Controller?

saltybastard · 02/21/2010, 02:53 AM

Now that I know what a calcium reactor is, I am wondering what a controller does. I just thought it was something to control your powerheads but apparently that is something completely different.

I was looking at geting an osmolator when someone suggested I get a controller instead. I pretended I knew what he was talking about but had no idea. Apparently it can measure the pH in your tank and also control the water level. Is this true? If so, is there anything out there that you guys would recommend that is at a decent price?

lordofthereef · 02/21/2010, 04:03 AM

A controller is essentially a computer for your reef tank. Modern controllers do everything from monitor pH, ORP, Salinity, Temperature, turn pumps on/off, regulate reactors, turns lighting on and off, regulates chillers/fans, and probably some things I have missed. Essentially it dynamically controls all of your hardware.

One example is heat control. Let's say you run halides on your system, have fans in the sump as well as a chiller. A controller allows you to set the fans to kick on at say 82 degrees. Once the fans have kicked on and the temp is still rising (let's say 85 degrees) your chiller is kicked on by the controller. If the chiller is still not dropping the temperature enough, as a last resort the controller turns off the high heat metal halides.

You have to program it (generally pretty easy to do) to do things based on your preferences. Some of the top models are also able to send you an email or an alert on your mobile phone if a certain parameter is out of whack. You can also view charts and graphs on your computer or a mobile phone using these controllers.

The top controllers IMO are the Neptune Apex and the Digital Aquatics Reefkeeper Elite. I have the RKE and personally love it. It is also upgradable for added probes, power outlets etc. and is fairly inexpensive to get started (the light version retails at $100 to get you started with temperature and four controllable power outlets). From there you can upgrade to your reef's needs as you see fit.

saltybastard · 02/21/2010, 02:50 PM

Will it also do water top offs?

Playa-1 · 02/21/2010, 03:12 PM

If you add additional equipment such as a pump or solenoids then it could potentially manage your water top-off. I have mine set up to do my water top-off with the addition of a dosing pump. I have it programmed to dose Kalk on the hour through the night which replaces most of my daily evaporation and then it is also set up to top off if the float switch triggers low water level. This is all done while the pH is being monitored by the Controller. The controller will override the dosing pump if the pH get's too high and then the pump will resume when the pH is below a specific range. It's rare for the pump to be overridden but it's a nice safety feature when working with Kalk.

02/21/2010, 02:53 AM	#1
saltybastard Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 179	Controller? Now that I know what a calcium reactor is, I am wondering what a controller does. I just thought it was something to control your powerheads but apparently that is something completely different. I was looking at geting an osmolator when someone suggested I get a controller instead. I pretended I knew what he was talking about but had no idea. Apparently it can measure the pH in your tank and also control the water level. Is this true? If so, is there anything out there that you guys would recommend that is at a decent price?

02/21/2010, 04:03 AM	#2
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	A controller is essentially a computer for your reef tank. Modern controllers do everything from monitor pH, ORP, Salinity, Temperature, turn pumps on/off, regulate reactors, turns lighting on and off, regulates chillers/fans, and probably some things I have missed. Essentially it dynamically controls all of your hardware. One example is heat control. Let's say you run halides on your system, have fans in the sump as well as a chiller. A controller allows you to set the fans to kick on at say 82 degrees. Once the fans have kicked on and the temp is still rising (let's say 85 degrees) your chiller is kicked on by the controller. If the chiller is still not dropping the temperature enough, as a last resort the controller turns off the high heat metal halides. You have to program it (generally pretty easy to do) to do things based on your preferences. Some of the top models are also able to send you an email or an alert on your mobile phone if a certain parameter is out of whack. You can also view charts and graphs on your computer or a mobile phone using these controllers. The top controllers IMO are the Neptune Apex and the Digital Aquatics Reefkeeper Elite. I have the RKE and personally love it. It is also upgradable for added probes, power outlets etc. and is fairly inexpensive to get started (the light version retails at $100 to get you started with temperature and four controllable power outlets). From there you can upgrade to your reef's needs as you see fit. __________________ "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself" ~ Josh Billings Visit My Home page for current build thread (click my user name and select "Visit LordoftheReef's Homepage" in the drop down menu!

02/21/2010, 02:50 PM	#3
saltybastard Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 179	Will it also do water top offs?

02/21/2010, 03:12 PM	#4
Playa-1 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 7,497	If you add additional equipment such as a pump or solenoids then it could potentially manage your water top-off. I have mine set up to do my water top-off with the addition of a dosing pump. I have it programmed to dose Kalk on the hour through the night which replaces most of my daily evaporation and then it is also set up to top off if the float switch triggers low water level. This is all done while the pH is being monitored by the Controller. The controller will override the dosing pump if the pH get's too high and then the pump will resume when the pH is below a specific range. It's rare for the pump to be overridden but it's a nice safety feature when working with Kalk.