Defuse
New member
I am in the process of building a system for my office at work and have hit a couple road blocks that I need to figure out before I set everything up. The system is an Ecoxotic 25g rimless tank that has had the AIO wall removed and has been drilled for a 20g sump. The system will have ATO, Phosban reactor, MP10, and the stock skimmer (for now).
What I can’t decide on is how to heat/cool the tank. My office has the HVAC system turned off on the weekend so heat will be an issue in the summer. My current plan is to use 2 fans in the stand to create a jet stream of sorts to cool the ambient air in the hopes that will reduce the water temperature. 1 will blow air in to the stand where the sump is and 1 will blow air out. If that proves to not be effective I will have to get a chiller but that will be a “if the need arises” purchase.
In either case I need to figure out if I NEED or just want an aquacontroller/reefkeeper and what kind of heater to get, (controllable on/off with a reefkeeper or aquacontroller or just a standard heater with a temperature setting).
In my head I have gone pro/con with a controller for about 2 months now and it’s to the point I need to get some opinions from others on the subject. Here is what I have come up with.
Pro
Convenience
Notification of problems (eg: temp too high/low, etc)
Centralized system control
Expandability
Con
Cost
New potential failure point
Lack of education on controllers benefits and problems
Looks like each system requires you to purchase more than their base unit to get what you really want
Well let’s hear it. If you have a controller why did you get one?
Is there a specific reason to go with an Aqua Controller vs a ReefKeeper or vice versa?
Am I missing out on additional features of either system that could make or break my decision?
What kind of heater would you get with a controller?
If the decision is made to get a controller what do I really need to get in addition to the base unit?
Thanks for reading and replying!
What I can’t decide on is how to heat/cool the tank. My office has the HVAC system turned off on the weekend so heat will be an issue in the summer. My current plan is to use 2 fans in the stand to create a jet stream of sorts to cool the ambient air in the hopes that will reduce the water temperature. 1 will blow air in to the stand where the sump is and 1 will blow air out. If that proves to not be effective I will have to get a chiller but that will be a “if the need arises” purchase.
In either case I need to figure out if I NEED or just want an aquacontroller/reefkeeper and what kind of heater to get, (controllable on/off with a reefkeeper or aquacontroller or just a standard heater with a temperature setting).
In my head I have gone pro/con with a controller for about 2 months now and it’s to the point I need to get some opinions from others on the subject. Here is what I have come up with.
Pro
Convenience
Notification of problems (eg: temp too high/low, etc)
Centralized system control
Expandability
Con
Cost
New potential failure point
Lack of education on controllers benefits and problems
Looks like each system requires you to purchase more than their base unit to get what you really want
Well let’s hear it. If you have a controller why did you get one?
Is there a specific reason to go with an Aqua Controller vs a ReefKeeper or vice versa?
Am I missing out on additional features of either system that could make or break my decision?
What kind of heater would you get with a controller?
If the decision is made to get a controller what do I really need to get in addition to the base unit?
Thanks for reading and replying!
