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T5 Odyessa Project (Now painted)


Kimosobey

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So after much debate and research... I am a "skeptical" owner of a Odyessa t5 fixture. (24 x 4)

 

I KNOW what I am getting myself into when I purchased this fixture. I saw the reviews, I did the hours of research and at this point I can certainly say the reviews are 50/50. For every bad comment I saw about this light, I saw a good one, from all sorts of forums too! From people saying the fixture has caught on fire to even catching their dogs tail on fire... :mellow: And others using them all the way back since 2010, some growing sps with the original Odyessa bulbs with pictures to prove it!

 

So here I am with this cheap T5 fixture...

 

 

 

 

 

The Game Plan

1. Paint the fixture white

2. Make/buy individual reflectors

3. Improve the ballasts

4. Upgrade to ATI bulbs

5. Add some LEDS (maybe)

The verdict is I don't have any experience messing around with fixtures, nor have I own a T5 fixture. But I want to give it a go and see what I can make of this light.

 

So ALL input and ideas are welcomed! I'm sure i'll get some critics too..

 

Here's some pics of the light

 

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What are you doing to the ballasts to improve them? I currently have the two bulb odyssea fixture over my freshwater planted tank and it's been going strong for coming up on a year. Have even bee tempted to get the 4 bulb fixture for my tank.

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Hey awesome!

 

I love DIY lighting/mods, and also am pretty intimidated by the price tag of the ATI sun power 4x24w

 

Wish me luck! I know there is a lot of good light gurus on here so hopefully I can get some pointers a long the way!

 

I was totally going to pull the plug on a ATI fixture but opted not too because making your own stuff is way fun. Take a little more pride in your tank when you do something yourself.

 

 

What are you doing to the ballasts to improve them? I currently have the two bulb odyssea fixture over my freshwater planted tank and it's been going strong for coming up on a year. Have even bee tempted to get the 4 bulb fixture for my tank.

 

Well I can either replace them with a Icecap ballast. I haven't done a ton of research on them but I did come across someone explaining how to replace them with the Icecap ballast step by step. Or i'll try to find another solution...

 

The thing is Odyessa is always changing and upgrading their lights. Even their ballasts. So most of the ballast issues with them I came across are before 2014. For a peace of mind i'm going to look into upgrading the ballasts regardless

 

 

Awesome !

 

Here is how mine turned out . Same fixture as well

 

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That looks good! Do you have a build thread on it?

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That looks good! Do you have a build thread on it?

 

 

Sadly no I don't

 

It is 4 pucks from Dave with added UV. I cut the reflector that came with the unit, and shaped it to fit .

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Thanks! I've done quite a bit of research on the Odyssea brand and I've heard a lot of horror stories. As you said, most of them have to do with the older models. Specifically, the older metal halide ballasts that were magnetic but they have since changed over to electronic ballasts. I have one of their LED fixtures running over my 10 gallon freshwater walstad tank and it grows high light plants perfectly and cost me only $45. I also have one of their canister filters and it works amazing for my 40 gallon freshwater (pump on the bottom is a huge benefit). For my 20 long reef I've been thinking about upgrading and would love to get a nano box duo but the price tag is way up there. The other option is to get that same fixture you did since it's so cheap. Any chance you can add those links about these fixtures growing SPS? I would love to see those pictures! Most threads I find about these fixtures are a bunch of people who have never even touched one and saying that they start fires...

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Sadly no I don't

 

It is 4 pucks from Dave with added UV. I cut the reflector that came with the unit, and shaped it to fit .

 

So you bent the reflector and cut it to fit around the 2 bulbs on yours?

 

I was thinking of ordering these from amazon http://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Retrofit-Polished-Reflector/dp/B005DTU4JA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1434594092&sr=8-2&keywords=t5+reflectors+24%22

 

but for $108 for four of them!! doesn't seem worth it...

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So you bent the reflector and cut it to fit around the 2 bulbs on yours?

 

I was thinking of ordering these from amazon http://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Retrofit-Polished-Reflector/dp/B005DTU4JA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1434594092&sr=8-2&keywords=t5+reflectors+24%22

 

but for $108 for four of them!! doesn't seem worth it...

 

I bent the reflectors, yes. It looks awful, but get the job done. If I were to do it over (which I probably will, I would buy new ones)

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I bent the reflectors, yes. It looks awful, but get the job done. If I were to do it over (which I probably will, I would buy new ones)

 

Alright thanks! Well now the big decision is either to buy nice reflectors for all four bulbs or replace 2 bulbs and throw in some leds...

 

Might order these. http://www.amazon.com/Sunblaster-NanoTech-T5-Reflector-2-Feet/dp/B00B7OLJ6C/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1434594766&sr=8-19&keywords=t5+reflectors

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That font hurts my soul...

 

 

Yeah no kidding I stopped reading just to post not to use that font.

