weekend (our local club is having a "ReefTour Open House" this Saturday, and I wanted to "spiff up" the tank a bit):

A nice 3.5" Red Open Brain Coral -

A 5" diameter Green Flowerpot Gonipiora -

A Sun Coral (Sun Polyps) that has over 20 heads on it

-

And a 1" Orange Montipora Cap frag -

naldopr · #**934** 10/04/2007, 04:26 PM

this is killing me I call aquatrader email them and no respond and I can't find a place that sell a tempered glass.

snulma1 · #**935** 10/04/2007, 09:53 PM

There has to be a glass shop by you that sells tempered glass. Use the yellow pages.

Rewd · #**936** 10/05/2007, 03:06 PM

I got my new icecap ballasts today. Has anyone bought these recently? I remembering reading somewhere in this huge thread that people had to cut wires to get these working but they look like plug and play to me. Is this something new IceCap is doing with their ballasts now?

Rewd · #**937** 10/05/2007, 03:13 PM

Nevermind I just had to wait for the bulbs to cool down before I turned them on again. WOW what a difference IceCaps make btw. For anyone who hasn't tossed those crap stock ballasts... you are seriously missing out.

naldopr · #**938** 10/05/2007, 07:59 PM

well I decide to sell the system. I now have a coralvue retro with reeflux 12k definitively the tank look soo much beter and it so clean no more cables ect..

Rewd · #**939** 10/05/2007, 08:28 PM

Well I've finished installing my IceCap ballasts on this beast. I can't stop looking at my tank. For anyone thinking of buying this fixture and replacing the stock ballasts I can't recommend it more. Great value even with the extra ballast investment.

Cody112 · #**940** 10/06/2007, 11:29 AM

Ok well, i finally got the Hamiltons in. They are the 250w 14k... I will post the original lighting then the hamiltons for comparison.

carlso63 · #**941** 10/10/2007, 10:14 PM

Definitely thinking about asking Santa for Coralvue or IceCap MH ballast upgrade and a trio of Pheonix 14K bulbs to go with them.

Here's another recent tank shot that will serve double duty as a thread 'bump':

Pardon the reflection through the back glass...

2t2_crash · #**942** 10/11/2007, 06:15 PM

googling these light fixtures caused me to stumble across your forums and man did I not expect to find a 3-split thread over these lights but what a wealth of information!

for those of you that changed the ballast out was it just for personal preferance or did the burn out?
For those that bought the fixture months ago are you still happy with them?

I am getting a light fixture for my tank and really like these, especially since hommbly decided to give me free shipping for APO

I just want to make sure that these will last a while or the wife will throw me out to sea

ccorpse27 · #**943** 10/11/2007, 06:26 PM

Ballasts were changed because the stock ones are underpowered.

carlso63 · #**944** 10/11/2007, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 2t2_crash
googling these light fixtures caused me to stumble across your forums and man did I not expect to find a 3-split thread over these lights but what a wealth of information!

for those of you that changed the ballast out was it just for personal preferance or did the burn out?
For those that bought the fixture months ago are you still happy with them?

I am getting a light fixture for my tank and really like these, especially since hommbly decided to give me free shipping for APO

I just want to make sure that these will last a while or the wife will throw me out to sea

I think the vast majority of Odyssea Fixture owners posting here will agree with the following comments regarding these fixtures:

1) Reliability and Safety were issues in older models of these fixtures (pre-2006); that is no longer the case. One or 2 have posted about a bulb burning out quicker than expected, and I think 1 person had a PC ballast go bad after only a few months...but, other than those, the vast majority have had no specific 'reliability' or 'safety' related problems with these "new model" fixtures

2) Originally it was thought that both the MH ballasts and bulbs were subpar; now it is apparent the stock Odyssea MH bulbs are just fine - but the stock MH ballasts are inefficient and underpowered. They do not put out the advertised 250w per bulb; it is closer to 160w per bulb. This lower power has resulted in complaints that the 10K MH bulbs look "yellow" instead of white. Those with 15K or 20K bulbs do not have this complaint

3) MH ballast replacement has mainly been an issue of preference and wanting the full 250w output from the MH bulbs. I do not believe anyone replaced ballasts due to a quality issue like a ballast burning out. That was a significant problem on older models which utilized a magnetic "tar" ballast and had problems with a particular capacitor in the magnetic ballast overheating and melting. That had not been a problem at all on the new models, which use an electronic ballast

4) Even after replacing MH ballasts with "name brand" components the cost savings is still significant vs. other brands of fixtures. As an example, my 72" fixture cost $599 delivered. Replacement of the (3) MH ballasts with a name brand like Coralvue or IceCap will total around $350. That means a total cost to me of $949 for my fixture. The next cheapest comparable fixture I could find - a Coralife Aqualight Pro - retails for almost $1400 for the 72" version. Other brands are even higher; some over $2000... so my minimum cost savings in my case amounts to approx. $450 - or almost 33% less than the Coralife

5) I think the overwhelming majority of owners who have posted here are still happy with their lights even after several months time - and would buy again should the need arise

2t2_crash · #**945** 10/11/2007, 06:52 PM

Hai, I think I'll let the boss know and i'll place an order, I see that both Hombby and aquatraders carry the unit. sweet. we'll see how the fish and the LR I pulled out the ocean like em.. found out after the fact that the LR had a piece of soft coral on it

you find a lot of extra goodies pulling live stuff from the sea.. my brittle starfish has tripled in size in just two weeks.

fun hobby, much more expensive than finescale models.. and the wife enjoys this one

jmc74 · #**946** 10/11/2007, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by naldopr
this is killing me I call aquatrader email them and no respond and I can't find a place that sell a tempered glass.

is not only temepered glass but also has a UV coating, to filter UV, unless you get the new HQI bulbs that has UV glass on them, is not going to work.

