Reef keeper 2 vs Neptune System
- Thread starter t5Nitro
- Start date
BrokeColoReefer
Hermit
I love my aquacontroller 3 
crumbletop
New member
A summary...
The low end of the controller market is around $300 for a setup (pH probe, temp probe, controller, bank of outlets). The main competitors in the $300 price range are:
1) AC Jr. (Neptune Systems)
2) ReefKeeper2 (Digital Aquatics)
3) Premium Aquatics Lighthouse (Premium Aquatics)
The AC Jr. is the most flexible, expandable, and customizable of the bunch. Here are some of the main points:
AC Jr.
Controls up to 12 channels (8 come with the basic setup)
Complex programming capability (multiple feed timers, multiple conditional statements)
Can connect to your PC so you can view things over the web if you get the serial port option and can be controlled from your pc using the free version of AquaNotes software.
Has a digital input (also if you get the serial port option) that allows you to connect things like a float switch to shut off pumps if the water level in the sump gets too low, or to use it to drive an auto topoff pump.
You can upgrade to a more advanced unit if you ever needed to.
RK2:
Looks cool.
controls 8 channels (max)
Has some PC data logging software coming soon.
Lighthouse:
Plug and play webserver built in. Ethernet built in.
Only controls 4 channels
Will monitor orp in addition to ph
The AC Jr. with serial port, Lighthouse, and RK2 all cost right about the same ($299). I believe they all work pretty well. The AC Jr. has a bit more flexibility and functionality than the others.
The low end of the controller market is around $300 for a setup (pH probe, temp probe, controller, bank of outlets). The main competitors in the $300 price range are:
1) AC Jr. (Neptune Systems)
2) ReefKeeper2 (Digital Aquatics)
3) Premium Aquatics Lighthouse (Premium Aquatics)
The AC Jr. is the most flexible, expandable, and customizable of the bunch. Here are some of the main points:
AC Jr.
Controls up to 12 channels (8 come with the basic setup)
Complex programming capability (multiple feed timers, multiple conditional statements)
Can connect to your PC so you can view things over the web if you get the serial port option and can be controlled from your pc using the free version of AquaNotes software.
Has a digital input (also if you get the serial port option) that allows you to connect things like a float switch to shut off pumps if the water level in the sump gets too low, or to use it to drive an auto topoff pump.
You can upgrade to a more advanced unit if you ever needed to.
RK2:
Looks cool.
controls 8 channels (max)
Has some PC data logging software coming soon.
Lighthouse:
Plug and play webserver built in. Ethernet built in.
Only controls 4 channels
Will monitor orp in addition to ph
The AC Jr. with serial port, Lighthouse, and RK2 all cost right about the same ($299). I believe they all work pretty well. The AC Jr. has a bit more flexibility and functionality than the others.
strendo
Premium Member
I have two tanks and couldn't decide so I bought one for each tank about a month ago. I've gotta say the RK2 is the better unit. It's way more intuitive to program, better built and looks nicer. Another nice feature is an led lights up on the front of the unit to tell you which outlet is on, the JR only shows a hard to read symbol on it, then you have to remember which outlet matches up with what.
Waxxiemann
New member
I thought you could do 10 outlets with the RK2 ? Isn't there a little 2 outlet add on?
crumbletop
New member
Not sure I follow you on that one. The RK2 has lights under labels that say:
Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5 Ch6 Ch7 Ch8
The AC Jr. has symbols on the display that stand for different things. A "light" symbol (lights), a "wave" symbol (pumps), an up arrow/down arrow symbol (heater), and a box-type-thingy symbol (I use this for fan). So it would read something like this:
lights - lights - lights - pump - pump - pump - heater - heater - fan
When I glance at the symbols, I can easily see if my heater is on, or which lights are on. With the RK2 you would have to have a mental map in your mind where you remember "Ch1 = lights, Ch2 = lights, Ch3 = pump" etc, to know what the on/off meant in terms of individual items. So I see that as a wash in functionality/features at best. For example, here is Steve Weast's neptune controller (from oregonreef.com):
It tells you immediately that all lights are on except the last one, and that all heaters are off.
crumbletop
New member
You can only individually control 8 with the RK2. You can use the add-on expansion socket, which gives you still 8 controllable channels with 9 outlets. Adding 2 expansion modules would give you 10 outlets (still 8 controllable channels). You can add the expansion modules to the neptune as well...
Waxxiemann
New member
Ok, cool. :thumbsup:
I have the RK2 Controller: Be aware it can only hold a max of 15 AMPS. If you overload the unit it will shutdown and in my case fried the fuse. Yes it offers an expansion socket adapter which will allow you to add amperage but two sockets on the expansion take up one channel on the main unit.
Overall for $300 and some change I feel it is a good unit for my application. It controls everything I need it to and as stated by other folks it is easy to setup and adjust.
Good luck.
Ron
Overall for $300 and some change I feel it is a good unit for my application. It controls everything I need it to and as stated by other folks it is easy to setup and adjust.
Good luck.
Ron
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