Giesemann Aurora User Thread

[johnnyk731]

Also, you can raise the fixture higher off the tank while you burn the bulbs in if you are using the hanging kit.

Yeah I actually had it too high due to wife’s complaints and it’s now been 8 days on the tank everyone is happy at 8” awl

 

[ScottB]

Well I’m seriously considering ditching my 3hydra 52s (two of which are non he) for a 48 aurora. For my 525 reefer. Sort of just trying to find a deal on Black Friday. We will see. Oh great thread if I do end up with one I’m sure I’ll have to read page one more than once. And great to see an iPhone app out now!

Johnnyk, did you do this? I am in the same situation u were and contemplating the same. Mixed reef now but trying to get to SPS dominant but lights won't get it done (3 X Hydra 26). PAR tests confirm what the acros were telling me.

 

[HolisticBear]

Johnnyk, did you do this? I am in the same situation u were and contemplating the same. Mixed reef now but trying to get to SPS dominant but lights won't get it done (3 X Hydra 26). PAR tests confirm what the acros were telling me.

I was considering the aurora but came across some threads somewhere on R2R that led me to believe it would be too PAR limited. The T5 output is really bad. I'm going with Orphek Atlantik on the next build, looking forward to getting some PAR numbers to compare with my GHL Mitras (which I find disappointing).

 

[PaulG]

I had a par meter and the reading is on lower side ~240-280 but I think it has to do with the fact that par meters are not great at reading the LED's blue spectrum. I any case the SPS growth has been very good. However, I don't think there is enough light intensity at the bottom of the tank for the clam :-(

 

[HolisticBear]

I had a par meter and the reading is on lower side ~240-280 but I think it has to do with the fact that par meters are not great at reading the LED's blue spectrum. I any case the SPS growth has been very good. However, I don't think there is enough light intensity at the bottom of the tank for the clam :-(

Not sure the depth + height, but those are the numbers I feared. I want 400+, closer to 500+ at the surface and I don't think it's happening with the Aurora.

Someone was comparing T5 output of the Aurora and it was a fraction of the T5 output from comparable ATI fixture.

PAR isn't everything, but don't think the aurora will work for me nor @ScottB above.

 

[CMO]

@HolisticBear you may be referring to my recent post. You may be able to get closer to those numbers with the aurora but you'd have to lower the fixture pretty close to the surface. I'm running mine 7" off the surface for easy access to the tank (tank is about 22" deep). Readings taken with all channels at 100%. However, that may is also be a limiting factor of the fixture in that you lose some control of light spectrum when going for max par since you need to max everything out to get there. I guess you could tweak the color with choice of T5 bulbs though.

@PaulG my readings are taken with an apogee 510 which can accurately read all light sources including LED.

Additional info here including readings with Reef Bright XHO LED strip mounted to front of aurora.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/giesemann-aurora-led-t5-hybrid-par-readings.394541/

 

[HolisticBear]

@HolisticBear you may be referring to my recent post.

Great pic, thanks for putting that together! That took a lot of work, greatly appreciate it.

 

[ScottB]

@HolisticBear you may be referring to my recent post. You may be able to get closer to those numbers with the aurora but you'd have to lower the fixture pretty close to the surface. I'm running mine 7" off the surface for easy access to the tank (tank is about 22" deep). Additionally, my white LED channel peaks at 85% so you might get a bit more PAR if you had all channels at 100%. However, that may is also be a limiting factor of the fixture in that you loose some control of light spectrum when going for max par since you need to max everything out to get there. I guess you could tweak the color with choice of T5 bulbs though.

@PaulG my readings are taken with an apogee 510 which can accurately read all light sources including LED.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/giesemann-aurora-led-t5-hybrid-par-readings.394541/

@Chadmowens I really appreciate you sharing your analysis with us. Hard data is very helpful. Had I not heard such murmurings before, I would find these results rather surprising. You'd think at this price/brand that 250-350 PAR a foot deep or so would be a given. Back to the drawing board for the nth time. For clarification, is that the 60" fixture and is that over a 60" tank?

Thank you again for being another helpful contributor to the reef community.

 

[CMO]

For clarification, is that the 60" fixture and is that over a 60" tank?

@ScottB Happy to help. I have a 60" aurora on a 71" tank so am losing a bit of par on the ends due to this. I bet the par would be more similar to the center tank readings above across the whole tank had I put the 72" aurora on my tank which comes with 5 LED blocks vs 4 on my 60" aurora.

 

[johnnyk731]

Johnnyk, did you do this? I am in the same situation u were and contemplating the same. Mixed reef now but trying to get to SPS dominant but lights won't get it done (3 X Hydra 26). PAR tests confirm what the acros were telling me.

Yes been running the 48 aurora for 6 months now everything is happy

 

[Michael T.]

