Mobile Bay Reef Keepers

Hey guys!

I'm planning my next tank. I have until spring next year. I definately want to put a controller on this tank. I've been reading up on them and I am leaning towards the AquaController. I want to control temperature (heater & 2 fans) and the pH. I'm very interested in the moon light too.

What do you guys use for a controller and what all do you control on your tanks?

I dont have one yet, but this one is looking very interesting.

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant ... gory_Code=

This is the one that I have been wanting to get it is the Aqua Controller Jr. or I also have been looking at the Aqua Controller II. I like both of them. That is going to be my next big purchase


http://www.neptunesys.com/

Had it, personally a total waste of money. I had the AQ II, bought it new.

Why are they a waste

andy4499 wrote:Why are they a waste

Ya, why?

andy4499 wrote:This is the one that I have been wanting to get it is the Aqua Controller Jr. or I also have been looking at the Aqua Controller II. I like both of them. That is going to be my next big purchase http://www.neptunesys.com/

That is the same one I was looking at. If you buy it bundled with the 8-strip power outlet and a pH probe (it already comes with the temperature probe) it is $320.

The one that Premium Aquatics offers is really nice too, but it only controls 4 outlets. It does have the built in webserver which is a pretty cool toy. I definately want the moonlight controller though which P.A. does not offer.

Ok my opinion is the design is cheap and cumbersome to operate. Reminds me of trying to set a $5 Wal-Mart digital watch.

My question to you is what would be your reason for purchase ?

I am going to have to semi agree with Snoop. I will leave out a discussion on lighting and skimming for another time. I do agree on the controller. It is a toy. Lot of other things you can spend money on, including what a lot of people tend to talk about last but should be the main point of discussion, livestock. Saltwater aquariums are actually very stable environements once they have matured for a few months. You should not be messing with them that much. All the controller does is tell you that you are messing with them too much or that, yep, saltwater aquariums are very stable.

Buy a $20 temp monitor. Thats all you need unless you are all about the hard corals. If you are all about the hard corals buy a pH monitor. It will tell you a lot.

Never buy 2-part additives form the store. You can buy two years worth of the calcium addition at the pool store in a bag of calcium chloride for $15. You can buy 4 months worth of alkalinity additives at the grocery store in a box of baking soda for $3.00. Mix two cups of calcium chloride in one gallon of water in an old gatorade jug for part A and two cups of baking soda in one gallon of water for part B. You now have exactly what they rip you off for a ton of money.

As a side note. Why does anyone around here need a heater? I have never needed one.

Phil

On my old 55 I needed a heater. At the time some roommates liked to keep the house temp at 70. With my tank pushing 82 with the my MH and it would dip down to 75 at night. I figured it was better to keep it at a constant 81-82 then swing 7 degrees. Now I have two heaters and I'm not sure either of them work. The temp stays right around 79-80.

Redfish wrote: As a side note. Why does anyone around here need a heater? I have never needed one.
Phil

Well you do not always need one. I had a tank close to an exterior wall by a window. The temp swing was pretty drastic. So drastic my heater was unplugged at the time and a few fish got ich for several days. A heater is a cheap safeguard when you may not be home and the temp drops, etc.

Redfish wrote: I will leave out a discussion on lighting and skimming for another time.

Sorry about that I was rambling, deleted that post.

snoopdog wrote:My question to you is what would be your reason for purchase?

I have several reasons:

1) My tank currently cycles on temperature between hot and cold. I have found heaters very unreliable to control temperature. They also only control the temperature in one direction… up! My house never stays the same temperature throughout the year, so when it is hot… the tank is hot. When it is cold… the tank is cold. Using timers to control fans can lead to a very cold tank! A true temperature controller can turn on a heater when it’s cold and turn on the first fan when it is warm and a second fan when its warmer.

2) My next tank will NOT use 2 part additives! RedFish, I’ve been using the ‘homemade’ version for over a year now. I add 2 cups of each mix a day!!! I want a calcium reactor, but the control of the pH is tricky and dangerous! A controller will shutoff the CO2 if it swings to low.

3) I have been running a homemade LED moonlight for about 2 years too. After almost 4 years of reef keeping I want to take it to the next level. In addition to a true moon cycle including intensity (which is the internal clock of nearly all animal species). I also want to run my closed loops to simulate the changing of the tides.

4) I’m really tired of timers! I must have 8 of them and I hate them! I want my lights to be controlled on a single clock!

5) I want an automatic high-level and high temperature shutoff. I’ve cooked my tank, overflowed my tank, and diluted my tank too many times!

6) I also want to monitor my parameters of my tank. I believe true understanding can only come from the availability and full understanding of data.

I think a controller will be as useful as you make it. I will run a moonlight, cycled closed loop, daylight simulation on my lights (actinic, VHO, then MH), calcium reactor, heater, fans, and a timed refugium light regarless if I have a controller or not. A controller will only make it easier.

KrazyPlace wrote: 4) I’m really tired of timers! I must have 8 of them and I hate them! I want my lights to be controlled on a single clock!

Yeah but have you really used X-10 modules for an extended period of time ? Talk about unreliable ! They normally do not work from outlet to outlet because the X-10 signal does not reach both sides of your breaker box, only the side the AQ is attached to. There is a dryer module that is around $75 that may or may not boost the signal. They are also easily interfered with. We had some just radomnly cut on and off, others get stuck in one position.

Ask anyone that has used one of these setups in the past, it is a huge time sink. IMO if your coral look fine then quit chasing numbers. Amy will tell you I have not checked PH or Calcium levels in over 2 years in none of the tanks. My corals look great, grow well - too well. When I saw low numbers I would freak out and buy all of this stuff. However this is your tank and your wallet. I can give advice as a prior owner that they are flaky most of the time.

If they were more reliable then they may be a different story but they are not. Just my 2 cents. You may also want to add up the cost before you buy.

AquaController II Base Unit $319.00 from petwarehouse
Control Interface $39.00
Temp Probe $45.00
Appliance Modules $17 x 10 = $170.00 But with that much stuff ? up to 15 ?
30 Amp bridge $99 from smarthome.com

$672 total

Now if you want to monitor ORP or more stuff just take that price higher. I am not trying to persuade your decision, it is your tank. I am simply trying to make you aware of hidden cost.

snoopdog wrote:...Yeah but have you really used X-10 modules for an extended period of time?.. You may also want to add up the cost before you buy...

No, I've never used X-10, but I have heard many complaints regarding them. The Aquacontroller doesn't have to use X-10. They offer power strips that are 'hard wired' with solid state controlled outlets. I agree... X-10 is not all it appears to be!

The cost for the Aquacontroller Jr is as follows:

Base unit w/ temp probe: $157.95
Backlight option: $28.50
pH probe: $40.95
8-outlet control strip (bundle price): $92.00

Total: $319.40

An additional 4 sockets can be purchased later if needed. Granted the GUI interface for Windows is extra, but that's not really needed. The Aquacontroller Jr is the same as the Aquacontroller II, except it doesn't have the ORP control. I think ORP is not understood or reliable enough (yet) to be truely useful!

Kevin, I have always appreciated and welcomed your advice! The cost of aquarium controllers has come down considerably and many of the problems have been taken care of by technology advances.

OK, I give. That was a pretty well thought out answer.

Guess I have been lucky on the heater thing. Never had large swings. Does gradually cool from 79-80 in the summer to 76-78 in the winter but no ill effects.

Phil