 

Yeah what the heck happened? I didn't even mean to use that font. I noticed it before I was going to bed and changed it (hopefully it changed) did it change?

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i had one of their old fixtures 2x24w it ran for probably 3 years over a planted then i gave the fixture to a friend who put new bulbs in it and is still using it today probably 6 years going strong.

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i had one of their old fixtures 2x24w it ran for probably 3 years over a planted then i gave the fixture to a friend who put new bulbs in it and is still using it today probably 6 years going strong.

Dang that's crazy. Is he running it over a reef?

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What size tank is this going on?

 

If you're looking at getting new reflectors, why not just get these?

http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/ati-replacement-24w-reflector-for-powermodule

 

Thanks for showing me those! Might go with some quality reflectors.

 

I'll try to find that thread on the light growing sps, it was on some small forum.

 

This light is going over a really shallow thank 24" x 14" x 7" . My all time favorite tank on nano reef ran a Odyessa fixture with 2 t5's with MH. (http://www.aquatraders.com/24in-Metal-Halide-HQI-T5-Aquarium-Light-p/54261.htm)

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Thanks for showing me those! Might go with some quality reflectors.

 

I'll try to find that thread on the light growing sps, it was on some small forum.

 

This light is going over a really shallow thank 24" x 14" x 7" . My all time favorite tank on nano reef ran a Odyessa fixture with 2 t5's with MH. (http://www.aquatraders.com/24in-Metal-Halide-HQI-T5-Aquarium-Light-p/54261.htm)

I've looked at those but I'm a bit hesitant on switching over to halides. Especially a 250 watt, that would really heat up my small 20 long. I also found the reflectors below. In the review it says that it comes with two reflectors and four brackets. I know I was confused as to how many came in the pack when I first looked.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Retrofit-Polished-Reflector/dp/B005DTU4JA

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Took apart the light today with just a screw driver and a knife... That't it...

 

Getting it taken apart so I can start painting it a flat white this weekend. (Have no clue what kind of paint to use) and also to do some planning on what I want to put inside. I was thinking one of Daves nano strips would be cool and if its controllable!

 

Need some opinions on painting the end caps white or not

 

Here's the disassembly

 

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I've looked at those but I'm a bit hesitant on switching over to halides. Especially a 250 watt, that would really heat up my small 20 long. I also found the reflectors below. In the review it says that it comes with two reflectors and four brackets. I know I was confused as to how many came in the pack when I first looked.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Retrofit-Polished-Reflector/dp/B005DTU4JA

 

A 20L is exactly what I want down the line once I get into a bigger apartment. My favorite tank is Awpong's 20 long http://www.nano-reef.com/featured/_/2012/awpong-r66 which is running a Odyessa

 

I didn't even see that. I'll order some reflectors next week sometime. It's between those and ATI's.

Here's a good article I found regarding reflectors http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/5/equipment

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Dang that's crazy. Is he running it over a reef?

 

nah he's got it over a fresh water planted 20L and it's almost too much he'll unplug 1 bulb if he's getting too much algae then plug it back in for more growth the old fixtures it's really easy to unplug just 1 end of a bulb. i did run it for like 5 months on a 10g quarintine tank it grew macro's like knuts!

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Oh, do you happen to have a PAR meter? I would love to see some before and after measurements with the old single reflector vs the individual reflectors that you end up using. If you go with ATI bulbs, I think you could add that to the mix as well.

 

PAR Measurement 1: Stock bulbs and stock reflector

PAR Measurement 2: ATI bulbs and stock reflector

PAR Measurement 3: Stock bulbs and individual reflectors

PAR Measurement 4: ATI bulbs and individual reflectors

 

 

[Edit]

Well, my power went out last night and this morning my Odyssea T5HO fixture wasn't working. Turns out a capacitor blew in the ballast. Everything else on the power strip is working just fine without any issues.

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Oh, do you happen to have a PAR meter? I would love to see some before and after measurements with the old single reflector vs the individual reflectors that you end up using. If you go with ATI bulbs, I think you could add that to the mix as well.

 

PAR Measurement 1: Stock bulbs and stock reflector

PAR Measurement 2: ATI bulbs and stock reflector

PAR Measurement 3: Stock bulbs and individual reflectors

PAR Measurement 4: ATI bulbs and individual reflectors

 

 

[Edit]

Well, my power went out last night and this morning my Odyssea T5HO fixture wasn't working. Turns out a capacitor blew in the ballast. Everything else on the power strip is working just fine without any issues.

 

I don't have one. I wish, good quality ones that actually read par meters cost a ton. But if I can find one somewhere i'll try to get my hands on it.

 

Wait so you have the fixture already and it went out on you? :wacko:

Picked up a can today. Hopefully it works out. Painting tomorrow

 

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I have that model. Got one of the ballasts wet and it burned part of the board to ash where a lead was but the lead still worked.

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