RapidLED Aurora Build
- Thread starter AZRippster
- Start date
AZRippster
Diver & Reef Aquarium Nut
DodgerBlu,
Sorry for my ignorance, but what do you mean by Cob? If you look at entry #26 of this thread I have a picture of the LEDs I used.
Sorry for my ignorance, but what do you mean by Cob? If you look at entry #26 of this thread I have a picture of the LEDs I used.
AZRippster
Diver & Reef Aquarium Nut
Ah, got it. They are a 50W multichip CREE Royal Blue. Here is a link where I got them off of ebay. I have them integrated and installed into the existing fixture. I'll try and get some pics put up that shows them. They have really given the tank a nice color. My wife really likes them as well.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201104315880?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201104315880?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
AZRippster
Diver & Reef Aquarium Nut
I got the Royal Blue supplemental LED's installed and integrated this weekend. They have really added to the tank. Now to sit back and track their effects on the coral. I've backed off of the Aurora's blue channel a bit allowing these to play more of a predominant role. This shot was a little latter in the evening to avoid reflections from the room windows. The corals are starting to close up a bit, however when I arrived home from work everything was fully open and appeared very happy.
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AZRippster
Diver & Reef Aquarium Nut
Thanks! I don't think you'll regret it and the guys at Rapid LED are always very helpful.
RapidLED Aurora Build
AZ thank you so much for your thread. I was on the fence about whether to go with 3 or 6 dual Aurora pucks on my 210g. Thanks to your build I am going the route you did with the pucks and supplemental. Thank you.
Ps. Setup is ultra sleek and clean nice job mate!
AZ thank you so much for your thread. I was on the fence about whether to go with 3 or 6 dual Aurora pucks on my 210g. Thanks to your build I am going the route you did with the pucks and supplemental. Thank you.
Ps. Setup is ultra sleek and clean nice job mate!
AZRippster
Diver & Reef Aquarium Nut
No problem.
You may not need the supplemental, I really think it depends somewhat on your tanks dimensions and depth. The only thing I can honestly say I don't care for as much with the Aurora Pucks is the lack of Neutral White. They decided on Cool White with the ability to use the color channel to bring the full spectrum into the white channel. It does work, and well, but for at least our tank, bringing up the color channel eventually kills the blue channel's ability to keep the spectrum where we like it. I don't like running any channel maxed out, and with the 3' tank depth, I was getting close to it on the blue channel. We can now bring up the color channel to really round out the spectrum and then bring up the supplemental royal blue fixtures to return the presentation color to where it feels more like it does when we're diving.
I'm very happy to say that in the past two weeks we're seeing new coral growth and coloring I'm sure the increased color channel output is assisting with.
You may not need the supplemental, I really think it depends somewhat on your tanks dimensions and depth. The only thing I can honestly say I don't care for as much with the Aurora Pucks is the lack of Neutral White. They decided on Cool White with the ability to use the color channel to bring the full spectrum into the white channel. It does work, and well, but for at least our tank, bringing up the color channel eventually kills the blue channel's ability to keep the spectrum where we like it. I don't like running any channel maxed out, and with the 3' tank depth, I was getting close to it on the blue channel. We can now bring up the color channel to really round out the spectrum and then bring up the supplemental royal blue fixtures to return the presentation color to where it feels more like it does when we're diving.
I'm very happy to say that in the past two weeks we're seeing new coral growth and coloring I'm sure the increased color channel output is assisting with.
AZRippster
Diver & Reef Aquarium Nut
Kapital,
Thanks for the compliment.
The tank is starting to really settle in now. We're calling Nov 9, 2014 our start date, so we are now sitting at a little over 7 months. Most of the coral have been started from frags thanks to a few good friends, our LFS, and a few online stores. We are just shy of 100 different pieces and all but the very latest have fully encrusted their bases and are now putting out new branch/limb growth. Our zoas and palys are multiplying and the LPS have expanded nicely. Chalice and montipora are spreading, almost too much by some. Admittedly, getting the LED settings were a bit of a pain initially, but I feel we are getting real close now.
I've included the lighting in this this current shot since this is an LED build specific thread. I also included a shot of the tank on Nov 9, 2014 as a comparison. We had just migrated our 180 to this 450. Some of the pieces were traded or sold off, especially the bigger ones.
Thanks for the compliment.
