Thinking of getting a controller...

[Mrramsey]

I am thinking I will finally invest in a controller. I don't really need one but there are things I do like. Most of my equipment is already has built in controls but I can see phasing these out over the next couple of years.

I thing I want the following to start

2 temp sensors ( display and sump)
pH
Salinity
possibly ORP
ATO
Control my skimmer (delayed start on power loss)
Control return pump (delayed start on power loss)
Control power to lights (delayed start on power loss)
Control Heaters
monitor RO level
monitor top off level
monitor skimmer level

I have been looking at the Profilux and Apex controllers so far. Thoughts, input, advice?

Eventually I would like to go to a DC return pump. I also like the flow meter that apex offers. Potentially useful data there i think. new wave pumps to replace my current jebao rw-8's will likely be the first thing I replace. Not that they have been bad by any stretch. I would just like to have more control of the flow at night or feeding etc.

 

[RobZilla04]

Controllers are over rated IMO.

 

[RobZilla04]

I am thinking I will finally invest in a controller. I don't really need one but there are things I do like. Most of my equipment is already has built in controls but I can see phasing these out over the next couple of years.

I thing I want the following to start

2 temp sensors ( display and sump) $10 Amazon will get you two digital probes which will last years
pH Not worth concerning yourself with nor chasing
Salinity Refractometer & ATO will keep consistent. You still need to manually check NSW for water changes
possibly ORP ?
ATO Many options. Tunze 3155, Hydor, Smart ATO, etc.
Control my skimmer (delayed start on power loss) Why
Control return pump (delayed start on power loss) Why
Control power to lights (delayed start on power loss) Why
Control Heaters Internal thermostat or Ink Bird to control two
monitor RO level I guess but there are cheaper ways
monitor top off level Comes built into many ATO solutions
monitor skimmer level Consistent water level in sump via ATO will keep skimmer depth constant as well.

I have been looking at the Profilux and Apex controllers so far. Thoughts, input, advice?

Eventually I would like to go to a DC return pump. I also like the flow meter that apex offers. Potentially useful data there i think. new wave pumps to replace my current jebao rw-8's will likely be the first thing I replace. Not that they have been bad by any stretch. I would just like to have more control of the flow at night or feeding etc.

Just some of my thoughts as to each of your points. I've come across a few threads where controllers have failed.

None of the LFS I've visited nor the major coral farm companies use them to my knowledge either.

That money could be put toward many other upgrades IMO. :thumbsup:

 

[mcgyvr]

Define your budget.. Define your needs.. Go for it..

I think if you separate your "needs" and "wants" you may find that you want a lot and need very little

 

[topjimmy]

Just some of my thoughts as to each of your points. I've come across a few threads where controllers have failed.

None of the LFS I've visited nor the major coral farm companies use them to my knowledge either.

That money could be put toward many other upgrades IMO. [emoji106]

I use a reef angel, great controller for the price. There is something to be said about being able to monitor your tank from anywhere in the world. I have saved mine several times when something goes wrong and I am on vacation a thousand miles away.

I don't worry about ph, but checking the ato, temp, etc is nice. I also delay my skimmer for 3 minutes if power is off for the simple reason that the skimmer will overflow before the return pump can lower the level of water in the sump.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[Mrramsey]

My System is fairly automated right now as well as failsafe from the standpoint that it cannot flood or overflow in any way. If my ATO fails, which it has, the amount of fresh water is not enough to upset the balance of salinity. As I indicated there are controls on the lights and power heads. I have a circuit delay on my skimmer that delays the start for 2 minutes when it powers on. My heaters are controlled by an stc1000.

The grey box is my custom power unit. There are 8 outlets on the back side where the equipment plugs into. 4 toggle switches on the front for the return pump and skimmer. Convenience outlet on the front for my WC pump and a light or whatever. The small black square on the side if the time delay for the skimmer. It is adjustable from 30 seconds to 15 minutes. The stc1000 controls a dedicated outlet for my 300 watt finex heaters. My ATO is gravity fed and controlled by a low voltage float switch and a 120v NC solenoid valve.

My system restarts flawlessly after power outages. So my NEEDS are few WANTS on the other hand are many. Less for 'control' more for monitoring and logging. Right now there are many points of failure and that is fine because no one failure is going to be detrimental to the tank. I had built a custom tank monitor but the caveat was the overhead to run the system. Had to be connected to a pc and I had a web server that handled the remote data and notifications.

I realize that these controllers have failsafe fallbacks in the event of a system failure however the relays can fail just as my normally closed solenoid valve did. It was stuck in the open position.

I don't fuss over pH, in fact until earlier this week I haven't done a test or water change on a year and a half or more. Everything was still in check. That being said there is a benefit in tracking the trends over time (in real time).

The only real benefit of control in my mind from a power standpoint that I like/ would like is powering up the systems gradually after a power outage so as not to spike the electric circuit for a potential trip (though it has never happened to date). I suppose I could just add 3 more delays to my controller to handle that. they were less than $20 IIRC.