Temp. Controller

[wookiefever]

So I have been reading a lot and have learnt that controllers are essentially a must have. What I dont understand is how they work? Can someone please explain that? Do they work with all heaters? What are some reccomendations for under $100.

Thank you in advance

 

[MaccaPopEye]

I'm going to assume you mean temp controllers as the title says and not all aquarium controllers.

A must have? No.

Nice to have? Yes.

They work by having their own temp probe in the display tank. When it gets to cold it turns the heater on. When it gets to hot it turns the heater off. If it gets really hot and you have one then it turns the chiller on.

I don't have one myself yet but in Australia the temp controller that seems to be recommended by everyone is the STC-1000. Usually less than $30AUD on ebay. You will need to have it wired by an electrician which will bring the price up around $100 but then it will be compatible with all heaters and chillers.

 

[Rutrag]

A temperature controller generally turns an outlet on and off and has an electronic temperature sensor it uses to do so. Since the common ones just control the outlet, they'll work with any heater that doesn't exceed the amperage rating for the controller. Ranco is a commonly used one (available on Amazon for around $40) but requires a little DIY and an extension cord. I've been using an Inkbird ITC-308 (I think) for a few months. I got mine off Amazon for around $30. It's plug and play. They all to my knowledge have to be programmed with a set point and upper and lower variance limits. This isn't at all hard. The one dislike I have for my controller is that when the temp gets too low (from leaving Windows open on a cold night and the heater can't keep up, my controller enters a fault mode and turns the outlet off. It has to be reprogrammed to start working again, which is an annoyance. BTW, you'd probably want to set the temp on the heater itself just slightly higher than your intended set point unless you have a thermostat-less heater.

 

[thegrun]

If you are stuck on a $100 budget look at a used unit (controller) or simply get a heating only controller, but I think you would be better served getting a full controller. I don't think you are going to find a Neptune (my personal favorite) or Neptune Jr. even used in that price range but you should be able to find a DA Reef Keeper Lite in that range. The controller uses a thermostat to turn on and off your heater(s) as needed. You plug the heaters into a power strip that is controlled by your controller. It will also turn on and off lights, pumps, pretty much anything you can plug in. You do need to program the controller to your desired parameters, but there are detailed instructions on how to do that.

 

[wookiefever]

Okay thanks for the info, after some more research it seems like I should save up for a neptune or at least try to find one used somewhere.

Isnt it redundent to have a controller for the temp since pretty much all the newer heaters have that built into them?

 

[Ebone]

An neptune apex is wonderful and will control your heater and anything else you can imagine. Look at them and see if it is something you want/need. Otherwise invest in a ranco controller... they are simple and great...come up for sale quite often and are already wired up (no electrician or electrical skill) also will have a waterproof probe or means of protecting it..

Personally I dont care to chance my tank to the thermostat built into a heater except as a back for the controller if it were to fail...

 

[joshbrookkate]

Redundancy is good. If one fails, then the controller takes care of it. From what I've read, most heaters fail on the on position, which could nuke the tank.
I use a Finnex temp controller that I plug my Finnex 300w heater's controller into. Double check.
But I recently bought an Apex, so after I get my other equipment programmed into it, the heater will get connected to the Apex. Then I will use the Finnex temp controller on my QT tank.