odyssea purchase. - Page 6

alextheromanian · 08/04/2008, 10:18 PM

MH ONLY

PCs only

MOON LIGHTS ONLY

alextheromanian · 08/04/2008, 10:23 PM

i took a LOAD of pictures ive uploaded MORE ON
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v6...rusca/odyssea/

if you are curious to see go look

DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE FIXTURE IS BIGGER THAN I HAD EXPECTED I NEED TO REBUILD THE CANOPY AND STAND...they were UGLY ANYWAYS AND I CUT CORNERS so i guess this gives me a reason to redo them the right way.

FANS ARE VERY QUIET...ballast ran for an hour and did not even feel warm and it feels MORE EXPENSIVE than my marineland t5 ho deluxe.

it has MORE wires than i thought...one for fans individually one for moonlights one for PCs to plug straight into the wall and one for MH to plug into the ballast. its not very heavy either...id say considering its aluminum casing its about 10-15lbs.

my ONLY comlaint is the 29 is not wide enough for this fixture

any thoughts?

leoslizards · 08/04/2008, 10:32 PM

I don't think you have to rebuild the canopy. I like the look of the fixture itself on top of the tank.

"one for PCs to plug straight into the wall"? Isn't that dangerous? Are they special self ballast bulbs or is there a ballast for them built into the fixture?

alextheromanian · 08/04/2008, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by leoslizards
I don't think you have to rebuild the canopy. I like the look of the fixture itself on top of the tank.

"one for PCs to plug straight into the wall"? Isn't that dangerous? Are they special self ballast bulbs or is there a ballast for them built into the fixture?

the PC ballast is built INTO the fixture...
the plug is a grounded 3 prong plug....

the MH wire NEEDS to be plugged into the ballast...it does not have a regular plug

alextheromanian · 08/04/2008, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by leoslizards
Thanks for the pics alex. That's a nice fixture! Wish I could afford something like that. How much was it again? $300ish?

HHA NO!!! 199!$$$$

free shipping!

alextheromanian · 08/04/2008, 11:37 PM

if i bought JUST PCs from coralife for 30" with lunar lights it would have been 170+shipping

alextheromanian · 08/05/2008, 07:19 AM

bump for those who could not see it last night since i osted so late i apologise.

if there are any questions or pictures of the light id be more than happy to provide detail

alextheromanian · 08/05/2008, 08:00 AM

REVIEW

after receiving the box and goung trough the double cardboard packing the fixture was wrapped twice in bubble wrap. also in the box was included the metal halide ballast which is about the size of a regular house brick but not as heavy, a bag with 4 plastic legs for the fixture, an adapter wire to plug the halide in.

THE FIXTURE
i had a bad feeling about this and it was actually confirmed while opening the box. the fixture is too wide for the tank...bot by ALOT but enough to make someone with an already built canopy to hae to replace it.

this is not the manufacturers fault i guess its my stupidity for not checking sizes first however even with the current size and considering the price i would have purchased it anyways.

the fixture is well puilt and feels VERY sturdy and made of one piece and it does not feel CHEAP AT ALL. if shaken it doesnt have random things making noises inside and it feels very solid altho very light for its size.

i have read many posts saying the MH bulbs were unmarked and people were unsure of what kind of bulb to purchase...250W or 150 or 175. the bulb that came in my fixture clearly stated "ODYSSEA (tm) 250W 15,000K"

the power compacts are a very blue tint. some say they are not actinics ...just blue tinted...this always gave me the feeling like they were painted or stained blue on the outside making them light up blue...my silly imagination i suppose. when turned off they are white and when lit they shine blue...to tell you the truth next to my t5ho actinics i cant tell what bulbs are true actinics and what are "royal blue"

THE WIRES/SWITCHES
the light comes with two switches on the side of it...both control the power compacts...one button for the left side the other for the right...im not quite sure why they decided youd only want one side of the fixture lit. but i guess it gives options.

there are 4 wires coming out of the fixture. two fat, two skinny.

- the two skinny have a built in the wire cheap switch (same kind you see on desklamps with a wire switch with the little wheel that clicks)
they control the fans...separately which in my opinnion i would have wired in to turn on and cool when ANY of the bulbs were lit but i guess this must give an option of temporary cooling when needed of wanted ...some may not want to run the fans at all i guess so its a bonus for those people.

- the two fat wires are a different story. one is just a regular grounded 3 prong plug that goes straight into the wall and this fires up the Power compacts since their ballasts are built inside of the fixture.

