Mh!

they are cheap because well, they arent that high quality.

honestly they are maybe 1/2-2/3 as bright as a name brand fixture with the same wattage, the electronics and bulbs dont past very long, and the quality of light (coloration) is noticeably poorer than more expensive lights.

most T5 fixtures are anything but cheap... you would pay more than twice that for a quality fixture.

 

i would look for a good used fixture on these forums...

i got a current usa nova extreme t5 (popular, quality brand light)
with 4x24t5ho (96watt) for 38 bucks shipped... off tgis site's cpassified ads in fact and it is a great light... it is about due for new bulbs but right now it looks great and.

usually the only thing you gotta do with a used fixture is replace bulbs, and you'd have to do that anyways, besides picking your own bulbs is the fun part anyways because lets face it we all have our own idea of what looks cool or pretty and lighting to me is about your particular taste more than anything.

good luck, good lighting is the most important part to any reef system IMO becuase at the end of the day, you can have the most beautiful fish and corals in the wotld but w/o excellent lighting suited to your vision for your aquarium you arent getting the full experience.

 

you know what i haven't had any problem with mine. say 200 for the two fixtures, then another 250 if you replace both ballast with icecap, and y0ou have to eventually replace the bulbs on any fixture that's 400 tops for a very versatile lighting setup. you can't beat it. there is no top off the line mh fixture anywhere close to 400, plus these look good and come with fans. one icecap pendent with ballast is over 300 for ONE! and that's just ballast and reflector. no bulb, no fixture, and no fan that bumps it up to over 400 each for a total of 800. just cause some thing cost more doesn't mean it's the best. every brand has lemons. when you replace the bulbs get better bulbs and everything will be great. there is a link somewhere that tells what bulbs these will fire.

 

Thank you! god, great to hear on here someone that doesnt rag on cheap stuff But wheres the link? Also, on the ebay page that some guy also sells this on, it says theres an optional hanging kit. Do you know where i could find this? i would really like to suspend it from the ceiling, that would be great.

Thanks,
Ryan

EDIT: o ya and did you replace your ballasts? how complicated was that process?

 

no i haven't replaced the ballsat but they have the same plugs as icecap if you ever need to. simply unplug one and plug in the other. as far as hanging it go to any hardware store get some of the small chain and four hooks for each fixture and you can hang it with no problem. the ebay seller also has the replacement t5 bulbs for this fixture. as far as the bulb list goes google it. or zachb on here has replaced his bulbs with a different brand. use the search link in the lighting section.

 

I'm running Blue Life South Pacific Sunlight bulbs in my Odyssea unit. I'm arranging to swap out the actinics soon as well. I see no reason to switch my ballasts as this time. Do keep in mind the stock bulbs will look good for 2-3 months and they will need replaced with a quality bulb. I don't have any experience with the Odyssea T5's; I've seen the fishneedit units and they are nice, I would have no problem buying one of those either.