neptune aquacontroller setup questions..

[otterpop510]

just got an ac jr with a serial port from a groupbuy with a dc8, trying to decide how to setup the controller and wondering what people would recommend/how others currently setup their controllers?

question 1: in terms of the 8 outlets for the dc8 i'm currently thinking 4 outlets for the lighting: 2 MH, 1 atinics and 1 moonlights.

then the return pump, heater and fan - another 3 outlets (finally, no more coming back home from work and realizing i didn't turn the return pump back on after feeding in the morning..).

do people use an alarm normally? otherwise i was thinking of the last one for a ca reactor if i ever get one. wondering if people put all their powerheads on the controller? put their skimmer? if so how and why?


question 2: regarding the serial port and connecting to a pc. wondering where i can find a serial cable and how useful people find the aquanotes/aquanote lite program for them.


any advice as i start setting up would be great. finally able to do some automation on one of the tanks..

 

[xinumaster]

I would connect the CO2 for your ca reactor to the dc8 so you can turn off the CO2 when your ph reading get to high. I also bought additional DC4 to plug my powerheads -- this helps me turn off the powerheads during feeding time. And I also used my neptune as a wavemaker to radomly turn off/on the powerheads.

You can buy the serial connector from neptune or you can just simply wire your on. I made mine -- bought all the components I need for the cable at Fry's.

 

[otterpop510]

thanks xinumaster, i was wondering about if i could DIY my own serial connector, seemed pretty easy to do. do you use the aquanotes or the lite version? can you check it remotely or only from your home computer?

 

[plankton]

I believe you can easily build your own serial cable, just switch pins 2/3.

When I had my AC I bought aquanotes and had alot of fun with with pushing my tank stats online as well as webcam. I don't think I really needed it (although it was good to check on my tank while I was on an extended holiday once).

Scott

 

[otterpop510]

sounds cool plankton, yeah think i'll just stick with the free lite version and keep the extra cash for other stuff.

actually as i'm setting it up i just realized that i need some calibration solutions for the ph probe (i think ph 7 and 10?).

i just checked and see neptune selling them for around $1.40 each, if i had known i would have bought some.. oh well..

wondering if anybody knows of where i get get a bit for cheap locally or if someone nearby can let me borrow their solutions for an afternoon?

 

[dswong01]

Otterpops,
I bought a couple of packs one time use packs from Aquarium concepts in hayward when i set up my AC jr

 

[otterpop510]

thanks dudley, i was thinking about going down to aquarium concepts and maybe check out the reopened great bay tomorrow as i need go be down in hayward anyway.

does anyone hook up one of those audible alarm to their ac?

 

[xinumaster]

You can monitor your setup removely, but you have to diy a router for your acjr. Here is the thread.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=799900

I thought about making one but just didn't have the time.

 

[cyclgrl]

I have my heater, chiller, fans, lights (MH+T5), and CO2 regulator hooked up to my AC2. I have Tunzes for flow so they have their own controller.

Yes, I have an alarm module. My husband hates the sound, but I use that as the way to tell something bad has happened while I'm at home. When I'm on the road, the alarm triggering events: temp, pH, water alarm (external switch) will send a text message to my cell phone.

 

[otterpop510]

sounds like a nice setup cyclegrl. do you have your pc text you or is it a device hooked up directly to your ac?

yeah, the diy router looks cool too, but don't think i have time either. school is really busy right now so i'm just thinking of buying the serial now.. just reading up a bit more, does it make a difference between the standard serial and the 'ground isolated' one? the website says the 'ground isolated' one is for if the ac is going to be hooked up all the time to the computer. does it really make a difference? one is about $16, the other is about $44.

 

[cyclgrl]

My laptop sends an email to my cell phone. The laptop is connected via serial port and on top of my tank canopy all the time (it's a really old computer).

I use the ground isolated one but I don't know if it makes a difference. I had some issues with my pH controller that were supposed to be solved by this, but I don't think it did anything really.