Odyssea lighting, any experience?

[Skeeter7424]

I just found this fixture online...

http://www.aquatraders.com/Odyssea-24in-Metal-Halide-with-T5-Extendable-Serie-p/54244.htm

And was wondering if anyone has experince with it. I have read a bunch of stuff on their products not being all that good. Can anyone vouch for or against this fixture. I really like the idea of a MH/T5/moonlight all in one. Also, I am looking for a sub 24" fixture. Are there other options out there that have all 3? I found a bunch that are T5/moon or MH/moon but not all 3. Thanks a bunch!

...SKeeter...

 

[firstimer]

im running the same thing but its a 6 footer.

 

[Skeeter7424]

what do you think of it? have you switched anything out (bulbs/ballasts) ?

 

[gweston]

The price point of the 6 footer seems very affordable... I just wish it was T5's and not PC's for actinics.

 

[MikeG]

I would personally stay away from Odyssea, they historically have not had the best build quality or reputation.

 

[saltwaterB]

I have to agree with MikeG. I would never sell or use any Odyssea products. You get what you pay for...they are cheap for a reason, cause they are junk....

 

[YourWrasseIsMine]

Bro im no Expert but i bought the 48" t5 HM 716Watt fixture on that site and everything is growing great and going great nothing is wrong with the fixture and the ballast they come with are on point (killowatt tested).
i only changed the bulbs for my liking. People hate on the fixture cuz of passed models, odyssea has step it up and i'll be glad to buy from them again.. Spend the $1000 on icecap but your getting the same thing for $240 with the odyssea fixture.. Can post pic if needed

 

[oceanprncss]

we have a 48in fixture.. 4 t5 bulb with moon lights no issues..

 

[turtletrax624]

ok, so i have heard a bunch of stuff (in multiple places) about this light. I understand you get what you pay for (I'm in the car business, so I get it!). But has anyone had really negative experiences with THIS series of fixture? Or does anyone have a suggestion for a combo light (MH/moon or T5/moon, or any combo) in the 20-24" class that isnt $600? I am running a fairly nice 20" PC light now that I like, but am always looking to upgrade. I'm fading away from the Odyssea one because of the price and the history of the company. Thanks guys
...Skeeter...

 

[Skeeter7424]

that was from me, i forgot to log out of the g/f's computer...aaanyways...

...skeeter...

 

[ava420]

i have the 4ft with two MH and PCs iv sense pulled the PCs and added t5's and upgraded the ballasts for the MH's to some icecaps and personally i love the thing! yes it was damn cheap but hell that's what i was looking for!! the build quality isn't that bad its definitely not top of the line. i was able to open it up and mod it with an extra fan and convert it to t5's rather easy so over all i love the thing i get great growth and everything looks good. for the money id say its good...

 

[Mini4x]

They are a "you get what you pay for" item. Can you get better, YES. but for the price you can't come close.. I had a few of their fixtures, I had one DOA ballast with a brand new 4 footer and they sent me a whole new fixture and never asked for the first one back, so I eventually gutted both and ran 6 bulbs over my 75g. They are definitely on the low end quality wise and on the WAY low end price wise. Their quality has steadily improved I think for the few fixtures I've seen. For $129 give it a shot?

Oh what are you putting it over as well? If it's a deep tank you might not get the penetration that a better fixture might have, I know on my fixtures the reflectors were fairly crappy.

 

[dabman]

You could try finding some older models by Current. I have a 36" Mh/T5/lunar led setup I bought used and have no complaints. Take a look on some different reef sites classifieds boards and try and pick up a used model for low dollar.

 

[willray]

With things like doa's ballast,upgrading etc(that doesn't say much for the quality of internal components) and real cheap, re: electricity.... I would be a nervous wreck.Sure quality of what you feel can be better but that is just the housing and IMO means very little.Sorrow Skeeter just read your post again b4 submitting and I don't have experience but believe strongly in what I said and will leave my thoughts.

 

[RayD]

I have the same 2 foot fixture without the PC's so it's a single 250w MH with moonlights. I keep it over my 20g frag setup. Two years now and not a single complaint. It's the new style ballast and although it may not be the best fixture on the market it does EXACTLY what I wanted it to do and it was only $99. Where can you get ANY new MH fixture for $99?

Of course the color of the bulbs were crappy so I popped a 250w Phoenix 14K bulb in there and I'm extremely happy with this fixture. I would buy another one if I needed it.

 

[STiTCH87]

I used to have an odyssea 30" power compact and honestly, I liked it a great deal. Coloration was very good for a PC and the light output was great for the price. Not sure about the newer stuff, but the older stuff did have some bustable plastic on it, but long as you don't bash stuff around it holds in tact for years. Only reason I sold it in fact was because I wanted T5s for a more customizable lighting and to keep LPS/SPS. I'd say give it a try. Pretty sure a few peopel on here have it or something similar and there's a pet shop in Fall River with a tank that uses that fixture and IMHO it looks just as good as the big name competitors.

 

[GQadam]

After reading some of what was posted and knowing that Aqua Traders is a trusted site I am thinking about investing in the 48" setup. For $289 that is abour all I can afford for a light. Thanks for the info Skeeter.

 

[STiTCH87]

I'd say give it a shot. Worst case scenario if it's really that bad, i'm pretty sure I remember them having a return policy. Should be good enough for the time being anyways until you can save up to buy a bazillion dollar name brand one. That's how I did it anyways. Started with a $75 Odyssea PC setup and saved up after that, now I have a $400 Tek T5. Nothing wrong with starting cheap. Granted yes you do end up spending more in the end when you've upgraded, but, it does enable you to get started earlier. And it also lets you get your hands wet at a lower price so you can test for sure whether or not you can enjoy and properly achieve reef husbandry without dropping serious cash.

Those are my views anyways.

 

[Bobbofin]

There have been posts about these fixtures catching fire on Reef Central. When it comes to a fixture generating that amount of heat, on a timer and running while I'm not home I would just not chance it. It's cheap Chinese crap. Sure some say they're not that bad but......