What is your controller doing for you???

[DaveMorris]

Just curious....For those of you that are using a controller, regardless of which one, what do you have it set up to do?

I am running an RKE and here is whats connected to it:

Skimmer
Return pump
LED lighting (via ALC)
Moonlights
Metal Halides
Under tank lighting
Heater
Monitor ph, ORP, temp
Acts as my ATO

So whats your controller doing for you?

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

My Controller is upstairs making lunch. LOL

 

[trido]

My controller has 48 outlets, 12 switches, moonlights two temp probes and two Ph probes and eight variable dimming/speed channels.

Two switches turn off lights for blue veiwing. (frag tanks and display)
One switch turns off my pumps for photography
Another turns the pumps down for my wife on a weekend morning.
One turns off the ATO and heaters for a WC
Another turns off the skimmer and Ozone for collection cup cleaning
I have timers set on all of these switches to send me an email or sound an alarm if I forget to turn them back on.
I have float switches for ATO
a float switch in the skimmer cup in case it goes crazy it will turn off. This also sends an email
I have a float switch in the SW make up barrel so the pumps and heater will turn on/off automatically during a WC or when its full so I can make more SW
there are two more float switches in the RO/DI barrel that email me when I need to make more water or turn off the valve when the barrel is full.


My controller makes my waves, and storms with my powerheads and lightning storms with the lights as well as the moon lights.

Then, there are 48 outlets...................some of which are directly related to the switches, but you get the point.

My controller does a lot.

 

[cidbozek]

Dave aren't you running an archon?

 

[tehachappi32]

Temp control, ph and temp watch remotely. Maybe a web cam to be installed to see when things are out of wack and I'm not home

 

[redfishbluefish]

Two ReefKeeper II's for me. Running all the lights (DT and Refugium), heaters, return pump, powerheads, biopellet reactor, skimmer, cooling fan and GFO/Carbon reactors. The only thing that is not connected is the ATO.

 

[dvskin]

I run a Neptune Apex connected to Fusion

Monitors
PH
Temp
Return Pumps
Skimmer
Halides

Run my small pumps in my top off tanks for 5 minutes at the beginning of each hour.

Have a 4 driver (dimmable) LED system I plan on adding to the lights, controlled by the variable speed ports on the Apex head unit.

 

[beachsidereefer]

RKE and I must say I love it and will never own another tank without a controller!

Chiller
heater
re-circ pump
power head
UV
skimmer
2 part doser
DT lights
Sump light
PH and Temp probe
moon lights
fan

 

[Dextereef]

My Controller is upstairs making lunch. LOL

This is gave me a good chuckle...


I just bought an Apex and will pick it up today. It will automate just about everything but the ATO on the tank.

 

[gettaReef]

Is there a specific reason some of you don't use your controller for your ATO?

 

[Paul B]

Oh sorry, I thought you meant my wife

 

[beachsidereefer]

Is there a specific reason some of you don't use your controller for your ATO?

nope. I had a Tunze ATO left over from a previous tank and it worked so well I figure there's no need to have the controller do it. But what I did do was plug it into one of my controller plugs so when I turn off the recirc. pump to feed the fish the Tunze shuts off as well. This keeps the overfill alarm from sounding when the water level rises in the sump.

 

[gettaReef]

nope. I had a Tunze ATO left over from a previous tank and it worked so well I figure there's no need to have the controller do it. But what I did do was plug it into one of my controller plugs so when I turn off the recirc. pump to feed the fish the Tunze shuts off as well. This keeps the overfill alarm from sounding when the water level rises in the sump.

Ahh ya, good idea. I'm gathering info on what to program my apex to control that I'm hooking up (my first controller). Now on figuring out how to program it to do what I want is a whole different story. Thanks for the advice/idea

 

[beachsidereefer]

Ahh ya, good idea. I'm gathering info on what to program my apex to control that I'm hooking up (my first controller). Now on figuring out how to program it to do what I want is a whole different story. Thanks for the advice/idea

be careful, once you go with a controller you will never want to own a tank without a omeagain! It's pretty addictive with how much stuff you can do and how much easier it makes to care for the tank! One thing I really like about my RKE is I can hook it up to my laptop via USB and it makes it super easy to program and monitor plus it ups the cool factor when your buddies see what you can do via your laptop.

 

[rainydave]

I'm running an RKL.

Attached to it are:
Return Pump
Skimmer
4 Powerheads
Heater
Sump Light
Ph & Temp Monitoring
ATO (via dual float switches)

 

[gcrawford]

Apex units on two independent systems are controlling/monitoring: main return pumps, skimmer pumps, Jebao wave pumps, main LED lighting, Refugium lighting, system ph, calcium reactor ph, calcium reactor feed pumps, calcium reactor circulation pumps, co2 solenoids, Kalkwasser reactor stirring pumps, heaters, chillers, secondary ph monitors, GFO reactor pumps and auto on under cabinet lighting when the doors are opened. Next to add is a leak detection system. I will never go back to blind faith and individual timers.

 

[DaveMorris]

Dave aren't you running an archon?

I'm a little late in replying to this, but I have an RKE on my 130g tank at the moment. I have been testing the Archon side by side with my RKE and just haven't had time to switch my tank over to replace the RKE head unit. I went through a minor back surgery a couple weeks ago and haven't had the time or ability to be on my knees or crouched over to change up the hardware on my system. I'll probably do that next week.