-the other wire is only about a foot long coming out of the light fixture and it ends in a 3 prong computer monitor style plug. this attaches to the ballast where the switch for the METAL HALIDE is located. from there another wire must be plugged into the fixture and then plugged into the wall making this fixture take up 4 different outlets.

THE BALLAST

this is probably the only ballast ive seen upclose and i have to say it does not look ANYTHIG like the ones ive seen in reviews...inside or OUT.

i have seen reviews of this ballast looking like A COMPUTER TOWER with people not believing the size of it but i guess that must be for BIGGER fixtures and not my 30"

it has NO built in fan but does have a round hole at the end of it looking like a fan hole. after opening it i realised behid that hole and fan cover there was ONLY a HEAT SINK and after letting it run fr an hour i did not notic the ballast getting warm.

in ANY case if cooling is required the top of the ballast SIDES off leaving the unit open at the top making it very easy to place in a well ventilated area.

one problem i had encountedred with the ballst...well MORE THE WIRING THAN ANYTHING WAS THAT THE COMPUTER PLUG STYLE HOOKUP WAS CHEAPish and i guess by stupidity i thought the plugs not going in COMPLEETLY even on both sides was normal...(STUPID STUPID STUPID) in any case..i pluged it in half way and crooked and turned the halide on and it was flickering and then heard buzzing inside of the plug.

one of the 3 prongs inside of the plug turned black DUE TO ME not plugging it in properly. IT NEEDED A BIT OF ELBOW GREASE since it does not plug in as smoothly as the wire in the back of the monitor or the back of the computers power supply.

THE LEGS
4 legs...i had to put them in the wrong way...better yet opposite sides to make them mow in instead of out since my tank was narrower than the fixture. they seem strong and i trust them to do a decent job at holding the light in place.

THE MOON LIGHTS
very blue...my other lunar lights on the 75 are not exactly lunar lights ...they are kitchen under the counter night LED lights and are just simple white.

when turned on at night they dont have a SPOT EFFECT meanning they disperse the light evenly and they even have a shimmer effect which my other ones dont.

PROS
-price
-quality
-well built
-easy to take apart(every panel on the ligth slides off)
-easy to operate
-lots of light timing options
-included bulbs that light up pretty darn decent
-QUIET fans...much quieter than my t5ho
-sleek and thin
-runs fairly cool (i have only let it run for an hour so far)

CONS
-wish the ballast had a built in fan but not hard to keep cool
-the wire plugs for the ballast i wish were a bit more expensive
-the light was too wide for my tank forcing me to reDIY canopy/stand
-no instructions (not a huge deal...the thing is self explanatory)

HOPE SOME OF YOU FINALLY FOUND THIS THREAD HELPFUL AND INFORMATIVE!

keep bumping from now and then so others may read up on this post

abulgin · 08/05/2008, 12:50 PM

I actually don't think it looks that bad on the tank.

I hope you plan to get some more live rock!

alextheromanian · 08/05/2008, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by abulgin
I actually don't think it looks that bad on the tank.

I hope you plan to get some more live rock!

woo! need to run to home deot to pick up more wood since i ran short but i already have the new stand and canopy all sketched out.

the LR that was in there i had moved to the sump...and some back in the 75.

when im done with this stand prolly tomorrow or the day after i plan on moving from a 14 gal sump with 2 compartments to a 20 g sump long where ill have more room for faffles skimmer etc.

by the end of the week the diatom filter should come in too so i can filter out all the crap in the water finally from throwing in there 6 used filter pads theres been nothing but brown nastiness flying around.

but yes...aquascaping annnnd stand /canopy

jdmcivicek9 · 08/06/2008, 06:16 PM

so i posted this in the odyssea mh review thread but i figured id post it here too...enjoy!so i got my new bulbs in today!! phoenix 14k and all i have to say is...AMAZING!!!heres some pics!!starting with the all oem fixture to what it is now!!

stock 48" odyssea 250w MH fixture with both MH and PC's on.

Fixture with one Icecap and one OEM Ballast and bulbs to show the difference.

Fixture with both Icecaps still with oem bulbs a little to white for me.

