An honest review of the Giesemann Stellar

[rtparty]

I'm sorry to say this but any of us that have been around long enough know that Giesemann sucks with T5 lighting fixtures. They've forever argued that fans and cooling are not needed but every test and study proves them wrong.

What we're seeing here in the US is totally expected IME. A gorgeous fixtures with a bunch of short comings and made up excuses.

I really wish ATI would produce a hybrid like this. At least it would be done right.

 

[CDavmd]

Sorry I am confused now....the new endplates they supplied, are these the endplates with 50 cm width, the short version, or the 57 cm width, the standard version?

I thought the problem with the endplates was only with the short version and not the standard one, but the post above from Highgrade makes me confused about what size of endplate the problem is about.

Hi sorry for the late response. I have been away on family vacation.

The issue was with both. Both sizes had the missing notch preventing easy removal of the acrylic shield. The shorter version in addition was missing the ventilation slits.

This has all been rectified.

 

[CDavmd]

Hi and thank you for such a comprehensive review. I am about to pull the trigger on one of the 1200mm versions in which I will place my 3 x AI Hydra 26HDs. My question is around the brackets for the Lights. It looks as if the bracket would slide easily left to right in the unit I would be concerned that a simple knock could end up with the light dropping through the gap into the tank. I realise the sticky tape comes into play here but over time that may degrade. Any thoughts. Thankyou

Yes they could slide apart if touched or moved but I think it would be unlikely once set up and left alone.

 

[MnFish1]

I started my reef journey many moons ago when keeping softies was considered an accomplishment. Over the years I have been amazed by the advances and technology that has become available to us. It is really incredible how far we have come in this hobby.

By nature I am a techno-geek and eye candy junky. My two hobbies ( Reefing and Astrophotography) satisfy my never ending fascination with gadgets, technology, science, and the beauty of nature. As such I am guilty of being an early adopter of new products and technology.

In terms of lighting, I was a very early adopter of LED lighting for Reef aquaria. My first LED was the original Solaris for anyone that remembers that fixture. It worked well and yes it convinced me that one could grow corals with LED's. Over the years I was forced to return to MH/T5 combos as the Solaris died and the company with it.

Later on, I played with the nano-tuner LED for a fluval edge that I turned into a Pico reef, the AI nano and subsequently Vega. More Recently I moved on to the Radion G4. I have always preferred the lack of heat and the greater control of LED's but honestly the shadowing and peculiar growth patterns of my corals always bothered me.

I am in the process of a new build- a reefer 425xl and planned on using my Radion G4 Pros. When I heard of the Aquatic-Life "T5/bring your own LED" hybrid fixture, my interest was immediately perked. Although this fixture does the job it is simply to utilitarian for my tastes and I was not impressed with the fit and finish and the average reflectors.

Enter the Giesemann Stellar.....

I first encountered news of this fixture on reef builders and thought to myself "ahh finally! someone will make a high quality hybrid." I had experience with Giesemann in the past having used their T5 fixtures and really looked forward to this being a possible solution for my needs. Giesemann is known for well constructed high quality products and I had no doubts this would be the quality answer for a hybrid fixture with the flexibility of using your desired LED. Further it appeared to be based on their Gemini fixture which I find to be visually appealing, sleek and well constructed.

I searched for a date that it would be available in the US and stumbled upon the fact that I could order directly from them. I went ahead and pulled the trigger and ordered the 900mm iridium version that will house 4 x 39 watt T5 bulbs and the LED of your choice. The space available for the LED's using the standard bracket is 10 inches which is more than ample for my Radions.

I received an email that they would be making a 110v version for me and that it would ship in a couple weeks. I also ordered the optional shortening end brackets that take the fixture from 575mm front to back down to 500mm. I thought this would be a better fit for my tank (turns out the standard works well for the XL version of reefer, however if you have a 250, 350, 450, you will need the shortening brackets or the fixture will extend beyond the width of the aquarium).

