Giesemann Aurora LED T5 Hybrid Fixture

OP
OP
Mike_J

Mike_J

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 16, 2014
Messages
2,386
Reaction score
3,947
Location
Bloomfield, CT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I participated in the BRS group buy for this month and ordered my 48" Giesemann Aurora T5 LED Hybrid Fixture. I'm stoked! I'll cash in my rewards points to purchase Giesemann T5 bulbs for the light. Who has recommendations for the best combination of bulbs to use for pop of color and growth?
 

Broadfield

Red Sea Reefer Consultant... Non Affiliated
View Badges
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
2,529
Reaction score
4,479
Location
Normal, IL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Who has recommendations for the best combination of bulbs to use for pop of color and growth?

Awesome, you are going to love it!

So I have tried virtually every possible combination of bulbs in this thing. I think I have a total of 12 Giesemann bulbs sitting in my basement... Aquablue Azure, Aquablue Coral, Super Purple and Actinic Blue. The problem is that you can't necessarily take bulb combination advice from people that just have T5 fixtures... because you have to take into account how the LEDs affect the overall color.

When I first got the fixture, I tossed in a random set of bulbs... I think (2)Aquablue Coral, an Actinic Blue and a Super Purple. Not 100% satisfied, I kept trying a bunch of different combinations of bulbs and LED settings... it really is an infinite combination. Then I decided to try all of the same T5 bulbs to get a perfect, even coverage of color. I noticed that having one Actinic Blue would not get that coral pop to all of the corals in the tank... more so only the ones that were simply closer to the Actinic Blue bulb. So I decided to try an experiment:
  • I tried all Giesemann Actinic Blue - Then brought up the white LEDs and a tad of blue to get to a 20k look.
  • I tried all Giesemann Aquablue Coral - Then brought up the blue LEDs and a tad of white to get to a 20k look.
The outcome to the eye was almost indistinguishable on the above two combinations. I decided to go with the all Aquablue Coral because I felt that since the T5s were providing the bulk of the illumination coverage, I would want to use the widest spectrum bulb. I have been extremely happy with growth, coverage etc. I may try some Super Actinic at some point, but I'm extremely happy at the moment. I have been running this combination for about 3 months. These photos are from a week ago and are an exact representation of what my tank looks like to the naked eye.

IMG_4278 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_5735 (1) by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_5753 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_4357 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

IMG_4402 by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Mike_J

Mike_J

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 16, 2014
Messages
2,386
Reaction score
3,947
Location
Bloomfield, CT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks, @Broadfield! Sweet Lord, your tank is stunning! Thanks for the info and the pictures. I may actually replicate your light exactly since I love the colors. So amazing. The bulbs are cheap enough I can always try different combos later on. I can't wait to get this thing setup. I can only hope my tank looks as good as yours someday. Thanks again for all your help and info with this light fixture! :)
 

Broadfield

Red Sea Reefer Consultant... Non Affiliated
View Badges
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
2,529
Reaction score
4,479
Location
Normal, IL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks, @Broadfield! Sweet Lord, your tank is stunning! Thanks for the info and the pictures. I may actually replicate your light exactly since I love the colors. So amazing. The bulbs are cheap enough I can always try different combos later on. I can't wait to get this thing setup. I can only hope my tank looks as good as yours someday. Thanks again for all your help and info with this light fixture! :)

Thanks Mike! FWIW, I run both blue LED channels and both T5 channels about the same percentage. I then run the white LED channel about 10%-15% of the other channels.
 

Jimbo662

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 1, 2013
Messages
4,742
Reaction score
2,143
Location
Austin, Tx
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm glad I found this thread! I've been looking at the 24" unit on BRS. My tank is 32" long but I can't find anywhere that shows the coverage of the different length units. Anyone know?
 

Broadfield

Red Sea Reefer Consultant... Non Affiliated
View Badges
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
2,529
Reaction score
4,479
Location
Normal, IL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm glad I found this thread! I've been looking at the 24" unit on BRS. My tank is 32" long but I can't find anywhere that shows the coverage of the different length units. Anyone know?