Fixture with Icecaps and Phoenix 14k's no PC

and lastly, the fixture with Icecaps, Phoenix 14k's and PC's

alextheromanian · 08/06/2008, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jdmcivicek9
so i posted this in the odyssea mh review thread but i figured id post it here too...enjoy!so i got my new bulbs in today!! phoenix 14k and all i have to say is...AMAZING!!!heres some pics!!starting with the all oem fixture to what it is now!!

stock 48" odyssea 250w MH fixture with both MH and PC's on.

Fixture with one Icecap and one OEM Ballast and bulbs to show the difference.

Fixture with both Icecaps still with oem bulbs a little to white for me.

Fixture with Icecaps and Phoenix 14k's no PC

and lastly, the fixture with Icecaps, Phoenix 14k's and PC's

WOW very VERY very nice!
i wonder where i could score some used ballasts

jdmcivicek9 · 08/06/2008, 07:25 PM

keep your eye out on the used goods fs forum...stuff like that pop up every once and a while!

alextheromanian · 08/16/2008, 08:25 PM

ok guys its been a while since i posted anything...i fiured id show you the new cabinet and canopy i built to fit a bigger sump 20g from the old 14g and the odyssea 30"

here they are...i dont have closeups but if anyone wants any i can post.
i do have a problem with the loud drain but i think i will post that in a new thread see maybe i can fix it.

moon lights

stand with flash yes i know its issing the doors...i will finish those by next week

power compacts only

halide/pcs not fully lit yet

thats what i came up with as far as rockscaping...i built the tank stand a bit tall...6 feet so the top of the fish tank is as tall as i am...and then a canopy 12 inches tall...making the whole thing 7 feet tall...i feel like a midget next to it

leoslizards · 08/16/2008, 11:48 PM

Great job Alex. The new stand and canopy came out awesome. It's sort of like a room divider. Are the tubes for the sump/refug on the side by the wall? Is the tank drilled or do you have an overflow? Any pics of just the MH on?

It's a big difference what just replacing the ballasts can do. I like the bright white look of the icecap ballasts and the oem hid bulbs but it looks like the pc's are on as well and it's not blue enough for me. My favorite look has to be that Phoenix 14k bulbs without the pcs. How much do they go for? What's the K rating on the OEM HID bulbs again, 20k?

jdmcivicek9 · 08/17/2008, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by leoslizards
Great job Alex. The new stand and canopy came out awesome. It's sort of like a room divider. Are the tubes for the sump/refug on the side by the wall? Is the tank drilled or do you have an overflow? Any pics of just the MH on?

It's a big difference what just replacing the ballasts can do. I like the bright white look of the icecap ballasts and the oem hid bulbs but it looks like the pc's are on as well and it's not blue enough for me. My favorite look has to be that Phoenix 14k bulbs without the pcs. How much do they go for? What's the K rating on the OEM HID bulbs again, 20k?

now that i have the phoenix 14k's installed i run my tank during the day with just mh and i use my pc's only for sunrise and sunset for about an hour each time...ive also noticed that my tank stays at around 79-80 now instead of jumping around from 79-83 when i was using both mh and pc's so thats kind of a nice change and im not using as much electricity during the day but still getting plenty of light to the sps!

abulgin · 08/17/2008, 09:11 AM

Alex, your tank/stand look great. That's a lot of light, though--be careful not to burn your corals when placing them.

08/04/2008, 10:18 PM	#126
alextheromanian Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Binghamton NY Posts: 1,007	MH ONLY PCs only MOON LIGHTS ONLY __________________ i just cant think of any phylosophical, deep, critical thinking quotes right now. Current Tank Info: 29g Reef, 75g FOWLR

08/04/2008, 10:23 PM	#127
alextheromanian Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Binghamton NY Posts: 1,007	i took a LOAD of pictures ive uploaded MORE ON http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v6...rusca/odyssea/ if you are curious to see go look DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE FIXTURE IS BIGGER THAN I HAD EXPECTED I NEED TO REBUILD THE CANOPY AND STAND...they were UGLY ANYWAYS AND I CUT CORNERS so i guess this gives me a reason to redo them the right way. FANS ARE VERY QUIET...ballast ran for an hour and did not even feel warm and it feels MORE EXPENSIVE than my marineland t5 ho deluxe. it has MORE wires than i thought...one for fans individually one for moonlights one for PCs to plug straight into the wall and one for MH to plug into the ballast. its not very heavy either...id say considering its aluminum casing its about 10-15lbs. my ONLY comlaint is the 29 is not wide enough for this fixture any thoughts? __________________ i just cant think of any phylosophical, deep, critical thinking quotes right now. Current Tank Info: 29g Reef, 75g FOWLR