Several weeks later shipping was confirmed and the product arrived Fedex in good condition. It was well packaged and protected and suffered no damage in transit. My initial impression was excellent, the finish was a nice dark (not black but gray like) powder coated finish. The classic Giesemann logo on the end, and the build solid and sturdy. The fixture comes unassembled with two T5 housings which contain high quality reflectors and an acrylic shield already completed. Two standard end brackets, LED brackets, a bag of screws and nuts, and some fairly rudimentary instructions.

I placed the two T5 housings on the floor and lined them up, I attached the side brackets (the shorter version I had ordered extra) and used the supplied screws. There are two sizes of screws to be aware of ( this is not mentioned in the instructions so be careful). Two thiner screws which go on the front and back ends of the brackets, and two fatter screws for the middle two holes. The thinner screw heads are quite small and fragile, the pilot holes are not tapped so be careful as it is very easy to strip the heads. I almost stripped one of mine.

With this completed, you can insert the LED brackets into the groove on the inside surfaced of the housings. You can do this before attaching the end brackets but it doesn't matter as they angle out. The LED brackets have an adhesive tape which will help lock your LED's in place. I would have preferred a more sturdy method but this works. I also purchased the hanging kit which comes without instructions but is similar to others on the market.



Next I went to insert my T5 bulbs and encountered the first shortcoming of the fixture. Unlike the Gemini housing that has a notch on the end allowing for sliding out of the acrylic shield, the Stellar does NOT. Why?? I have no idea as it makes no sense not to include it. I can only surmise that this was an oversight in their design of the fixture. I emailed Giesemann regarding this. I received no response so after a couple days I emailed another person at their company and was told they would get back to me. The response was not what I wanted to hear. Basically I was told to just loosen the screws securing one of the end brackets, angle it and pull out the acrylic shield.

Here is their response:

"no the end plates do not have a notch. To replace the T5 lamps later and to remove the acrylic shield you can loosen the outer screw and flip the profile slightly.
This allows you to remove the acrylic shield without unmounting the whole end plate."

I had already tried that and although possible, it is quite cumbersome. I can only imagine when I have the fixture hung that this will be even more difficult. Further, each time you loosen those screws on the ends, the heads are in danger of becoming further stripped. Not optimal to say the least. I have emailed them back twice asking if the Gemini fixture end brackets will work on the Stellar (since they have the notch) but I have not yet received a response.

Well I finally managed to remove the acrylic shield and put in my bulbs. I fired up the fixture and the lights come right on without any glitch or issue. I let them burn in for a couple hours to test the fixture and start putting some age on these new bulbs. The light is uniform, the bulbs burn well and the reflectors are excellent.



I then noticed another issue. There was a lot of heat building up and I became aware that the shortening brackets do not have ventilation slits! The standard 575mm bracket does have several slits on the end but not these 500mm shortening ones. Why?? again I have to conclude it was an oversight in their design.



I included a question regarding this in my previous email to them. They responded:

"the longer version has this ventilation slits because you can put there bigger LED units with much more power. But in the shortened version you don’t need them! The shortened version has no ventilation slits – it will be not too hot there is no risk."

I'm not really sure what that means. The end bracket width has nothing to do with the type of LED. My G4 Radions fit regardless of the bracket I use. These slits are to allow heat from the T5's to dissipate. Clearly they missed something here. I was concerned enough that I removed the shorter brackets and used the standard ones with the ventilation slits. Luckily my tank is the 425XL so the extra front-back width still works. It is basically the same as the tank-


The brackets do have cut outs for cord management and both T5 power cords come out on the same side.





Overall as you can see in the photos, the fixture is well finished and good quality. The shortfalls in the design that I mention are a concern. I am a little disappointed as this is not what I have come to expect from Giesemann. I can understand some oversights but their slow response to my inquiries is not what I have come to expect from them. I have an email pending a response pointing out these issues. I can deal with the longer standard brackets. Money wasted on my part for the shorter brackets that are not useable without ventilation slits in my opinion ( I know others will disagree). However I would really prefer a bracket that allow removal of the acrylic shield for bulb changes such as the Gemini endplate. I am still waiting for a response to this question...

