2x250 watt odyssey light

[Hipshooter14]

I have seen a odyssey light on the net for 299.99 and its a 48 2x250 with pc's and moon leds does anyone know much about these lights now a days? I ask cause i did a bit of research and found ballest would catch fire on them a few years ago but couldnt find nothing lately so didnt know if the fires kept people from eventually buying that brand or did they fix the problem. thanks guys either or it still looks like a good fixture even if i did have to replace the ballest

[gregony]

I've heard they're fixtures have gotten a bit better, but, the PC's are obsolete. Two 4 lamp T5Ho fixtures would be better in the long run that the two mh's anyway.

[reeferbill]

I have seen these on Aqua-traders website and I had a 36 inch /1-150mh/2-96 pc it worked for me until the moonlights corroded and then the 96 pcs stopped working. I use it as a back-up light, I took it apart and chopped the halide section out ,it made a nice pendent.I did read a review about a reefer that uses that light but he buys a new one every year. Happy Reefing!!! P S ......I cannot wait until the LEDs become more affordable!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hipshooter14]

thanks for the input guys and I know pc's are considered obsolite because the vho's but dont I need mh to raise sps and have good grow rate anways?

[gregony]

It depends on how big the tank is. If it's 24" or less deep, you don't need metal halide. T5HO bulbs put out quite a bit more average light than metal halide. 1 month old metal halides put out more light per watt, but 3 month old halides don't, and T5HO bulbs last 18 months minimum and put out something in the neighborhood of 90% of their rated light over their lifespan. In other words, they don't really need to be replaced until they really look like they need to be replaced (regardless of what LFS' tell you). My 40g had a T5Ho fixture whose bulbs lasted 30 months. The halides don't do that, they burn down slowly. The thing halides have, and LED's also have, is that spot intensity that really penetrates through deeper tanks.
I grew SPS just fine in that tank. I just started my old 90g that I had in the basement, and I have a 4 light T5HO, and an old Custom Sea Life 2x55W fixture I had laying around. So far the SPS coral (I just have one right now) I have in it, isn't complaining.

[Joshua Butts]

I have a 24inch on my corner tank just want to warn you now ballest is great. but there cheap so the blulbs if yours came with one are most likely gonna be your first problem. suggest buying new bulbs for it and everything will be fine then. have 2 of them one T5 on one tank and t5's and metal halide on the other. great ballest just crappy bulbs imo

[Hipshooter14]

thanks im gonna cycle my tank with the bulbs that came with it and buy new soon after i have started a build thread if you wanna check it out thanks all