I need a Controller...or Do I ?

[krzyphsygy]

Looking into a controller for my 125 gl tank. I run 2 Tunze pumps 6105 and 6095. Lighting is a ATI T5 fixture. H&S A150 Skimmer, Heater, MP40, Tunze Osomolator top off, 40gl sump.

Are controllersz good to have? Whats the point? I am going on my hunny moon in a few months and considered one to keep track of ph and temp and such.

Thoughts

 

[moondoggy4]

Are you tech savvy?

 

[sirreal63]

I have managed to make it 10 years without one. I do have individual controllers for ORP (ozone) and PH (calcium reactor) but other than that, none. They are nice for monitoring but I don't think I am ready to trust all of my equipment to one. I had thought about getting one to control my Tunzes but if I was gone and something happened to the controller, my tank would be hurting, as it is now my Tunzes have individual controllers, no memory setting that can fail, so it isn't broken and I see no need in trying to "fix" it. While there is nothing wrong with using a whole tank controller, it isn't really needed.

 

[Mark Bianco]

Needed No, but with that said after having one I would never be without one ever again. I am a service engineer and travel the world. From anywhere I have internet access or a good phone signal I can monitor and adjust any controllable parameter. One nice thing if anything goes wrong I get a text message and an email. I can call someone to take care of the situation before loosing the tank. IMHO There is so many thing you can do to automate your tank making the hobby more enjoyable.

Mark

 

[shonc182]

I never needed one, but like Mark says - I will never be without one either. The automation possibilities are great and once the trust was built I love the comfort of knowing I will get a text message if something goes wrong. I am way more likely to detect a problem while I'm away than before. If you have the budget, why not?

 

[krzyphsygy]

Are you tech savvy?

I have some skills, I am not a geek by anymeans...lol

 

[zakstrong]

once you have it you will wonder why didnt do it sooner. the comfort of opening my aquanotes app on my iPhone while at work and seeing every imaginable parameter and the ability to diagnose a problem and fix it instantly is amazing.

i have a website that i can view my tank cameras on and see everything functioning is amazing.

aside form the unlimited control options its good for fixing long term issues. you get graphs of every input you give it. from pH values to pump intervals.

its hard to put into words the amazing capabilities of a controller. i would personally reccomend the apex.

i have a door bell hooked up to that i push to initiate a feed timer and another to initiate a cleaning mode for maintenance. a humidstate hooked up to the stand blower fan.

 

[zakstrong]

btw i am by no means a tech nerd. anybody with enough interest can do it. i just recently learned what the different colors on the rca video cable mean haha

 

[alton]

My AC has gone out so many times in the last 10 years and each time my RKL has shut down my MH's so they would not cook my tank. The best $110 I ever spent. How many times have you seen a post where someones heater stuck on and fried there tank?

 

[krzyphsygy]

So I can control the controller from another place with my phone? I can control the temp in the tank via the lights or heater? What brand is recomended?

 

[shonc182]

HUGE fan of the Neptune Apex Lite. There is a forum on this site, but you may want to check out the one on Neptune's site for speed reasons. The Android app is still in beta and I haven't really messed around with it, since I'm always in front of a computer anyway. I don't feel like you need to be tech savvy to hook it up...maybe a little bit to get the remote access over internet going, but I just read the guide and had zero problems getting it going. I know there are others out there that people like, but this is the one and only controller I have owned and it is awesome.

 

[phnxfrfx1776]

I never had one until a month ago. Never be without one ever again. Went on vacation my apex unit told me of a disaster. Saved me hundreds in corals and fish. Well worth the price

 

[moondoggy4]

Yeah Apex are so easy to use they have a 165 page instructions, reminds me when my friends taught people to ski take them up to the top and let them find there way down, easy. For the younger generation this stuff is easy I have a coworker who still use a VHS machine and can not figure out a DVD player.
I have an Apex and my son changed the router so he and is friends can play a game together and now my Apex is off line, I hooked my tank back up to my RK (I) that machine is easy to use ,5 pages.

 

[symon_say]

You don't need it, but once you have it, you'll never go without one.

I have reef angel and i love it.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I've been in the hobby a while and before controller came to market I was kind of doing my own deal in an old school fashion. I have a hallway wall with 2 banks of 4 gang switches and 2 more banks with digital timmers with li-ion battery backup. My new led lights have their own controller (and heat isn't an issue any more).

But I do travel some and having the ability to monitor what is going on at home would be a really nice perk. But if I'm going to do it, it will be the big Apex system and right now that perk just isn't worth the money. I think like led lights, the controller market is over priced. Leds are ready for a big drop in price as the Chinese have started to make very good quality, very close to top end abilities and at very reasonable prices (I just bought 5 of them and moved my EcoTech Radion to my sump! I think the same thing will happen to controllers soon enough.

 

[solitude127]

Controllers are great for times when something is not right. For example, your tank gets too hot because you left your home heater in the ON position and has been running non stop for 10 hours. The ambient temp in the house is 90 degrees. In this case, a controller can turn lights off, turn fans on, email you to let you know that the temp is higher than normal. With just regular timers, you wouldn't be able to have that type of control.
I give this example because this is what actually happened to me. W/O my controller I feel that my tank would have gotten too hot and all livestock would have probably been lost.

 

[sirreal63]

Mike...does your HVAC not have a thermostat on the heater?

 

[solitude127]

Mike...does your HVAC not have a thermostat on the heater?

It does and it works well in the "auto" position.

 

[sirreal63]

Oooops...that would make a difference. I guess I am spoiled, we just set the temp where we want it and whether it needs heat or cool it keeps the temp the same. I rarely ever touch the thing.

I am still considering one, in the back of my mind, purely for monitoring, as we will be traveling to Panama a lot this Spring. The Reef Angel is appealing to me because it is endlessly configurable.

 

[solitude127]

If you have everything hooked into your controller, the downside is that it's a single point of failure. For me, I have my main circulation pump and my vortechs plugged into regular outlets.