Why did you buy a controller, and which one?

[Orm Embar]

Tank still on order (Red Sea Reefer 170); have almost everything bought hardware-wise, and the only significant hardware purchase that I haven't made yet is a heater controller/aquarium controller.

I'm debating between a simple heater controller (Ranco or InkBird) and spending more money for a formal aquarium controller with a temperature probe and later expandability.

What do you get out of a controller, aside from text updates if parameters are off and temperature probes (that can control a fan/chiller as well as a heater)? Looking at different models it seems like you're buying a mini-computer that can do a lot of stuff, but the practical application isn't clear to me beyond temperature regulation and timers (I'm not sure what you actually use a salinity or ORP probe for).

For types of controllers, Apex seems to get a lot of recommendations. Also looking at Reef Angel and ReefKeeper.

 

[FirstContact]

You need to research the manufacturers/retailers websites and determine what you want from a controller and who gives you the best options and price. Aside from Neptune Systems, Reef Angel, and Digital Aquatics, there's also GHL Profilux and Vertex Cerebra. I ran an Apex classic for the better part of a decade and am running a Vertex Cerebra now.

Salinity/conductivity probe is going to give you a measurement akin to what you would use a refractometer for. An ORP probe is mainly used with an ozone generator. It can be useful by itself but really isn't needed unless you plan on running ozone. By the time you spend your money for just timers, you are already in the range of many controllers. People use controllers for Everything! Research and read. Used with kalkwasser, calcium reactors, powerheads, auto top offs, heaters, just about anything you can think of.

 

[FullBoreReefer]

Why did I buy a controller? I work 10hrs day so I'm not always around, so that's number one for me. Also, no more manual dosing, and i added auto feedings when I'm not home.

So more or less, it's a piece of mind, and time saver.

Which did I purchase? I found a used Apex classic from another member. Ive been using Apex for a few years now.

 

[jacksonpt]

Im just OCD enough that I could never get outlet timers to work well enough for me, not with lighting nor with my dosing. I went back and forth about a controller 100 times before I pulled the trigger on an Apex Jr (I used credit card points so it was "free" to me).

For the first year or so I used it as a really expensive timer. It was so much simpler to time lights and dosing pumps, but probably not worth the price tag for only that functionality (at least not to me).

Last week I finally got it setup to do automated water changes... and that alone is worth the cost. Add in the ability to monitor/control heaters and I think it's a good investment big picture. But that's me.


As for which one to get... it depends on what you want it to do. Mine is the cheap version and doesn't have the ability to work directly with float switches. This is a huge limitation, and while I've been able to work around it in most applications, it's still a pain in the ***. As with most things in this hobby, when I made the decision to buy a controller, I should have bought the right one rather than trying to skimp out and save some money. That never ends well when it's related to a fish tank.


FWIW, everything I've heard/read says that a ranco is FAR more reliable for heater control than is an apex or similar general purpose controller. But obviously, it's not as versatile. So it really comes down to how you prioritize.

 

[ElCamino]

I bought both of mine for simplicity to time the lights, temp control, and monitor PH. I do have liter meters so i use those for top off, kalk and dosing chemicals, very easy to use.