Conclusions:

Overall a nice hybrid fixture that will allow you to use a myriad of LED's on the market. Finish and appearance are sleek and top notch. Reflectors are of high quality as expected of Giesemann products. Aforementioned design flaws notwithstanding, it is a solid contender to the aquatic life fixture but given the cost difference some may not find the difference in quality worth it.



UPDATE:

So I received a follow up email from Giesemann. Basically they are sticking to there guns. They stated that the original design was based on the shorter brackets without ventilation slits. They state that they did extensive thermal testing and that there is no problem. The longer end brackets have slits in the event that the "larger" LED's will somehow transmit heat to the T5's hence the need for ventilation.

Exact quote:

"About the different endplates for STELLAR / GEMINI: The stellar came into the market only in the narrow version first. From the beginning the STELLAR endplates where designed without slots, as we made thermal tests with the T-5´s and there was no need for additional slots. If you look at other products from competitors, they have as well no slots on their endplates. The profile of the Stellar / Gemini is made of thick aluminium and the T-5 ballast is mounted flat on the coolest place inside the profile. In a second step we have designed the wider version of the Stellar-plates to allow more flexibility with larger and stronger LED systems. These wider endplates have additional slots because of the risk that stronger LED lights may produce more heat."

Take it for what its worth. I am not going to dispute their "thermal tests" One point however, the competitor they mention I assume is the Aquatic life fixture (I know of no other at present), That fixture has not acrylic shield so the T5's are not enclosed.

In any event there you have it. I will luckily be able to use the longer ventilated brackets in my case but for those with narrower aquaria be forewarned.

In regards to accessing the bulb compartment for bulb changes- again no slit for sliding out of the acrylic shield. Royal PIA to loosen the endplate, further strip the screw heads and angle the bracket while you bend the shield out!

My review - and this doesn't reflect on you or your review - looking at this fixture - I do not think it looks attractive at all. Will be hard to clean - and like you said - may be hot.

 

[bashuck]

Is there a suggested place to get an overview of the hanging kits? I feel like I could get it hung but i'm not sure about the ability to adjust it up and down when necessary.

 

[yoteru]

I am glad I found this thread. I was about to purchase one...

 

[gobble]

Coralvue sure does a poor job of describing this product on their website. I'm interested in purchasing one, but have more questions than answers. Does anyone know:

- Does the "US" version come with side plates narrow enough to fit a 20" deep tank? Their website says tanks "up to" 24". Does it come with brackets that would allow it to fit on a tank narrower than 24"?

- How high does the universal mounting bracket set the fixture over the tank? Absolutely no mention of this on their website.

- Would a 59.3" fixture fit on a 59" tank?

- "U.S.A. version DOES NOT include splash shield to increase PAR and heat dissipation". What does that mean? What does a splash shield look like and why do I need it? I would think increasing heat dissipation would be important???

Thanks to anyone who has these answers.

 

[jose hernandez]

i was debating between the aqautic life or the geismann alot of mixed reviews my question is which would be better

 

[CDavmd]

Is there a suggested place to get an overview of the hanging kits? I feel like I could get it hung but i'm not sure about the ability to adjust it up and down when necessary.

Pretty much the standard wire hanging kit that comes with all recent fixtures. It is possible to move the fixture up and down on the wire cable.

 

[Highgrade]

Pretty much the standard wire hanging kit that comes with all recent fixtures. It is possible to move the fixture up and down on the wire cable.

This is correct.

 

[CDavmd]

Coralvue sure does a poor job of describing this product on their website. I'm interested in purchasing one, but have more questions than answers. Does anyone know:

- Does the "US" version come with side plates narrow enough to fit a 20" deep tank? Their website says tanks "up to" 24". Does it come with brackets that would allow it to fit on a tank narrower than 24"?

They have two bracket lengths available. One standard and the other shorter. Check out there specific website for the exact measurements. The shorter need to be purchased separately.


