What controller?

CrazyEyes

CrazyEyes

New member
This might be a weird question to ask, I know I want a controller, I'm simply trying to weigh the pros and cons of each one and seeing if it's worth the money to spend on an Apex vs a RK. So the only things I really want it to do is, monitor ph, temp and salinty along with being able to plug everything into so I can turn it off. I really don't need any sort of internet functions, I also won't be controlling the light (dimming and programming) with it, I'm honestly leaning towards a reef keeper but I wanted to hear what you all had to say about this and maybe even suggest a controller outside of these two.
 
I use the RK Lite to monitor PH and temp. Also set up to email me if any alarms which is cool. I'm sure you looked into both but the RK has had issues in the past with bad salinity probes leading to wrong calculations. Not to mention you would need to find a Version 2 SL2. Not sure if they really cleared up the issues. I still love the RK for the base functions.
 
To be honest, salinity isn't one that is super important to me, aslong as the ato is working correctly it doesnt take but 30 seconds to check salinity anyways. Really just looking to monitor ph and temp.
 
I can personally do a ton more with Apex than a RK. Maybe if you got the Archon you could become a serious code freak and do more than the Apex but if that is not your cup of tea the Apex does more. There is a newer company out there they is a high quality product but not as good for being able to easily figure out your own provramming. Puratek maybe? The owner is super and the product is great but its just not right for me.
For salinity you need a proper ground from the tank all the way to the outside yard and no bubbles in the probe tip and the apex salinity is very good. I rely on it heavily. I weigh my salt for water changes after my initial check I don't test that anymore. I can tell by looking at the apex if something was a little off.
I have crazy random water flow but I do not run my light dimming off the apex. The lights have a good controller for that.
As always my personal opinion only.
 
Yeah there was a couple others I was looking at like the Puratek and the reef angel, I know the reef angel is an open source controller, so Im not sure if you have to write your own code or not.
 
I would buy neptune just because my AC3 has lasted 10 years. The only issue being one fried outlet from a 250 watt magnetic ballast firing (requires HD outlets).
 
I have always ran apex's and love them!!!! So much you can do with them its almost a challenge to find something you cant do. If you cant I am sure they are coming out with something so you can!
 
If the Apex and RK were the same price it would literally be a no brainer, and I know it's an expensive hobby but I'm trying to decided whether the $300 price gap is worth it to go with an apex. The one thing I really do like about the Apex vs the RK is that the EB4 has 8 plugs and only uses 1 power cord vs using two PC4's and needing 2 power outlets. I'm sure someone at some point will be selling a used Apex for a fair price.
 
I'm kind of in the same boat as you. So many features and different controller products. 🙀 But I already know I'll want "more" and don't want to purchase one brand or controller due to features I may or may not need. I'd rather over do it a little and have that option instead of redundantly selling and buying a different one. So personally I'm leaning towards the neptune systems. Now the power strip is only going to be rated for so much amp draw. You may want to look into that. I've seen nasty overheated electrical connections due to overloading. You very well might need two of those power bars from neptune. Good luck choosing. I'll be following along myself.😊
 
Thats a good point, I'll need to look around and see what the eb8's are rated for as far as amps go, unless any of the many apex owners on here knows off the top of their head.

Edit: I found, so no more than 5A were plug and no more than 15A for the whole eb8.
 
I use RK lite without issues. I've had it for a year and I would not pay the extra money for the APEX, but that is just me. You are correct, if they were the same price, I would get the APEX because of the extra features and the customer base, but I'm super happy with my RK.
 
Puratek looked cool, their company monitored computer data centers, which was a plus. Information was too sparse for me to trust and I could not find other users with one or a forum.

GHL, well price was a little steep for me.

Reef Angel, very flexible, but you have to get into coding a bit, a lot of cut and paste options from their forums for general stuff. I did not like that it is run pretty much by one guy, if he wins the lottery/hit by the bus, who knows were support ends up at. Cost adds up once you get the higher memory controller which is a must if you plan on doing much with it.

Had a Reef keeper, by the time I priced out purchasing a net module and another power bar, I was creeping into apex prices. Their support was meh and they were not releasing many updates to address issues.


Ended up with an Apex and love it, few little quirks, but much better my old RK. Huge customer base, good support, good compatibility with other products. I seem to see a lot more Apex's then others which helped steer me in that direction. The internet function is nice, even if only used in the house to switch stuff on and off from a phone. I use that more than anything else, I can't remember the last time I actually used the buttons on the main display.
 
See the only issue with old threads is outdated questions or concerns, like the guy asking if you have high speed internet or a smart phone, just saying things change in an almost 4 year span. I'm sure Apex is still dominating because of the functionality and customer support. I might send DA an email and see if they respond.
 
DA is still having a lot of problems. And their customer service still sucks. Just check out their latest thread on the Archon. I would get the apex Jr if you don't need much control. Then sell the display for $80 shipped and you're at $170 total. Or a used one.
 
Love these threads :). Next gonna talk about Trump and Obamma! I have had them both (neptune and DA) and both are just fine.

 
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