Oddyssea t5 light opinions

[kenc87]

http://www.aquatraders.com/36-inch-4...re-p/52304.htm

Hey Guys I found this light for sale for only 100 dollars. I know that oddyssea doesn't have the greatest reputation but I've been doing some research obit and I haven't really seen any complaints. I obviously plan on upgrading down the line but for now I need a light. I don't really ever plan on having sps corals, just mostly lps and softies so I think this would be a good starting point. Any opinions?

[MLS]

I have been running and Odyssea on my 40L reef with 2- HO-54w bulbs and all my softies are doing great. I have great growth rate and colors are vivid.

I have a few LPS that do well under them, growing just not as fast as the softies. They are placed mid-level in the tank.

For the 59 dollars I spent on it, I am happy with it, but I wouldn't try SPS under them.

[fishgate]

I have that exact light in my DT with the bulbs that came with it. I grow frogspawn and zoas just fine. Never any issues and I'd buy it again.

[shifty51008]

they will do the job with softies and some lps but you will have to change the bulbs out right away, their stock bulbs are junk. go with uvl, kz, ati, or Giesemann D&D bulbs

[Honks69]

i also have this same light and I also used to have a 48" fixture.

Both work great for the price.

I used the stock bulbs for a few months and them changed them to something better. The bulbs cost more then the fixture.

[bnumair]

i used to have a 48" light fixture from the same company. ran hot but i installed 2 fans on top of it and changed the bulbs to better grade.

[Lorenz725]

It think it is about 50/50 on people who like oddyssea and dont like them. If that is all the money you have right now and need a light right now then I say go for it. If you can save up and wait for a better light I would say wait. When I first set up I did the same thing I will buy this now and upgrade later. Well if I would have just saved up a little longer and not buy the low end junk I would have saved myself a lot of money in the long run. (not saying oddyssea is junk never owned one) I now have 2 low end lights and a low end skimmer in the basement that I cant even give away. I thought at the time they would get me by and when it was time i would be able to sell them and get some money back. Trust me I know how it is I am a reefer on a budget just like most of us are. I have found some really good used very good brand stuff on RC. Good luck!

[Baboo11]

I went with this fixture, 48" over a 55 a little over a year ago & have had no problems - growing softies, lps, and even pocillopora very well. In fact, I got a small frag of the poci just to try sps & have been amazed at how well it has done - more than quadrupled it's size and looks happy....seems like that is one of the easiest sps to grow, but still. I must admit, I did go with a better light for my 120, but I don't think the Oddysea is horrible at all.

[BigCountry74]

Yeah just make sure you keep an eye on the heat. The ballast will fry quick on these cheap fixtures if they get too hot. So make sure the fans and heatsinks are up to par. You can swap them out with better PC fans if you like and heatsink mods for cheap.

[Meshmez]

I used a 4x54w 48" light that looked like that model for about a year. It worked OK. Moonlight LED's started dying within a few months though, and the way it mounts to the tank isnt that great, but for the price, it got me through until I decided for sure I wanted to stay in the hobby. Now I have a DIY LED kit.

[EDJFA]

Just to add a little detail to Meshmez's comment about them fitting on your tank. I have a standard 48" long 55g. I bought this light setup for the exact same reason you did. They're cheap, and I needed something to tide me over until I upgrade.

The problem I have with the setup has nothing to do with the bulbs or the lighting. It's how they've designed the legs. The fixture is 47.5" long. The "legs" come out of the end of the fixture. So, if you're tank is like mine, I can only put one of the supporting legs on the rim of the tank. That puts the other end of the light at the edge of the tank, and the legs won't fit. I''ve included some pics for you.

I think the solution is to actually hang the fixture instead of use the legs. I just haven't taken the time to do that yet. I don't want to drill holes in my office walls if I'm going to end up changing my lighting in the near future.

Other than that, they've worked fine. I haven't replaced the bulbs yet, but I'm sure when I do, it'll be even better.

I don't have a ton of coral yet, just some Zoas and some Xenia. Both of them are growing well. I started my Zoas with a colony of about 10. Maybe 2 months ago. There are now over 20 polyps. My Xenia has easily tripled in size since I got it last fall.

[kenc87]

Well based off what everyone here has said I'll prolly give it a try seeing that it's all I can afford at the moment. Thanks for all the great responses!!!!

[Meshmez]

Originally Posted by EDJFA

The problem I have with the setup has nothing to do with the bulbs or the lighting. It's how they've designed the legs. The fixture is 47.5" long. The "legs" come out of the end of the fixture. So, if you're tank is like mine, I can only put one of the supporting legs on the rim of the tank. That puts the other end of the light at the edge of the tank, and the legs won't fit. I''ve included some pics for you.

Thats exactly how I had mine too. I was trying to figure out if i was supposed to bend the mounts "under" the light to make it stand up from the tank or something. I just ran it like you have it until I changed my lighting.

[kenc87]

ok guys well i think i am gonna take the plunge. I need a light and these look decent for now. now i just need to to find a good deal on some powerheads and heaters

[Meshmez]

Originally Posted by kenc87

ok guys well i think i am gonna take the plunge. I need a light and these look decent for now. now i just need to to find a good deal on some powerheads and heaters

Dont go cheap on heaters. if your lights go out (assuming they just shut off, not catch fire or something like that) your livestock should survive... if your heater malfunctions... could be very bad news.

[kenc87]

Oh ya I know that getting a good heater is important, but that doesn't mean I am not keeping my eyes open for a good deal on them lol

[iamjoefox]

will not buy another oddyssea fixture. i had a 6x54 fixture with built in moon lights. the dimmer control caught fire, and in a years time i had to replace all of the ballasts and the fan.

[Triton_Z]

As a previous owner of a 48" version of the Odyssea T5 fixture, I would not recommend this light. One ballast lasted 6 hours before burning up and filling my house with fumes. You should do some more searching the forums as you will see there are a lot of varied opinions and experiences, however its a gamble on whether you will get a working fixture.

I'd save your money and buy a quality fixture.

[aarond419]

i am currently using the 48" fixture on my 80g tank and i have had no issues. I have changed some bulbs but everything seems to be doing great. i have a duncans frag that was one head and now has 7 on it i have small piece of birds nest that is at the very top and a cap that is about 1/4 down the tank. i know that this fixture is not leading the way but for $100 i have gotten my moneys worth

[kenc87]

Ya see I feel like people who have gotten them more recently have had overall good experiences with them

[Leena2674]

I bought a 48 x 4 about a year ago. The moonlight LEDs tend to get too hot and will go out periodically. However, they do come back on once the fixture cools down. (I have the moonlights on all the time.) DEFINITELY change out the bulbs. The bulbs that come with the fixture are pretty much worthless.

I have been able to grow everything I've wanted to except some Acros. LPS, Chalices, Montis, Pocillopora, Seriatopora, Pavona. I even have an Oregon Tort and Efflo, which are both doing ok, but not great. My Derasa and Maxima are also quite happy.

It's not a great fixture, but it's fine for the mean time. My next plan is to upgrade to LEDs. I have not had any issues with the fixture or balasts overheating.

[fishgate]

BTW: The 36" unit is EXACTLY 36" wide, so if you have a 36" wide tank, like me, you cannot use the feet/legs. No problem for me as I built in a shelf to my canopy for the light.