Hydros general questions

[IPT]

So I am interested in the Hydros system. I am still running a functional Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper unit (and if you know what that is you have been in the game a while :)).

My temp probe is failing and I am interested in getting something with some Wifi capabilities. Seems to me the Hydros system is very expandable and robust. Since my ReefKeeper is still working I don't need control of outlets at the moment (I understand this would be an easy expansion down the road).

There is some stuff I don't understand about the Hydros landscape.

1 - when they say "controls up to 8 wifi devices", what does that mean exactly? For example I have Reef Factory 4 head dosing pump that is Wifi and also a Kamoer dosing pump. Are they saying I can somehow control these via the Hydros app?

2 - They have 12v power ports. So could I lose the stock power plug and use an adapter to plug that dosing pump into the Hyros (say the Launch or Minnow) and power it? Same with the Kamoer dosing pump? Or is this just to runs tuff like a canopy fan?

3 - The Kraken! Wow, I can potentially lose a host of my power bricks and free up outlets? Similar to the question above really. I can use this with some sort of adapter and plug in my dosing pumps and even lighting losing the bricks

4 - The "sense ports'. What type of connector is that? Do I need a unit that specifically has a PH/ORP ports to use my current PinPoint PH probe or can it go into a "sense port" on any unit?

5 - The Maven....that would be super cool. Any underground word on the street about how that is during beta testing?

 

[Marinus]

 

[Marinus]

I have one Hydros Launch, One XP8 and one Hydros WiFi strip. Some of the sense ports are specific for like your PH and salinity and some are more general for like leak sensors etc.

 

[IPT]

Doesn't seem like too many people are using Hydros here...

 

[ozs]

So the only piece of Hydros gear I can speak on is the Kraken. I absolutely hate cord management so getting rid of 8 power bricks was super attractive to me. My only snag with it is I am running a Sicce Syncra 7.0 for my return and couldnt figure out how to make the cord adapter to plug it in. But I'm running everything else off of it. I also have a single hydros doser running off of a "drive" port. It looks like if I wanted to add more dosers I can daisy chain them off of one port. My experience is just with the Kraken, but I love it. I've thought about adding more ports and I like how you can basically just get what you need. I feel like it's real easy to get bogged down with gear that isn't necessary.

 

[John Neuzil]

Only 8 Hydros wifi components. like the wifi feeder and 4 outlet wifi strips.
Sense ports are only for things like leak detectors, temperature probes and level sensors. Ph and orp require seperate plugs like on the X4 for example.
the 12v ports can power 12v things but will only control off and on. You may need to DIY an adapter plug it in.

 

[n2585722]

I had the Digital Aquatics Archon controller and went with Hydros. I have lots of info on my build thread here on R2R. I think Hydros info starts about page 6. Just click on My Tank Thread banner in one of my post to get to my build thread. In the beginning I was passing signals between the Hydros and Archon. I started in the garage at my RODI and mixing station and now have controllers at both the tank and garage that are in a collective together.

 

[Connor At CoralVue]

So I am interested in the Hydros system. I am still running a functional Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper unit (and if you know what that is you have been in the game a while :)).

My temp probe is failing and I am interested in getting something with some Wifi capabilities. Seems to me the Hydros system is very expandable and robust. Since my ReefKeeper is still working I don't need control of outlets at the moment (I understand this would be an easy expansion down the road).

There is some stuff I don't understand about the Hydros landscape.

1 - when they say "controls up to 8 wifi devices", what does that mean exactly? For example I have Reef Factory 4 head dosing pump that is Wifi and also a Kamoer dosing pump. Are they saying I can somehow control these via the Hydros app?

2 - They have 12v power ports. So could I lose the stock power plug and use an adapter to plug that dosing pump into the Hyros (say the Launch or Minnow) and power it? Same with the Kamoer dosing pump? Or is this just to runs tuff like a canopy fan?

3 - The Kraken! Wow, I can potentially lose a host of my power bricks and free up outlets? Similar to the question above really. I can use this with some sort of adapter and plug in my dosing pumps and even lighting losing the bricks

4 - The "sense ports'. What type of connector is that? Do I need a unit that specifically has a PH/ORP ports to use my current PinPoint PH probe or can it go into a "sense port" on any unit?

5 - The Maven....that would be super cool. Any underground word on the street about how that is during beta testing?

