Controllers with a basement sump?

Dburr1014 · Dec 19, 2017

I don't know a thing about using a controller in a reef but doing some research.
If I have my sump in the basement and tank on the main floor, can everything be plugged in and controlled by 1 unit?
I think I have 5 plugs upstairs and 5 down in the sump.
Help me understand please.

Thanks

aumoenoav · Dec 20, 2017

Dburr1014 said:
I don't know a thing about using a controller in a reef but doing some research.
If I have my sump in the basement and tank on the main floor, can everything be plugged in and controlled by 1 unit?
I think I have 5 plugs upstairs and 5 down in the sump.
Help me understand please.

Thanks

If you have GHL yes its possible, depending on what you are planning to connect on your main tank instead of the sump. I run a sump in the basement and are running a Profilux 4 in the sump room and an extension box at the aquarium display to run my stream 3. If you are not going to run a lot (just like a power bar and maybe a leak sensor) you could pull a cat5 and a cable to a leak sensor to your display from the P4, but with an extension box you just have to run one cat5 cable to have full access to your controller from both locations.

ithk21620 · Dec 20, 2017

Dburr1014 said:
I don't know a thing about using a controller in a reef but doing some research.
If I have my sump in the basement and tank on the main floor, can everything be plugged in and controlled by 1 unit?
I think I have 5 plugs upstairs and 5 down in the sump.
Help me understand please.

Thanks

My fish room is in my basement with my main display upstairs. I have an Apex that is installed in the fish room and controls what I want down there. I then have an 30 foot Apex Aquabus cable that runs upstairs and under my tank where I have the display, WXM for my MP's and so on. With the Apex all the modules are daisy chained together with the Aquabus cables so its easy to do.

HiddenUser · Dec 20, 2017

Apex offers some longer cables if you need to connect an Energy Bar to the main controller module. I believe I saw a 15' and a 30' version on BRS...So yes you could have the main Apex module upstairs or downstairs, then use two Energy Bars, and everything would connect up without any problems if you ran the cabling through the floor via the same path of your plumbing.

Not sure about other controllers.

Dburr1014 · Dec 20, 2017

Ah, got it. That makes sense.
So if I had 2 energy Bars the apex Jr can run everything I need. Right?

reefwiser · Dec 20, 2017

I use a long ethernet cable(PAB cable) to connect the power bars around my house to the Profilux in the garage and then use a Profilux touch panel to control the outlets and get my charts and alarms. Not a big issue all the "modules come built into a Profilux unit. You only need to buy more if you want extra probes or special connections.