The tank is starting to really settle in now. We're calling Nov 9, 2014 our start date, so we are now sitting at a little over 7 months. Most of the coral have been started from frags thanks to a few good friends, our LFS, and a few online stores. We are just shy of 100 different pieces and all but the very latest have fully encrusted their bases and are now putting out new branch/limb growth. Our zoas and palys are multiplying and the LPS have expanded nicely. Chalice and montipora are spreading, almost too much by some. Admittedly, getting the LED settings were a bit of a pain initially, but I feel we are getting real close now.
I've included the lighting in this this current shot since this is an LED build specific thread. I also included a shot of the tank on Nov 9, 2014 as a comparison. We had just migrated our 180 to this 450. Some of the pieces were traded or sold off, especially the bigger ones.
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AZRippster
Diver & Reef Aquarium Nut
Thanks NeverlosT,
The tank is doing great, however I have to admit we're leaning away from an exclusively LED lit setup. I'm getting ready to redesign the lighting to be a hybrid LED/T5 with the T5 primarily over the more shallow areas with the LED punching for the deeper. This will also still allow for sunrise/sunset effects and shimmer. Hopefully by January it will be in use.
The tank is doing great, however I have to admit we're leaning away from an exclusively LED lit setup. I'm getting ready to redesign the lighting to be a hybrid LED/T5 with the T5 primarily over the more shallow areas with the LED punching for the deeper. This will also still allow for sunrise/sunset effects and shimmer. Hopefully by January it will be in use.
AZRippster
Diver & Reef Aquarium Nut
Hey Corey,
The redesign is almost there and I'm about 75% through the build. I'm currently not running the Auroras any longer as they are being integrated into a LED/T5 solution that will be made up of 12 54W T5 and 8 Rapid LED Aurora pucks. I'm currently on MH/T5. Although the Auroras did pretty good, due to shadowing I had to supplement additional multi-chip LEDs. An 8' tank that is 36" deep can have its challenges. I'm guessing within the month or early March I'll have the build completed with some interesting things and helpful tidbits of info to post.
One thing I found a little over a month before taking them offline, my coral responded much better when removing the TIR lenses and cranking them up. Most LEDs, Cree included, are by default 120 degrees. If you look at the new Giesemann Aurora T5 Hybrid (ticks me off they are using that name, but that's a different story), they are not using lenses either. Simply just a puck configuration. My new build will be that way also.
Cheers!
The redesign is almost there and I'm about 75% through the build. I'm currently not running the Auroras any longer as they are being integrated into a LED/T5 solution that will be made up of 12 54W T5 and 8 Rapid LED Aurora pucks. I'm currently on MH/T5. Although the Auroras did pretty good, due to shadowing I had to supplement additional multi-chip LEDs. An 8' tank that is 36" deep can have its challenges. I'm guessing within the month or early March I'll have the build completed with some interesting things and helpful tidbits of info to post.
One thing I found a little over a month before taking them offline, my coral responded much better when removing the TIR lenses and cranking them up. Most LEDs, Cree included, are by default 120 degrees. If you look at the new Giesemann Aurora T5 Hybrid (ticks me off they are using that name, but that's a different story), they are not using lenses either. Simply just a puck configuration. My new build will be that way also.
Cheers!
AZRippster
Diver & Reef Aquarium Nut
Corey,
I think the standard TIR is something like 80 or 90 degrees with the wide angle being somewhere between 110 and 120. Yeah, I took them completely off and things were much better. Everyone's tank is different though. No pics as of yet on my new build, but I'll have a parts list when I post the new setup. I ordered in the actual German parts, to some degree, from a supplier in Germany. They were actually less expensive, to include shipping, than ordering comparable items through Mouser and Digikey. I ordered on a Saturday and had them on the next Wednesday. Crazy awesome. The base T5 fixtures are ATI utilizing the native dimming module, single cable, and Bluefish Mini for LED. I trimmed down the dual puck heatsinks to fit in a 2 T5 lamps space. They fit perfect. I'll try and get a pic posted for ya.
I think the standard TIR is something like 80 or 90 degrees with the wide angle being somewhere between 110 and 120. Yeah, I took them completely off and things were much better. Everyone's tank is different though. No pics as of yet on my new build, but I'll have a parts list when I post the new setup. I ordered in the actual German parts, to some degree, from a supplier in Germany. They were actually less expensive, to include shipping, than ordering comparable items through Mouser and Digikey. I ordered on a Saturday and had them on the next Wednesday. Crazy awesome. The base T5 fixtures are ATI utilizing the native dimming module, single cable, and Bluefish Mini for LED. I trimmed down the dual puck heatsinks to fit in a 2 T5 lamps space. They fit perfect. I'll try and get a pic posted for ya.
