Aquarium Controllers! Do they Just Add More Stress?

[ShaggyRS6]

Not meant to be any kind or troll or flame thread, but I was talking to this guy on Instagram this morning about parameters and I was thinking back to when I did not have a complete APEX system. Ignorance was bliss back then, I'd test a couple of times a week (not all parameters) and was a happy chappy.

Now I have an APEX and because the thing is so dang good I can work out if I am better off or gonna have a heart attack every time the chart goes in the wrong direction

I would not change it for the world, its such a great bit of kit. But it does have you micro managing your tank! At least that's what I find!

 

[Brew12]

Not meant to be any kind or troll or flame thread, but I was talking to this guy on Instagram this morning about parameters and I was thinking back to when I did not have a complete APEX system. Ignorance was bliss back then, I'd test a couple of times a week (not all parameters) and was a happy chappy.

Now I have an APEX and because the thing is so dang good I can work out if I am better off or gonna have a heart attack every time the chart goes in the wrong direction

I would not change it for the world, its such a great bit of kit. But it does have you micro managing your tank! At least that's what I find!

I think it is all in how you use it. I have a Profilux, not an Apex, but I find I use it as an excuse not to spend time working on or thinking about the tank. If temperature, pH and Alk (auto testing) all look good then the tank doesn't need my help other than feeding.

 

[LadyMac]

I personally would love a controller just for the accuracy. I’ve had to rely on the liquid tests and sometimes they will read very off via user error, bad batch or age of the regeant. I haven’t really researched them (I’m scared of the price points) but have seen that they are super useful tools for members here.

 

[Mical]

LOL, I can relate... I was the same way when I added my Apex. Almost felt like not knowing until I tested was less stressful. But I got use to it and learned not to panic when something changed. It has saved my butt a few times IE: when heater(s) start to fail (bigger temp swings) or when skimmer overflows (ATK alarm goes off) Now-a-days I wouldn't have a tank without some kind of monitoring. It's an investment - yes, but well worth the cost & the learning curve.

 

[Aswswild]

I would like to also have some kind of idea I am color blind an have never tested the 25 year + I have been doing salt I think I might take it to my lfs once in awhile. But the controls all seem to complex an overwhelming to me why can’t it be probe them results not all the in between

 

[LadyMac]

I would like to also have some kind of idea I am color blind an have never tested the 25 year + I have been doing salt I think I might take it to my lfs once in awhile. But the controls all seem to complex an overwhelming to me why can’t it be probe them results not all the in between

Yes this is also where I am with this. It seems very complex. I could set it up easily enough I’m sure. But the readings would probably break my brain.

 

[Samina]

Agreed. I had tanks without a controller and I remember just testing weekly and doing weekly water changes and the tank did so well but also, I had pretty hardy stuff back then too. I have had an Apex on my setups for the past few years since the 2016 model came out and I think controllers are an added insurance piece. I like seeing all the data and now am admittedly a gadget junkie now! Looking back, those tanks without the controller seem so simple but I also remember worrying about temp, heaters, ph and salinity much more back then.

 

[Mical]

I would like to also have some kind of idea I am color blind an have never tested the 25 year + I have been doing salt I think I might take it to my lfs once in awhile. But the controls all seem to complex an overwhelming to me why can’t it be probe them results not all the in between

Yes there is a learning curve, but it's not that difficult. It's similar to learning to drive a car. Once you get the hang of it, then start slowly expanding your options. I started with a basic Apex Classic and just monitored Ph & temps, set the limits on my heaters high & low points, and powered everything off the "energy bars" (Apex powerstrips) Later I added ATK (auto top off) programmed powerheads & lights. Currently my one Apex controls 2 tanks worth of stuff - lights, pumps, etc and I haven't even scratched the surface of what some other members here on R2R are doing.

Overall controllers are a tool not a crutch. You can take them as far as you feel comfortable.

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

I hate the human factor in testing, did I miscount the drops, are the drops too small because I'm going too fast, etc.

 

[mike550]

I’m a newbie to this (six months so far) and I‘m fascinated by automation solutions like Apex, GHL, etc. But I’m far away from seeking an Apex (or other controller) solution as I’m still learning my tank. As all of you point out, you start to develop a “feel” for the tank. I think automation takes that away. I have two simple thoughts.

