Help me choose controlling equipment.

[Tron87]

Hello

I have a 30 gallon (36x18x12) tank and have just lost a few corals due to a temp spike. I am looking into controller equipment to disable the skimmer and maybe main pump and turn on a fan when temps hit certain degrees. Current equip.

Vortec MP10
Ehiem 1260
AquaEuro USA Classic 135 1st Gen
2x75W Eheim Heaters
Custom 3 module LED Light array

I have been looking at the ACjr and have a $100 MarineDepot gift card to start me off. Its this or an RODI setup so would anyone like to suggest controller gear for me?

Thanks

 

[Playa-1]

I would think that just about any controller would do what you're looking for. I do question if cutting the power off to the return pump and skimmer is the best option for cooling off a tank when it is overheating. I would look into alternative options before pulling the trigger.

 

[audacious1]

sorry about your losses..
i have the reefkeeper from digital aquatics and it displays temp ph and orp. you can also setup alarms to shut off equipment when things get outa control

 

[USC-fan]

I would get a rodi before anything else... IMO.


You are running LED doubt you even need a fan. I would just buy a cheap power strip with a switch to turn off the return pump.

 

[Jenzifer]

You live in long beach and got a temp spike? Weather here has been mild..think u may have a underlying problem else where.

 

[emict326]

i would look at the reef angle. you cant buy it from MD, and when you look at it you will see that you have to write the code for it your self, they have a program that takes care of easy/normal stuff for you.

 

[James77]

You'd only need a simple controller like the ApexJr or RK Lite on that tank. If you plan on controlling the Vortech with it, it would be the ApexJr and a VDM module.

But I would go for the RODI first, although you could get a better deal on one from BRS if you had cash to play with. Water quality is the first step, flow can be had from cheaper powerheads for a while.

 

[Tron87]

To Jenzifer, I do think there is an underlying problem somewhere. Here are the environmental problems I face.

1)My apartment gets warm and has no A/C. I have been thinking about A/C but currently my money is being funneled into a honeymoon account. Counter to this, when in my 10 gallon tank, I did not even have a thermometer as I never had issues that looked temp related.

2)I think that my pumps are too powerful and are heating the tank too much. The skimmer pump is 95 watts and the Eheim is like 65. That's the biggest difference between this tank and my last. The 10 gal had a Maxi 1200, the MP10 and the 75W heater.

The fan sitting beside the tank handles the temp swings very well; it just need to be manually turned on and that is not a good solution.

Disabling skimmer and eventually main pump would be the 2nd and 3rd lines of defense with turning on a surface fan being the first.

The reef angel looks cool and programming for it would be fun, but its more expensive and doesn't seem to be practical for my small application.

To the advocates of going with the RO unit, I can't ignore this temp issue and I get good RO from the lfs for the time being. I came home to another spike to 85 degrees today even though the weather and inside of my house felt only slightly warmer. I'm really steamed about my damn coral bleaching. It was a great spongoda monti that I had grown from a small frag over the last two years. One frag made it to a friends tank before it died, so it does at least live on.