To Control or Not To Control!?

[BigBoi5680]

Is it ideal to be able to control every facet of equipment in and underneath your tank? Or are controllers just designed for specific elements? I plan on starting out with an Apex unit, but I know it only comes with so many outlets, so do I still run other items off of powerestrips? Or do I try and get more controller blocks? What has to and what doesn't have to be ran on a controller!?

 

[bigfish14]

There really is no right or wrong answer. Ideally, you would want to control everything, but it is a matter of personal preference.

 

[theman772]

think of it as a timer anything that needs a timer should be on your controler then go from there the apex you can expand on and on

 

[thor109]

I have 4 powerheads on two outlets. I run two on and two off. They cycle ever 30 minutes. I just add a 3 outlet power strip to each outlet. I have room to add one more power head to each one. I run my skimmer and return together the same way. I turn them both off at feeding time. You can also build you own relays for a few bucks each and use the controllers 10v signals to turn them on and off. 8 outlets can go a long way if thought out.

 

[Lunger]

If your thinking about getting an Apex, you would probably get better answers asking the question on the Neptune System forum. I have been using an Apex controller for a year or so and I'm still using standard outlets for some of my equipment. It all depends on how much you want to control and how much you want to spend on the initial setup. The great thing about it is you can always add more controllable outlets later. To give you some examples. My power-heads and some cooling fans are on standard outlets. You may not need to control your protein skimmer or main circulation pump at first. If you start adding float switches then you probably will. I can tell you this the capabilities are endless. With a network connection and a smart phone you can control your tank from anywhere in the world.