First, it would be great to get alerts if parameters fell out of range (especially temp) and if certain critical items failed (pumps). So I‘m keeping an eye on the Hydros. I’m also waiting for Mobius as I have a number of eco tech products.

Second, I read a lot about controllers failing. And let’s be honest, they are their own single point of failure. If a “brain” goes down or if there‘s a programming error the outcomes can be very bad. I tend to think that I’d rather keep the systems independent and if something goes wrong it’s easier to troubleshoot and fix.

 

[Terri Caton]

IMO 100% yes. I fight with my Apex all the time. I've started taking things off line because it's easier.

 

[Bob Escher]

I’ve had my Apex for over six years, Ive had but very minor issues with it. It has been reliable, solid. I can’t complain at all. It does what it’s suppose to do. Now granted, I stare at my tank all day long since it sits ten feet away from me in my living room, I’m retired so I get to “play” with it a lot more than others do so I can “feel” it more than others do as well.
i have all components of it except the trident and the Wav’s

 

[ShaggyRS6]

I’ve had my Apex for over six years, Ive had but very minor issues with it. It has been reliable, solid. I can’t complain at all. It does what it’s suppose to do. Now granted, I stare at my tank all day long since it sits ten feet away from me in my living room, I’m retired so I get to “play” with it a lot more than others do so I can “feel” it more than others do as well.
i have all components of it except the trident and the Wav’s

I realized I have everything apart from one module that I can’t remember the name of because I have so many modules. Hahaha

 

[robbyg]

Controllers that you can trust can reduce a lot of stress and work provided you spend the time writing and testing the commands you are relying on: I have my tank at a point where I hardly check for issues. I instead wait for alerts to go off.

 

[happysalt]

I see where you are going with this. Kind of like how cell phones have totally changed how in tune we are with everyone elses lives. Before it was just getting a snapshot when we caught up on the phone but now you can follow what someone eats on a daily basis.

It definitely has become more time consuming but by the same token, has probably saved plenty of people tons of money and their pets. If you use it properly and just let it alert you when something is out of line, you can't ask for a whole lot more than that piece of mind that you have a backup!

 

[fishguy242]

hi on the original 1st thread,yes,you can run it with your eyes,and a ph monitor ,let your corals tell you,just old school

 

[lilgrounchuck]

I think having a remote monitoring mechanism is great idea, especially since I’m away for work a lot and my wife won’t spend time at the tank other than to feed it and dump in two part in the morning when I’m gone. Being able to monitor a few things from afar would be nice. I had been looking at all the different options since I started a reef last year but didn’t want to shell out $$$$ for apex. Then I stumbled across reef-pi.

I used to keep an indoor setup on bakers racks to jump start everything for our garden before planting season and keep my wife’s potted flowers alive through the winter so we didn’t have to keep buying new ones every year. I read about a guy in Canada that automated an entire greenhouse with an arduino and figured I’d give it a shot for my little setup, but with a pi. Then we moved and haven’t started up a garden for the last several years, but I still have the pi so dusted it off and after several months of thinking it over, started ordering components to build one. I figure it’ll let me monitor certain things more easily, plus I’m a tinkerer so it’ll give me something to mess around with FOR the tank instead of IN the tank to scratch that tinkering itch.

As far as the reliability aspect: right now I have everything plugged into regular power strips. If an outlet were to go or the fuse blows in the strip, etc, etc, I’d have no way of knowing until I got in front of the tank. Even if a controller introduces another thing to fail, it can also alert when other things fail, which is lacking right now and that gap could prevent corrective action being taken in a timely manner. Plus, setting up a keepalive mechanism for the controller itself will let me know if there are issues there.

Overall, they’re not a necessity for success, but if you can set one up I don’t see why you wouldn’t.

 

[ADAM]

If I have a tank I will have a controller! For a long time I only used the Apex for temp, pH, and leak detection (ATO will likely always be Tunze!) The peace of mind in knowing that if these parameters are suddenly out of whack I will be notified is worth the price IMO. I’ve experienced a sump overflow and flooded most of the living room and hallway then I bought an APEX! I can tell you the learning curve is far less painful than getting the bill for new flooring! Not to mention an APEX/ GHL starter model is way cheaper than replacing the flooring and ducts that were filled with saltwater!!!!