08/04/2008, 11:37 PM	#131
alextheromanian Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Binghamton NY Posts: 1,007	if i bought JUST PCs from coralife for 30" with lunar lights it would have been 170+shipping __________________ i just cant think of any phylosophical, deep, critical thinking quotes right now. Current Tank Info: 29g Reef, 75g FOWLR

08/05/2008, 07:19 AM	#132
alextheromanian Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Binghamton NY Posts: 1,007	bump for those who could not see it last night since i osted so late i apologise. if there are any questions or pictures of the light id be more than happy to provide detail __________________ i just cant think of any phylosophical, deep, critical thinking quotes right now. Current Tank Info: 29g Reef, 75g FOWLR

08/05/2008, 08:00 AM	#133
alextheromanian Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Binghamton NY Posts: 1,007	REVIEW after receiving the box and goung trough the double cardboard packing the fixture was wrapped twice in bubble wrap. also in the box was included the metal halide ballast which is about the size of a regular house brick but not as heavy, a bag with 4 plastic legs for the fixture, an adapter wire to plug the halide in. THE FIXTURE i had a bad feeling about this and it was actually confirmed while opening the box. the fixture is too wide for the tank...bot by ALOT but enough to make someone with an already built canopy to hae to replace it. this is not the manufacturers fault i guess its my stupidity for not checking sizes first however even with the current size and considering the price i would have purchased it anyways. the fixture is well puilt and feels VERY sturdy and made of one piece and it does not feel CHEAP AT ALL. if shaken it doesnt have random things making noises inside and it feels very solid altho very light for its size. i have read many posts saying the MH bulbs were unmarked and people were unsure of what kind of bulb to purchase...250W or 150 or 175. the bulb that came in my fixture clearly stated "ODYSSEA (tm) 250W 15,000K" the power compacts are a very blue tint. some say they are not actinics ...just blue tinted...this always gave me the feeling like they were painted or stained blue on the outside making them light up blue...my silly imagination i suppose. when turned off they are white and when lit they shine blue...to tell you the truth next to my t5ho actinics i cant tell what bulbs are true actinics and what are "royal blue" THE WIRES/SWITCHES the light comes with two switches on the side of it...both control the power compacts...one button for the left side the other for the right...im not quite sure why they decided youd only want one side of the fixture lit. but i guess it gives options. there are 4 wires coming out of the fixture. two fat, two skinny. - the two skinny have a built in the wire cheap switch (same kind you see on desklamps with a wire switch with the little wheel that clicks) they control the fans...separately which in my opinnion i would have wired in to turn on and cool when ANY of the bulbs were lit but i guess this must give an option of temporary cooling when needed of wanted ...some may not want to run the fans at all i guess so its a bonus for those people. - the two fat wires are a different story. one is just a regular grounded 3 prong plug that goes straight into the wall and this fires up the Power compacts since their ballasts are built inside of the fixture. -the other wire is only about a foot long coming out of the light fixture and it ends in a 3 prong computer monitor style plug. this attaches to the ballast where the switch for the METAL HALIDE is located. from there another wire must be plugged into the fixture and then plugged into the wall making this fixture take up 4 different outlets. THE BALLAST this is probably the only ballast ive seen upclose and i have to say it does not look ANYTHIG like the ones ive seen in reviews...inside or OUT. i have seen reviews of this ballast looking like A COMPUTER TOWER with people not believing the size of it but i guess that must be for BIGGER fixtures and not my 30" it has NO built in fan but does have a round hole at the end of it looking like a fan hole. after opening it i realised behid that hole and fan cover there was ONLY a HEAT SINK and after letting it run fr an hour i did not notic the ballast getting warm. in ANY case if cooling is required the top of the ballast SIDES off leaving the unit open at the top making it very easy to place in a well ventilated area. one problem i had encountedred with the ballst...well MORE THE WIRING THAN ANYTHING WAS THAT THE COMPUTER PLUG STYLE HOOKUP WAS CHEAPish and i guess by stupidity i thought the plugs not going in COMPLEETLY even on both sides was normal...(STUPID STUPID STUPID) in any case..i pluged it in half way and crooked and turned the halide on and it was flickering and then heard buzzing inside of the plug. one of the 3 prongs inside of the plug turned black DUE TO ME not plugging it in properly. IT NEEDED A BIT OF ELBOW GREASE since it does not plug in as smoothly as the wire in the back of the monitor or the back of the computers power supply. THE LEGS 4 legs...i had to put them in the wrong way...better yet opposite sides to make them mow in instead of out since my tank was narrower than the fixture. they seem strong and i trust them to do a decent job at holding the light in place. THE MOON LIGHTS very blue...my other lunar lights on the 75 are not exactly lunar lights ...they are kitchen under the counter night LED lights and are just simple white. when turned on at night they dont have a SPOT EFFECT meanning they disperse the light evenly and they even have a shimmer effect which my other ones dont. PROS -price -quality -well built -easy to take apart(every panel on the ligth slides off) -easy to operate -lots of light timing options -included bulbs that light up pretty darn decent -QUIET fans...much quieter than my t5ho -sleek and thin -runs fairly cool (i have only let it run for an hour so far) CONS -wish the ballast had a built in fan but not hard to keep cool -the wire plugs for the ballast i wish were a bit more expensive -the light was too wide for my tank forcing me to reDIY canopy/stand -no instructions (not a huge deal...the thing is self explanatory) HOPE SOME OF YOU FINALLY FOUND THIS THREAD HELPFUL AND INFORMATIVE! keep bumping from now and then so others may read up on this post __________________ i just cant think of any phylosophical, deep, critical thinking quotes right now. Current Tank Info: 29g Reef, 75g FOWLR

