Cheap lighting HQI... to good to be true?

[ensquire]

oops

[asylumdown]

Originally Posted by Foxface

Has anybody tried these fixtures? 2x250mh, 4x54w t5, 6 moon lights, 1 cooling fan.
Odyssea 48" 716W Metal Halide System Advance Plus. For 289.00 plus free shipping. Sounds like it might be worth a try!

This is the exact fixture that I have, only I paid about a hundred more for it 2 years ago and mine came with Odyssea ballasts. After shipping and duty the whole thing was about 700. The Odyssea ballasts sucked, and they came with '1500K' bulbs that were way more yellow than my phoenix 14K bulbs. I upgraded to Vertex ballasts and the Phoenix bulbs at the same time and my tank went through major light shock.

For the price I think it's an awesome fixture. It's sleek looking, the moonlights are actually a really beautiful colour at night and really make the red and greens glow, and I've never had any issues.

My only complaint is that it's a little hard to get apart to change the bulbs as you can only take one of the side covers off and you need to slide two LED panels to get at the farthest MH bulb. This requires disconnecting the LED wiring, which requires long, skinny fingers. Putting it all back together was a little frustrating too.

However, for something I do once a year, the price is definitely worth it.

[RuGlu6]

Originally Posted by ensquire

No , they don"t have any 30" fixtures. They have the 24" and 36" and I can't fit the 36" is just too big. So I ordered the 24" expendable MH. And I picked up 2 Icecap HOT5's Actinic and a deepwater while in Edmonton yesterday. I was very impressed with the stores I was in while there. But more on that later. About a 1000.00 later. Lol.

Yes they Do have 30" fixtuers.

http://www.aquatraders.com/30in-Meta...ht-p/54262.htm
.
Fixture Configuration:

1x External Quick Connect 250W Electronic HQI Metal Halide Ballast
2x Internal Twin Output T5 Electronic Ballast
4x Power Switch on Fixture (2 for T5, 1 for LED, and 1 for Cooling Fan)
1x Power Switch on HQI Ballast
2x Power Cord (1 for HQI and 1 for T5)
Non-Corrosive Powder Coated Aluminum Housing
1x Built In Heavy Duty Cooling Fan
Glass Cover for HQI
Acrylic Lens for T5
Highly Polished Reflector
Set of Mounting Leg
FREE ITEMS w/ Metal Halide System Purchase

1x Odyssea 250W DE HQI Bulb 15000K

4x Odyssea 24W T5 High Output Bulb Actinic Blue

4x Dual Bluemoon LED

[ensquire]

My Apologizes, I must be going blind.


http://www.aquatraders.com/30in-Meta...ht-p/54262.htm
.
Fixture Configuration:

1x External Quick Connect 250W Electronic HQI Metal Halide Ballast
2x Internal Twin Output T5 Electronic Ballast
4x Power Switch on Fixture (2 for T5, 1 for LED, and 1 for Cooling Fan)
1x Power Switch on HQI Ballast
2x Power Cord (1 for HQI and 1 for T5)
Non-Corrosive Powder Coated Aluminum Housing
1x Built In Heavy Duty Cooling Fan
Glass Cover for HQI
Acrylic Lens for T5
Highly Polished Reflector
Set of Mounting Leg
FREE ITEMS w/ Metal Halide System Purchase

1x Odyssea 250W DE HQI Bulb 15000K

4x Odyssea 24W T5 High Output Bulb Actinic Blue

4x Dual Bluemoon LED[/quote]

[asylumdown]

man, looking at these prices and comparing them to what I paid for this fixture is causing me to cringe a little.

[RuGlu6]

Just ordered a new Odyssea 36" 656W Metal Halide System Advance Plus 36" 2x250w 15k DE +4 T5 actinics+ 6(!) dual LED+ 2 cooling fans, all external ballasts (HQI & T5's) fixture.
Will post a review when it arrives.
$269 is a good deal on brand new light with HQI ballasts from the same OEM as the Icecaps.

[ensquire]

That is a good deal. I am happy with my fixture and will be looking at a new one for my next tank.
What is in your tank?
I'm thinking of the 36" fixture with the single MH fixture for a mostly softie tank.
Will be waiting for your review.

[RuGlu6]

Originally Posted by ensquire

That is a good deal. I am happy with my fixture and will be looking at a new one for my next tank.
What is in your tank?
I'm thinking of the 36" fixture with the single MH fixture for a mostly softie tank.
Will be waiting for your review.

Keep in mind that extendable fixture will sag down slightly especially when extended, that is the reason why (i think) they are changing to a regular legs.

My tank is 36" long SPS dominated 65 Gal, atm my lighting is 6xT5 TEK unit. they have 2x150w Odyssea 36" 456W Metal Halide System Advance Plus as well it will have better spread compare to a single light, however single light will generate less heat.

What i like about these fixtures is that they all have external ballasts HQI & T5 = somewhat less heat, also 2 cooling fans. 4xT5actinics + 6 x dual blue LED's a definite plus. It looks very atractive from the all angles (bulbs and ballasts included, free shipping within USA) however time will tel how this light will perform. For the sake of the learning and to satisfy curiosity i will run 15K bulbs and actinics that come with the fixture to see how my SPS will like it. I can always get Phoenix 14k later.

[ensquire]

Im running mine Odyssea-24in-Metal-Halide-with-T5-Extendable-Serie-p/54244.htm as it came from the store. The only thing that I would change would be to put individual reflectors for the lights. Guess that could be a mod, LOL Very happy with it so far
I'll follow along and watch your progress.

[The Grizz]

I changed out all my bulb in both the 48" fixtures I got because the color was crappy. Also had an issue with one of my T5 ballast's, it went up in smoke. I contacted Aquatraders and they are sending me a replacement, hope it gets here soon as it been almost a month since I sent them the fried ballast.