Lighting Overload!!!!!!

daj0424

daj0424

Member
I just purchased an Odyssea 260 watt 48" power compact lighting system for my 55 gallon FOWLR. I am worried because when it is on it lights up my entire dinning room. I want the lighting to go straight down into my tank and not light up the floor infront of it. Am I doing something wrong or is this normal? I am using glass tops. I am wondering it those are creating a reflection or maybe redirecting the light.
Can someone give me some tips on lighting up my 55g tank and not my entire room.
Thanks
 
lukeb321

lukeb321

Member
I have the same light, maybe a stupid question but did you attach the legs? Then have the lights facing down not up on the legs.
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
the light problem is normal, because the light is not directly on the tank, but is slightly above it instead. I'm sure the glass lids are also contributing to the problem. You can use eggcrate instead, which should reduce some of the light that's being reflected. Also, you can build/purchase a canopy to go over the lighting so there won't be so much light going out the sides.
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
i wouldn't suggest putting the light on the eggcrate. The eggcrate is actually just meant to keep your fish from making suicidal jumps from the tank. You should have legs with the lights you purchased, because the lights are supposed to be 3-6" above the water.
 
daking

daking

Member
yea i understand that but will it support it with the legs? like the light the guy above is talking about? and do u put the crate over the entire aquarium? sorry for the newb questions
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
oh, not a problem at all. I'm not sure what you mean by the first question. The legs of the lights attach to the sides of the aquarium, and the eggcrate just sits on top of the tank. The eggcrate should cover the entire tank, otherwise it is useless. You don't even have to have eggcrate if you have fish that won't jump out. There are fish, however, who are known to make that leap, and the eggcrate keeps them from doing that.
 
space_geek

space_geek

Active Member
Well, the legs should not be placed on the eggcrate, as said before. However, most legs for lights rest on the outside of the tank frame. Is yours like this?
 
daking

daking

Member
Thanx guys....well i don't have one yet but i was looking around. I have a 55 gallon and i plan to get started in a few months just reading and finding out everything i need to know. I was looking at light and I think ill probably go with the jbj pc. And since i have the typical 55 gallon tank i suppose i need the 48 inch versions. I don't plan on keeping sps but some easier reef life. Do you think that a light like this would be fine in a fowlr and if i choose to get some reef later it would be fine?
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
with a FOWLR, you don't need any special lighting at all. just florescent lights would be good. For a reef, the PC lighting you're looking at should be ok for most soft corals and LPS. You won't be able to have anemones or hard corals, though.
Now, i don't know from personal experience, but i heard the odyssea/jebo brand is really crappy! It would be better to just splurge and go with an orbit or something nicer like that. You'll be glad in the long run.
 
lukeb321

lukeb321

Member
>>>Now, i don't know from personal experience, but i heard the odyssea/jebo brand is really crappy<<<
The old ones sucked, but the new ones are a steal. 260 watts, REAL blues, fans, and moonlights. Got mine for 120 shipped. Nobobdy can beat that. The old ones got bad reps due to FAKE blues, no fans, and crappy construction. I bought one and couldnt be happier, then used the money I saved for more LR.
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
right, but how long have you had them? I've heard that over the long run, they break down, and are crappily built compared to others... and that's the odyssea (the new version). IMO, you get what you pay for... Lighting is something you really shouldn't go cheap on, if you plan on having a reef... why kill hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of corals because you wanted to save $50 on lighting?
 
daj0424

daj0424

Member
Thanks for the quick response. I did put the lights on the legs so I am sure that is part of the problem.
Has anyone ever had acrylic cut to fit above the tank. the reason I want something over my tank is to keep my fish from jumping but also to control evaporation. Does Home Depot have it. I know they so some cutting of wood if you ask. Is there any other place that I sould try?
Also, I went home for lunch and my lights were on for only about a 1/2 an hour and they were pretty hot to the touch. Is this normal for the light system to run so hot. I checked the fans and they are working just fine.
 
houndhome1

houndhome1

Member
hello, I have been reading this post, I had the same light u have. It worked great for the first six months, then both fans quite, I had to take them apart twice. The unit ran very hot, I believe the fan output is really not strong enough to expell all the heat. That's why the tell u to use the legs. hope it helps. I had enough and went to a light upgrade.
 
kdfrosty

kdfrosty

Active Member
If you are not planning to start your reef for awhile then I would save my $$ and get better lighting. The Jebo/Odyssea line of lights is near the bottom of the totem pole, and there are MUCH better lights out there. I had a Jebo fixture which is now retrofitted into my canopy with a MH. I think I spent less $$ on my MH setup then I did on my PC setup.
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
yeah, the jebo/odyssea is pretty much the crappiest brand there is... i would suggest getting an orbit, or something a little more expensive... you know, expensive = quality.
lowes, and home depot will cut acrylic to fit your tank, but i don't know how acrylic will stand up to the heat from the lights. If you're worried about your fish jumping out, you can use eggcrate.
 
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