Hard to decide y’all help me
- Thread starter crice6790
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n2585722
2500 Club Member
Have you checked out the Hydros?
OP
OP
crice6790
New Member
Yeah, I like that they are less expensive but I don’t like they way they look. But it’s still a possibility
SuncrestReef
That Apex guy
Neptune Apex, GHL Profilux, and CoralVue Hydros are the market leaders. All three are great options, and you'll get strong opinions for and against each of them depending on who you ask.
Personally, I love my Apex, and have written a whole series of Apex tutorials here on R2R:
www.reef2reef.com
Personally, I love my Apex, and have written a whole series of Apex tutorials here on R2R:
Articles by SuncrestReef
www.reef2reef.com
n2585722
2500 Club Member
They do have a IP65 rating. That means they will withstand a splash. As far as expense it depends on how many devices you end up getting. I have 8 control units in a collective. When they are in a collective it acts like one large controller. A input on one unit can be used to control an output on another unit. I have mine controlling the usual things at the tank. That also includes control of my RODI unit. It also controls the refill of my DI storage tank, fresh salt water storage tank and my mix tank. All I have to do is add salt mix to the mixing tank when it is refilled with DI. Once it is ready to use I press a button to set a input on the Hydros. When the fresh saltwater tank goes low it transfers the water in the mixing tank to the fresh saltwater tank if it is ready. Once it is transferred it automatically refills the mixing tank. It automatically refills the DI tank when it goes low. I have it doing quite a bit of things. The first photo is the control board in the garage where my storage tanks and ATO, AWC and dosing pumps are. The second photo is behind the front door of the stand. The Archon still controls my lighting at this time. I will have to get some 0-10v to PWM converters to use the Hydros for that. The Archon has PWM outputs. The next three are screen shots of the Hydros status page for the storage tanks. The page has too much to fit it all in one screenshot. You setup each page with the control units you want visible and in what order. You do the same for the inputs, output and wifi devices. That way you can taylor each page for a particular purpose. This one has the input and outputs that have to do with the storage tanks or that particular area. The storage tanks are kept under the workbench.
Master/Alkatronic will eventually work with the hydros (in the works).
Gtinnel
10K Club member
I fairly recently got my first controller after trying to decide which one to get for a very long time, and I ended up deciding on neptune Apex. It is impressive the functionality of this thing, although I don't use it to nearly its full potential. Having a dos and trident hooked to it is by far my favorite part of it.
I settled on neptune systems, because I didn't feel like there is enough community support for ghl, although I hear nothing but good things about their hardware qual8ty and reliability. I didn't go with hydros because it is too new for my liking, and I know coralvue is an industry giant, but there have been other large companies that have put all of their eggs in the aquarium controller basket and failed (but to be fair I doubt Vertex was as big as CoralVue).
I settled on neptune systems, because I didn't feel like there is enough community support for ghl, although I hear nothing but good things about their hardware qual8ty and reliability. I didn't go with hydros because it is too new for my liking, and I know coralvue is an industry giant, but there have been other large companies that have put all of their eggs in the aquarium controller basket and failed (but to be fair I doubt Vertex was as big as CoralVue).
n2585722
2500 Club Member
It will work with the Alkatronic currently. I have seen one with the Mastertronic information displayed on it. It was shown on a Reef Dudes episode I believe.
n2585722
2500 Club Member
The Hydros was released for sale at the end of November, but I saw it in action at MACNA in Florida about 2 years ago. I have had my Control 4 since November. I have been impressed enough with it that I have added several more control units along with several of their sensors and output devices. I originally was using a Digital Aquatics Archon. I have switched everything over to the Hydros with the exception of the lighting control. I am still monitoring three of the outputs on the Hydros with inputs on the Archon. Those are probably no longer needed since I have been happy with how those outputs have been working. Those outputs are ATO, AWC and a test AWC output. I have transferred the AWC output to the test output since so the old ATO output no longer controls anything. Below are the graphs from the Archon for those three outputs on the Hydros. The first is the ATO graph followed by the old AWC output and the new AWC output.
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n2585722
2500 Club Member
The support for the Mastertronics has not been released yet on the public app or firmware. Since they did show it working hopefully it will be soon.
I have an Apex. I love it. However, it was the majority of the cost of my 160 gallon set up. Everything is pretty much automated on my tank at this point. Water changes, dosing, fuge, power heads, ATO etc. Alerts get pushed to my phone. Only thing I really have to do on the tank is scrape the glass and empty the skimmer cup once a week.
It was also extremely easy to set up. Mostly plug and play. Only real downside to me was the premium price point on EVERYTHING, even the cables.
It was also extremely easy to set up. Mostly plug and play. Only real downside to me was the premium price point on EVERYTHING, even the cables.
Gtinnel
10K Club member
Sorry but I have no idea why you quoted my post for the graphs. I am in no way saying that hydros is not a capable controller. I'm sure it probably is, I'm just not comfortable buying into a system that has only been around for less than a year.The Hydros was released for sale at the end of November, but I saw it in action at MACNA in Florida about 2 years ago. I have had my Control 4 since November. I have been impressed enough with it that I have added several more control units along with several of their sensors and output devices. I originally was using a Digital Aquatics Archon. I have switched everything over to the Hydros with the exception of the lighting control. I am still monitoring three of the outputs on the Hydros with inputs on the Archon. Those are probably no longer needed since I have been happy with how those outputs have been working. Those outputs are ATO, AWC and a test AWC output. I have transferred the AWC output to the test output since so the old ATO output no longer controls anything. Below are the graphs from the Archon for those three outputs on the Hydros. The first is the ATO graph followed by the old AWC output and the new AWC output.
When I started looking at controllers hydros wasn't even released.
n2585722
2500 Club Member
I was just trying to state originally that the Hydros has been around for a couple of years. The release was delayed several months because of everything that happened last year. They have had to delay releases of the newer control units this year due to shortages and delays in getting enough parts. They do listen to peoples suggestions. Several of those have been implemented already. I have no idea about Apex since I have never had one, but I have been able to do everything with the Hydros that my Archon was doing. The only thing I have not switched over is lighting. The Hydros could control it if I get some 0-10v to PWM converters. This is probably not an issue for anyone else since most lighting is controlled by 0-10v. Sorry about the graphs. I got a little carried away on the post. I can understand why you would want to wait but things can happen even to companies that have been it the controller business for a long time.
Gtinnel
10K Club member
Gotcha thanks. Sorry the point of the original reply went over my head.
Jonathan Adams
Active Member
I don’t even want an apex but read your articles anyway. That’s the type of high quality they have!Neptune Apex, GHL Profilux, and CoralVue Hydros are the market leaders. All three are great options, and you'll get strong opinions for and against each of them depending on who you ask.
Personally, I love my Apex, and have written a whole series of Apex tutorials here on R2R:
Articles by SuncrestReef
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