Looking at contollers and testing

[sunni]

As I research equipment for my new tank I have come across lots of info on controllers. One of the big questions I have is if I need one for a nano... and if I do, how complicated or high end should the controller be. As a stay at home mom, I don't really have the.need to be in contact with my tank awhile away. I would be looking at features for feeding, temp, ato, and possibly dosing. Not sure if I would need any extra programming for lights or waves. I am unsure about what else the controllers do... Do they test for you? What are the probes and extras for?
Thanks

 

[Mark Bianco]

As a control freak I love my Apex. That being said and I rarely say this but if you do stay at home for the most part, and you are just going to do a Nano. Then my advise would be to skip it and buy some really nice corals with the money. With regular water changes a decent lighting system and flow you can have a very successful tank. No need for dosing on a tank that small.

To answer your questions for the most part controllers are a great form of redundancy to keep your other systems in check such as heaters.

They also automate many tasks such as auto top water, but with a nano especially if its has a lid I can not see using anymore the a cup or two of top off water per day at best.

The last thing controllers are great for is letting someone know if any of the parameters are out spec. I run a large system and I measure Salinity, Temperature, and PH, but I also am home every other weekend. So being as I can see what's going on and adjust from anywhere in the world.

There are other thing you can do with a controller, but for someone that is blessed with being able to stay home with a small tank I just do not see where it would benefit you that much.

Mark

 

[kurt_n]

As another Apex owner who would buy it again in a heartbeat, I agree 100% with Mark. I don't really think you need a controller. Even with big systems, I always recommend folks learn to keep their tank "manually" before spending the $$ to automate things. That way, when things go wrong - and they will - they know how to keep things alive.

One thing I *would* do though, is get a controller strictly for your heater. Ranco is a common and reliable brand in the hobby. I've also used a Johnson Controls A419, but that requires a little DIYing to make work. Regardless of the brand, an external controller that turns your heaters on/off and doesn't utilize the internal thermostats in the heaters will make things much more reliable. Heater thermostats will eventually fail, and Murphy's Law dictates they fail in the worst possible way.