If you notice on my tank, I'm using a 48" model on a 60" tank.... you will be just fine;). I purposely bought the 48" instead of the 60" for a couple of reasons.
  • I prefer the look of a fixture that doesn't go end-to-end.
  • I like to run my fixture a little higher for easier tank maintenance. If I had a full length fixture, I would get light bleed off the ends of the tank at the height I run it at. The shorter fixture actually works out perfectly in this scenario... as you can see in my tank, I get a nice even coverage. The higher fixture also keeps the water a tad cooler... not that it puts off that much heat anyway. But for some, every little bit of heat reduction matters.
I realize in your case you don't really have a choice... because they don't make a 32" fixture. But trust me, you will not be disappointed with a 24". In my opinion, it's the perfect size.
 
Last edited:

Jimbo662

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 1, 2013
Messages
4,742
Reaction score
2,143
Location
Austin, Tx
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If you notice on my tank, I'm using a 48" model on a 60" tank.... you will be just fine;). I purposely bought the 48" instead of the 60" for a few a couple of reasons.
  • I prefer the look of a fixture that doesn't go end-to-end.
  • I like to run my fixture a little higher for easier tank maintenance. If I had a full length fixture, I would get light bleed off the ends of the tank at the height I run it at. The shorter fixture actually works out perfectly in this scenario... as you can see in my tank, I get a nice even coverage. The higher fixture also keeps the water a tad cooler... not that it puts off that much heat anyway. But for some, every little bit of heat reduction matters.
I realize in your case you don't really have a choice... because they don't make a 32" fixture. But trust me, you will not be disappointed with a 24". In my opinion, it's the perfect size.

Thanks...I guess I did miss that info on your tank / fixture size.
 

Broadfield

Red Sea Reefer Consultant... Non Affiliated
View Badges
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
2,529
Reaction score
4,479
Location
Normal, IL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What will be the pricing on these?

The 24" goes for $1350 and my 48" goes for $2200. Luckily I'm a wholesaler for Premium Aquatics, so I didn't have to pay retail.
 

Broadfield

Red Sea Reefer Consultant... Non Affiliated
View Badges
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
2,529
Reaction score
4,479
Location
Normal, IL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
72" system must be over 3500?

Giesemann does not make a 72" fixture in the Aurora series... the largest is 60" @ $2700. I typically sell them for around $2600 shipped... there's not much discount on them since they have to be imported from Germany.
 

locito277

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 1, 2016
Messages
2,052
Reaction score
1,525
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Giesemann does not make a 72" fixture in the Aurora series... the largest is 60" @ $2700. I typically sell them for around $2600 shipped... there's not much discount on them since they have to be imported from Germany.
Thanks :) I think I'll go with t5 on this system. Just look g for Softies and fish. Nothing too crazy
 

Broadfield

Red Sea Reefer Consultant... Non Affiliated
View Badges
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
2,529
Reaction score
4,479
Location
Normal, IL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Anymore pics of tanks with this light out there???

This is the only other tank I could think of off the top of my head... basically the same tank as mine.

Reefer 525 w:Aurora.jpg
 
Last edited:

Broadfield

Red Sea Reefer Consultant... Non Affiliated
View Badges
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
2,529
Reaction score
4,479
Location
Normal, IL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Any comparison between the Giesemann Aurora and ATI powermodule? Currently trying to decide between the two...

Cosmetically, the Giesemann is FAR superior. I have also known users that had problems with the fans failing and/or noisy fans on the ATI. The Giesemann Aurora is dead silent. But as far as performance, I don't see how they could be too far off from each other. With the Giesemann product, you are paying for German construction and the visual appeal. If you are going to put it up in a canopy, then I don't think I would get the Giesemann.
 

Broadfield

Red Sea Reefer Consultant... Non Affiliated
View Badges
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
2,529
Reaction score
4,479
Location
Normal, IL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Broadfield what Giesemann aurora would you recommend for a reefer 250

You would probably want to go with a 36" fixture. If you went with the 24", a 1/3 of your tank would not be covered. Whereas with mine, only a 1/5 isn't covered with a 48" fixture over a 60" tank.
 

Broadfield

Red Sea Reefer Consultant... Non Affiliated
View Badges
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
2,529
Reaction score
4,479
Location
Normal, IL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Here's another Aurora over a Reefer. It's a 24" fixture over a Reefer 170.... which is 24.5" long.

Reefer 170 w:Aurora.jpg
 
Back
Top