- How high does the universal mounting bracket set the fixture over the tank? Absolutely no mention of this on their website.

Not sure I use the hanging kit

- Would a 59.3" fixture fit on a 59" tank?

Yes but you might get spill over. I prefer a shorter light than tank but that’s just a personal preference

- "U.S.A. version DOES NOT include splash shield to increase PAR and heat dissipation". What does that mean? What does a splash shield look like and why do I need it? I would think increasing heat dissipation would be important???

See the details of my review in the first post. The shields protect the reflectors and bulbs from water splash and salt creep.

The problem as I mentioned was that they forgot cut outs to allow them to slide out. This was the short coming I noted. They have since modified the shorter plates to incorporate cutouts and slits for cooling. You will need to order directly from them in Germany.

Just my assumption but I think coral view has left over original fixtures and this nonsense about heat etc is just an excuse.


Thanks to anyone who has these answers.

 

[Highgrade]

Here is my Stellar with 2 Kessil A360x’s

Overall I’m pleased with the Stellar and would recommend it over the AquaticLife fixture. The Stellar is better quality and looks nicer. The AquaticLife units look cheap and have no cooling or bulb shields either. The day ATI comes out with a Hybrid fixture I may contemplate pulling the trigger on one only if the price is right and they come in black like the newer T5/LED power-modules.

 

[gobble]

Does anyone know how high the new side mounting brackets set the light above the rim of the tank?

 

[CDavmd]

i was debating between the aqautic life or the geismann alot of mixed reviews my question is which would be better

I own both. I have the aquatic life on a frag tank. It’s ok but utilitarian. The finish is reasonable but flimsy. It has no shields and the reflectors are lesser quality. It’s only advantage is the better fixation mechanism for the LED.

I think despite the short comings (now fixed) the stellar is a better finish and what I have in mu display tank.

 

[gobble]

Thanks for the answers. I found Carlos' email and sent him some questions. I'll post if he responds.

It's crazy to me that they make these side mount brackets but don't say anywhere how tall they are. That's kind of an important point.

Also to the comment about 59" maybe being too long for a 59" tank. I could go with the 48" version but then I don't think 3 XR30 Radions would fit very well. Maybe I only need two if the T5's supplement them?

 

[Highgrade]

Thanks for the answers. I found Carlos' email and sent him some questions. I'll post if he responds.

It's crazy to me that they make these side mount brackets but don't say anywhere how tall they are. That's kind of an important point.

Also to the comment about 59" maybe being too long for a 59" tank. I could go with the 48" version but then I don't think 3 XR30 Radions would fit very well. Maybe I only need two if the T5's supplement them?

I know the tank mount brackets have been out of stock for some time now. From the looks of the brackets I would say they're not adjustable and are roughly 10" off the water or rim of the tank.

 

[CDavmd]

Thanks for the answers. I found Carlos' email and sent him some questions. I'll post if he responds.

It's crazy to me that they make these side mount brackets but don't say anywhere how tall they are. That's kind of an important point.

Also to the comment about 59" maybe being too long for a 59" tank. I could go with the 48" version but then I don't think 3 XR30 Radions would fit very well. Maybe I only need two if the T5's supplement them?

See my response above. Answers are embedded in your quoted message

 

[gobble]

Thanks for the response.

BRS has the brackets in stock. Coralvue says out of stock.

 

[siggy]

Thanks for the Giesemann education.

 

[gobble]

From Germany -

Thanks for your e-mail and your interest shown in the STELLAR

No there was no mistake with the shipment in the US.

The 120 Volt version of the STELLAR (also for other 120 Volt countries) has no complete bulb cover. The edges of the bulbs are covered with an acrylic splash shield (about 2” each) to protect the bulb against water splashes. The bulb/ light area itself is open to achieve the maximum light output and PAR.

CoralVue should have the standard version of the STELLAR (22,45” width) and the XL extension kit in stock. The 20” shortening kit can be ordered separately.

Please feel free to contact us any time if you have further questions

Best regards

Your GIESEMANN Team