Icecap 660 on Odyssea T5 fixture?

[Tuscaquatics]

I'm currently running a 4 x 54w Odyssea T5HO fixture over my 75 gallon. I have a perfectly good Icecap 660 laying around with the wiring harness that I'm not using that came with the tank when I bought it.

The tank has a canopy I'm not using right now and I'm going to buy individual reflectors and endcaps and rig it all up with the Icecap when I get some extra money for good ones.

But, for now, I was wondering if I can't replace the crappy ballast in the Odyssea with the Icecap and overdrive the bulbs in the fixture. I'm less than knowledgeable about electrical, but I know that it should be theoretically no problem.

What I am worried about, though, is losing the ability to turn on and off each pair of bulbs separately. I rely on this daily for running the actinics on their own for a few hours at the beginning and end of the photoperiod. It really helps my coralline growth and my corals seem to love the gradual increase of intensity, not to mention the fish.

So can the switches be left wired into the system with the new ballast? Would it all be as simple as just spicing the Icecap into the existing wiring scheme? The fixture also has lunar LEDs, but I'm thinking they aren't wired into the ballast at all, and are a separate issue.

I'm not necessarily asking for step-by-step, hold-my-hand instructions on how to wire it, but any help would be appreciated. Mainly I'm just wondering about the possibility and if it's worth doing. Has anyone tried this before with a similar fixture?

[Tuscaquatics]

A bump before it goes off the front page...

[B-Willz]

you will not be able to run the lights independantly with only one ballast you would need two of them

[Tuscaquatics]

Originally Posted by B-Willz

you will not be able to run the lights independantly with only one ballast you would need two of them

Interesting. So the Odyssea has two ballasts. I didn't know this. So I would have to run all 4 bulbs simultaneously. I'm not sure if it's worth it to lose that option even if there's some wattage to be gained.

The Icecap would drive 4 T5s at, what, 90 watts each? That would be a nice increase.

Any opinions?

[rtparty]

I would never put an Icecap ballast on an odyssea fixture or any other fixture that doesn't have active cooling and lots of it. Adding the Icecap ballast will create a ton of heat and will kill your bulbs.

I personally am not a fan of overdriving T5's, ever. Too much heat and shortened bulb life to justify a small gain in PAR. Also as you have found out, you won't be able to have dusk/dawn any longer unless you add more bulbs and another ballast.

If it were me, I would sell the Icecap ballast. I see them go for $80 to $100 on here all the time. That would allow you to buy some spec T5 ballasts for your bulbs and get better results IMO.

[Tuscaquatics]

Originally Posted by rtparty

I would never put an Icecap ballast on an odyssea fixture or any other fixture that doesn't have active cooling and lots of it. Adding the Icecap ballast will create a ton of heat and will kill your bulbs.

I personally am not a fan of overdriving T5's, ever. Too much heat and shortened bulb life to justify a small gain in PAR. Also as you have found out, you won't be able to have dusk/dawn any longer unless you add more bulbs and another ballast.

If it were me, I would sell the Icecap ballast. I see them go for $80 to $100 on here all the time. That would allow you to buy some spec T5 ballasts for your bulbs and get better results IMO.

Yeah, I was aware that heat was going to be an issue, and had planned to definitely do something about it.

I don't really want to sell the Icecap. I will get reflectors at some point and I'm going to need a good ballast to drive the T5s.

[nikon187]

you are correct that if you switch to the ice cap then all 4 bulbs on or off, there is no option to wire in the switches. An ice cap will drive them to 85w a piece