Odysea t5's on ebay

[Axolotl]

I noticed some great deals on ebay with these odysea brand t5 four bulb fixtures selling for around $80. Anyone on here have any experience with this brand or buying reef lights off ebay? It seems pretty cheap but what do I know???

[icebrg5]

I had one before i upgraded to leds and it worked just fine and i never had any issues with it.Good fixture for the price.

[criticalencore]

I had the 8 bulb 6' one over my 135g before I built my big tank. Fixture worked awesome for the 2.5yrs I used it. That said, the bulbs that come with it are junk. Order ATI bulbs and replace them before you even turn it on.

[Tweaked]

Many issues reported with smoking ballasts and or fires. Do some searching and you will understand the price.

[wildman926]

Originally Posted by Tweaked

Many issues reported with smoking ballasts and or fires. Do some searching and you will understand the price.

When you do, check the date of said reported issues.

[LuvMyBlenny]

Originally Posted by wildman926

When you do, check the date of said reported issues.

New one on amazon , Nov 2014 .
http://www.amazon.com/Odyssea-Aquari...rds=odyssea+t5


0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Fire hazard that will decrease your bulbs lifetime.
By Anonymous3141 on November 20, 2014
Ballast failed, causing bulb to overheat. Fixture caught fire and much of the plastic was melted. Smoke alarms going off.

The price is really too good to be true. This fixture will destroy the life of your bulbs and maybe your home too.

That being said , I owned one for almost 2 years and had no problems .

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by wildman926

When you do, check the date of said reported issues.

I've probably seen at least half a dozen in the last couple months on here.

To the OP,

You take a giant risk in buying Odyssea crap. Sure, you may get the one fixture with no problems that works for a while or you get the one that starts on fire and puts you, family and others at risk.

There's too much risk IMO with this brand. They're cheap for reason. Garbage ballasts, beyond cheap wiring and no quality control. When you have a problem, the company won't do a thing either. I owned one of their fixtures years ago and it was such a nightmare. I finally opened it up to check the wiring and was amazed at what I saw. Loose wires, exposed wires and hot glue holding stuff together. I could get a 5 year old to put something together better.

Search the forums and you'll find it's a big, big risk to use them. Biggest problem is people keep buying them so they stay in business. It's a shame that people can get away with such neglect.

[fishgate]

I also have the 4 bulb with LED model (for over 3 years) with no issues. It was my main light for awhile and now it is in my sump. I don't think it is any risk at all but of course do your own research. Typically you get a lot of poo poos on equipment that doesn't cost a lot.

[Axolotl]

Thanks for the replies. What does ati stand for? I noticed their reflectors were silver but german built and very pricey. I imagine thats because of the quality? Do they make bulbs as well? I also was looking on fosters site and they had a coralife 48" fixture for around $200. Is coralife a better product than Odysea? I've always bought my lights off craigslist and they dont last long because they are used.

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by Axolotl

Thanks for the replies. What does ati stand for? I noticed their reflectors were silver but german built and very pricey. I imagine thats because of the quality? Do they make bulbs as well? I also was looking on fosters site and they had a coralife 48" fixture for around $200. Is coralife a better product than Odysea? I've always bought my lights off craigslist and they dont last long because they are used.

ATI is a German brand. I'd totally botch the spelling without looking it up. They are the best t5 fixtures on the market. Their bulbs are also some of the best available.

Coralife is a decent product but you need to be careful because sometimes their fixtures are not High Output and/or they use odd length bulbs so only their bulbs fit.

Buying right the first time is always cheaper in the long run

[moondoggy4]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2217576 HTH

[m.adamschwartz]

I've used odysea before over a freshwater setup. Worked great for the most part but moon lights quit working after a few months and bulbs were junk. I'd say it's a low quality light with low quality components. Just keep an eye on things and def have it hooked up to a gfci outlet.