08/04/2008, 10:32 PM	#128
leoslizards Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Miami, FL. Posts: 394	I don't think you have to rebuild the canopy. I like the look of the fixture itself on top of the tank. "one for PCs to plug straight into the wall"? Isn't that dangerous? Are they special self ballast bulbs or is there a ballast for them built into the fixture?

08/05/2008, 12:50 PM	#134
abulgin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,664	I actually don't think it looks that bad on the tank. I hope you plan to get some more live rock!

08/06/2008, 06:16 PM	#136
jdmcivicek9 Moved On Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: 39°N, -108°W AKA Somewhere in Colorado Posts: 578	so i posted this in the odyssea mh review thread but i figured id post it here too...enjoy!so i got my new bulbs in today!! phoenix 14k and all i have to say is...AMAZING!!!heres some pics!!starting with the all oem fixture to what it is now!! stock 48" odyssea 250w MH fixture with both MH and PC's on. Fixture with one Icecap and one OEM Ballast and bulbs to show the difference. Fixture with both Icecaps still with oem bulbs a little to white for me. Fixture with Icecaps and Phoenix 14k's no PC and lastly, the fixture with Icecaps, Phoenix 14k's and PC's

08/06/2008, 07:25 PM	#138
jdmcivicek9 Moved On Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: 39°N, -108°W AKA Somewhere in Colorado Posts: 578	keep your eye out on the used goods fs forum...stuff like that pop up every once and a while!

08/16/2008, 08:25 PM	#139
alextheromanian Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Binghamton NY Posts: 1,007	ok guys its been a while since i posted anything...i fiured id show you the new cabinet and canopy i built to fit a bigger sump 20g from the old 14g and the odyssea 30" here they are...i dont have closeups but if anyone wants any i can post. i do have a problem with the loud drain but i think i will post that in a new thread see maybe i can fix it. moon lights stand with flash yes i know its issing the doors...i will finish those by next week power compacts only halide/pcs not fully lit yet thats what i came up with as far as rockscaping...i built the tank stand a bit tall...6 feet so the top of the fish tank is as tall as i am...and then a canopy 12 inches tall...making the whole thing 7 feet tall...i feel like a midget next to it __________________ i just cant think of any phylosophical, deep, critical thinking quotes right now. Current Tank Info: 29g Reef, 75g FOWLR

08/16/2008, 11:48 PM	#140
leoslizards Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Miami, FL. Posts: 394	Great job Alex. The new stand and canopy came out awesome. It's sort of like a room divider. Are the tubes for the sump/refug on the side by the wall? Is the tank drilled or do you have an overflow? Any pics of just the MH on? It's a big difference what just replacing the ballasts can do. I like the bright white look of the icecap ballasts and the oem hid bulbs but it looks like the pc's are on as well and it's not blue enough for me. My favorite look has to be that Phoenix 14k bulbs without the pcs. How much do they go for? What's the K rating on the OEM HID bulbs again, 20k?

08/17/2008, 09:11 AM	#142
abulgin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,664	Alex, your tank/stand look great. That's a lot of light, though--be careful not to burn your corals when placing them.