age old odyssea light question

[hammcd]

has anyone bought the MH ones recently? I know there use to be fire issues but from what i read online that all stemmed from one post on another reef site in 2006...i see they changed their ballasts since then.

im interested in their MH with T5 and LEDs...the price is insane...i know you usually get what you pay for but wondered if anyone has used the newer MH models

Edit: this is the one im interested in..would fit my 29g perfectly

 

[mikew]

The bulbs are garbage

 

[hammcd]

i dont mind changing the bulbs if the fixture is good

 

[mikew]

By the time you buy it and buy good bulbs you might as well spend the same money on a better fixture

 

[hammcd]

I already have the 150 MH bulb...how much would the T5s run ya think?
What other 150w fixture is out there that includes T5s and LED that is 20 inches or under...was also thinking about a sunpod 150 but itd be used since they dont make them anymore and they dont include T5s...are the odyssea fixtures still garbage? or just the bulbs?

Edit: *LED moonlights i mean

 

[mikew]

I would justfind something better

 

[winkkle]

I had the 48" newer version with the upgraded ballasts. I found it to work out just fine. Ballast obviously got warm but nothing insane. I had mine for a few months with 0 problems. Mh are too much for my tank.

 

[schwaggs]

I can't comment on the new fixtures but I had 2 T5 fixtures that each lasted 12-18 months. I will never buy them again.

 

[hammcd]

what happened to them after that time?

Schwaggs;683200 wrote: I can't comment on the new fixtures but I had 2 T5 fixtures that each lasted 12-18 months. I will never buy them again.

 

[schwaggs]

The ballast went bad.

 

[hammcd]

Angcot70;683259 wrote: I bought a 36" 406 watt mh with t5 and led at the end of june. I have had NO problems (knock on wood) The ballast get warm but not hot ... my friend's "high dollar, top of the line" ballast gets hotter than mine. As for the bulbs, i dont see a problem with them but maybe i just dont know any better. I love mine.. MH took a while to get used to because I switched from 192 watt PC's and I am still getting used to hours, placement ect so not to burn anything. You are welcome to come check mine out if you like....

i saw it when i was over there remember...thats what got me thinking about them...$99 for the 20 inch is crazy...i know the quality back in 2006 was crap but it looks like theyve upgraded alot...i read Evil's review of them though but not sure what year the one he reviewed was made..the review was done in january of this year though and it was only the T5 model

 

[hammcd]

Schwaggs;683248 wrote: The ballast went bad.

are ballasts easy to replace?..like could u upgrade to an icecap if one did go bad or are they not usually compatible?

 

[frankenbakon]

I have the $99 1 that you want on my 27g cube and i love it.. I only have 2 frags in my tank and the zoas went from 5 zoas to about 13 in 3 months and the leather i have went from about 1/2 inch to about 4 1/2 inches in the same time.. both frags were in my RSM for over 6 months and showed very minimal growth

 

[hammcd]

FrankenBakon;683334 wrote: I have the $99 1 that you want on my 27g cube and i love it.. I only have 2 frags in my tank and the zoas went from 5 zoas to about 13 in 3 months and the leather i have went from about 1/2 inch to about 4 1/2 inches in the same time.. both frags were in my RSM for over 6 months and showed very minimal growth

have you found another place to get the T5s or do you just get them from odyssea?...how hot does your ballast run?
r u using the wire legs or the addon legs they offer?

 

[frankenbakon]

I haven't looked for replacement T5s yet.. the ballast gets warm but never hot and I have the wire legs .. For 99 bucks it's the cheapest best thing I've gotten for my tank IMO