@HolisticBear you may be referring to my recent post. You may be able to get closer to those numbers with the aurora but you'd have to lower the fixture pretty close to the surface. I'm running mine 7" off the surface for easy access to the tank (tank is about 22" deep). Additionally, my white LED channel peaks at 85% so you might get a bit more PAR if you had all channels at 100%. However, that may is also be a limiting factor of the fixture in that you loose some control of light spectrum when going for max par since you need to max everything out to get there. I guess you could tweak the color with choice of T5 bulbs though.

@PaulG my readings are taken with an apogee 510 which can accurately read all light sources including LED.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/giesemann-aurora-led-t5-hybrid-par-readings.394541/

Great information. Thanks for the input. I was wondering how long do the T5 bulbs last? I have had mine for one year now with Aurora 36" and I was wondering when they should be changed? I just installed a par meter from Neptune Apex. I have my light about 8.5 inches above the water and the meter is a about 15 inches down from the surface with a highest par reading of 113. I'd like to start adding SPS and LPS. What would your opinion be to make sure I have proper lighting? Thanks again for the info.

 

[CMO]

Great information. Thanks for the input. I was wondering how long do the T5 bulbs last? I have had mine for one year now with Aurora 36" and I was wondering when they should be changed? I just installed a par meter from Neptune Apex. I have my light about 8.5 inches above the water and the meter is a about 15 inches down from the surface with a highest par reading of 113. I'd like to start adding SPS and LPS. What would your opinion be to make sure I have proper lighting? Thanks again for the info.

From what I understand 9-12 months can be expected on a set of T5 bulbs so you're probably due for a change. The lighting on this fixture is a bit weak for SPS so make sure you put your SPS in the top 3rd of your tank. I have a fair amount of SPS now (more than pictured above) and all but one frag are doing good, growing and encrusting. The Neptune par meter isn't tuned for LED so your measurements may be off a bit (per BRS) but probably still a good estimate. I've also since cranked all my channels to 100% at peak lighting to get max par out of the Aurora which limit's flexibility in color spectrum, so your ultimate spectrum will need to be influenced by choice of T5 bulbs since the white LED's are pretty overpowering otherwise. I'd also move the fixture down closer to the water if you can - I'd like to move mine a bit lower (currently at 7" above water) but limited by my auto feeder.

 

[Michael T.]

Thanks for the tip! I got new bulbs on order and I will move the fixture down by the weekend. My highest reading for the LED's are at 80% and T5's max out. I want to slowly ramp up the lighting so I don't get any unhappy corals. Thanks again!

 

[najer]

Interesting reading, I need to read more, seriously considering the 3 foot version of this.

 

[jessezm]

Just posting here so I can follow the thread. I bought a 60" Aurora fixture from a local reef club member (it was too good a deal to pass up). I currently have the light running over a 48" long, 45g frag tank (the overhanging section lights a separate QT tank). Obviously, the light is overkill on this tank but it was only temporary while I set up my 5'x2'x2' main display tank. The frag tank houses a lot of acro frags and colonies that will live in the display tank when I finish plumbing it in to the system in the basement, and I guess reading this thread also give me a little pause about my plans for this to be a full-blown acro/SPS tank. That said, I'm very happy with the light so far, but all of my corals are in a maximum depth of 12"...

I'll keep you updated on results. Here's a pic of the current situation:

 

[CMO]

To get decent par out of my aurora I had to max out the white LEDs which are overpowering in my experience. Tank was very white during peak daylight. For those that want to get more PAR or blue coloration from their aurora, the Reefbright XHO strips bolt on perfectly without any modification (except trimming the included L bracket that come with the reef bright). However, if you only add an LED bar to one side the fixture will become unlevel due to the additional weight. I had to add a center cable to hold my fixture level. Will get updated par readings once the reef bright is ramped up to 100% over the next few weeks.

 

[RTab619]

To get decent par out of my aurora I had to max out the white LEDs which are overpowering in my experience. Tank was very white during peak daylight. For those that want to get more PAR or blue coloration from their aurora, the Reefbright XHO strips bolt on perfectly without any modification (except trimming the included L bracket that come with the reef bright). However, if you only add an LED bar to one side the fixture will become unlevel due to the additional weight. I had to add a center cable to hold my fixture level. Will get updated par readings once the reef bright is ramped up to 100% over the next few weeks.

Do you think maybe adding a Super Blue LED T5 Bulb (I think Euroquatics just released their newer bulbs) would help to offset some of the white from the strong whites in the Aurora LEDs?

 

[CMO]

If you ran all T5 bulbs with something like that it might do the trick. I'm running the following which provided almost no blue against the white LED's at peak.

1x Aquablue Coral, 1x Aquablue Azure, 1x Super Purple, 1x Super Actinic

 

[RTab619]

If you ran all T5 bulbs with something like that it might do the trick. I'm running the following which provided almost no blue against the white LED's at peak.

1x Aquablue Coral, 1x Aquablue Azure, 1x Super Purple, 1x Super Actinic

Can you run the white LEDs over 50% safely?

 

[CMO]

Can you run the white LEDs over 50% safely?

Safely? Sure. I run all my channels at 100%, including white Led.