Aquatraders are open everyday, except Thurdays, and they open from 12noon to 5pm PST.

miatawnt2b · #**947** 10/12/2007, 06:58 AM

Actually, my halide ballast fried after about 2 months. I was going to replace them anyhow with ballastwise units, but it was annoying to have to pull off the halide fixture and go back to my T5's while I was waiting for the ballast.

Do yourself a favor, and buy new halide ballasts at the same time you order the fixture.

-J

DarG · #**948** 10/12/2007, 08:55 AM

"Even after replacing MH ballasts with "name brand" components the cost savings is still significant vs. other brands of fixtures. As an example, my 72" fixture cost $599 delivered. Replacement of the (3) MH ballasts with a name brand like Coralvue or IceCap will total around $350. That means a total cost to me of $949 for my fixture. The next cheapest comparable fixture I could find - a Coralife Aqualight Pro - retails for almost $1400 for the 72" version. Other brands are even higher; some over $2000... so my minimum cost savings in my case amounts to approx. $450 - or almost 33% less than the Coralife"

If looking for a 72" fixture I would ask myself if $250 more is worth it for :

-T5's instead of PC's.
-A better made fixture
-Good Quality ballasts included so that I wont have re-wire and replace something that should be right in the first place.
-A manufacturer that has customer support, that actually answers emails and will take care of warranty issues.

Then I would buy the Current USA 72" Outer Orbit with T5's ... 3 X 250 watt HQI with external Magnetic HQI ballasts + 8 X 39 watt T5 with electronic ballasts built in.

They are available for $1200 and you can find them for less occassionally on sale. Even if the shipping bumped it up to costing $300 more than the 72" Odyssea, it would be worth it to me for the T5's and the fact that it is built such that I dont have to modify it for it to run the halides correctly. If you are going to spend nearly $1000 on a fixture after you had to buy parts to make it right, you may as well spend the extra $250 - $300 on something that is atleast built and equipped correctly from the start.

I understand the appeal of getting a deal on aquarium lighting which is grossly expensive (and overpriced) in general. But starting with a piece that you have to modify from the outset and ends up NOT saving you all that much just doesnt make much sense to me. No offense to those who have a different view. I just think that when you are spending in the upper hundreds - nearly a thousand dollars in the first place, that a couple hundred more dollars to get something that is built better from the outset, works well off the shelf and is in fact a better lighting source (T5 vs PC) and is backed by the manufacturer ... is a couple hundred extra dollars well worth spending. If I absolutely couldnt afford that extra coupe hundred bucks ... I would buy pre-owned.

Flame if you must, just adding a different point of view. I just personally dont see these lights as a "good deal" or a "bargain" any way you slice it. Maybe if they had T5's (and good T5 ballasts) in place of the PC's, but not as they are now ...

snulma1 · #**949** 10/12/2007, 09:23 AM

DarG, no flaming here, you do make valid points. There are some people who would rather pay the extra money to not have to modify their fixtures, and would rather get T5's rather then PC. But this fixture and this thread really wasn't about getting the perfect fixture. It was about finding a diamond in the rough, and still saving money in the end.

As for the T5 debate. The PC's aren't used for anything but actinic supplementation. So the need for T5's for anything but power savings is pointless. People changed from PC's to VHO's or T5's because of an affinity towards a certain wavelength of light. So the T5/PC debate is kinda silly. However, I def agree with you on the fact that its kinda crappy that the stock ballasts are so shady!

DarG · #**950** 10/12/2007, 12:19 PM

I dont agree on the PC / T5 front. Not in the case of a combo fixture where the halide reflectors are small. The spread from those reflectors is poor, with an intense hot spot. The coverage is not uniform, there is incomplete coverage throughout the tank.
It's not just the case of the Odyssea reflectors. It's alot of if not most combo fixtures. Current USA, Coralife, Aquamedic ... even some of the high end ones that use very small reflectors for the halides. The flourescents serve (or should serve) a more important function than simply color supplementation of the halides. They should provide uniform light coverage and provide aqequate light to those areas where the halides are lacking due to the small, and usually pretty poor, reflector design.

Hell, if it was just about the halides and the PC's really did only need to serve the purpose of supplementing color only, I wouldnt have even posted.

It's just my opinion anyway, I'm not criticizing anyone who see's merit in buying these fixtures. It just doesnt make a whole lot of sense to me. But that's just a totally personal opinion and I just wanted to express it and my thinking behind it.