Hey there! Thanks for checking out HYDROS, make sure to reach out to our support team as well, we can schedule a call to ID what Control...or Controlsssss that may work best for you! I'll do my best to quickly answer these:

1: Control WiFi Devices: HYDROS has a few WiFi devices as accessories, namely the WiFi 4-Outlet Strip, Single WiFi Plug, and the WiFi feeder...along with 3rd party integration like Sicce. You can have up to 8 of these devices.

2: 12v DRIVE Ports. Yes, these ports provide 12v Power, we have a good amount of Drive Port Accessories like Drive Port Dosers, Water Solenoids, CO2 Solenoids, Diaprahm pumps, micro ato pumps, more coming too! But we also have Drive Port adaptor cables to power anything 12v within amperage limits.

3: Yeah, the Kraken is a game changer, same thing with the Drive Ports, 4 are found on the Kraken...but now you have 8x FORCE Ports...these are 24v. You can eliminate the power brick of anything 24v, less than 10amps. You can do that 8times over, and get battery backup. Make sure to check out the KRAKEN FAQs, those really help: https://www.coralvuehydros.com/product-support/hydros-control/kraken-faq/

4: Sense Ports, these are the ports you plug most sensors into. Temp Sensors, Skimmer Sensors, Water Level Sensors...notice they are the Green Ports, Sense Port accessories, just like everything else is color coordinated. They are GX12 connectors, not proprietary. However, a pH or ORP probe will not plug into the SENSE Port...you need a PROBE Port for that...and that is BNC, you are free to use any BNC Probe you wish. Same thing w/ Salinity, but you will require a Salinity Port.

5: The Maven is going to be the bees knees.

Hope this helps, seriously, reach out to support and give us the test!

 

[slingfox]

I have an XP8 and it’s been running for 1.5 years without issue. I also have two of the 4-port WiFi strips. Those are ultra unreliable. First of those WiFi strips is offline (needed something high reliable) replaced with a Kasa smart strip and the other is running my least important equipment (eg, cabinet lights, extra probes, second skimmer etc) since it bugs every at least once every week or two.

 

[IPT]

I have an XP8 and it’s been running for 1.5 years without issue. I also have two of the 4-port WiFi strips. Those are ultra unreliable. First of those WiFi strips is offline (needed something high reliable) replaced with a Kasa smart strip and the other is running my least important equipment (eg, cabinet lights, extra probes, second skimmer etc) since it bugs every at least once every week or two.

Interesting. Why is it unreliable? Does it actually lose power or something else?

 

[n2585722]

Interesting. Why is it unreliable? Does it actually lose power or something else?

The wifi devices have to talk between the controller and the device locally and do not go through the cloud service. Some routers see this as a security risk and will block it depending on how they are setup. Also the controller and the wifi device have to be on the same channel to talk. So if you have a MESH type network you can have issues. I most cases you can setup an access point with a different login name and have it wired to the main router of the system. Then connect all Hydros controllers and devices to that access point. I had issues with them dropping out 2-3 times a week at first. I could reboot my router and get them back. I replaced my router in December of 2023 and have not had any issues with my wifi devices dropping out since. When communications is lost the wifi device will stay in what ever state it is in until communications is restored. So I would not use the for dosing, ATO or AWC power. Heater you always need a backup off whether that is the Hydros or a thermostat in the heater. I have used them for heaters but the heater had a thermostat built into it so if the output were to stay on then the thermostat would turn off the heater at a higher temp than the Hydros would by about 3 degrees.

 

[Rubeherdez]

¡Hola! Gracias por visitar HYDROS, asegúrese de comunicarse con nuestro equipo de soporte también, podemos programar una llamada para identificar qué Control ... o Controlssssss que puedan funcionar mejor para usted! Haré todo lo posible para responder rápidamente a estos:

1: Controle los dispositivos WiFi: HYDROS tiene algunos dispositivos WiFi como accesorios, a saber, la tira de 4 salidas WiFi, el enchufe WiFi único y el alimentador WiFi ... junto con la integración de terceros como Sicce. Puedes tener hasta 8 de estos dispositivos.

2: Puertos DRIVE de 12v. Sí, estos puertos proporcionan alimentación de 12v, tenemos una buena cantidad de accesorios de puerto de unidad como dosificadores de puerto de unidad, solenoides de agua, solenoides de CO2, bombas Diaprahm, bombas micro ato, ¡más por venir también! Pero también tenemos cables adaptadores de puerto de unidad para alimentar cualquier cosa de 12v dentro de los límites de amperaje.

3: sí, el Kraken cambia las reglas del juego, lo mismo con los puertos de unidad, 4 se encuentran en el Kraken ... pero ahora tienes 8 puertos FORCE... Estos son de 24V. Puede eliminar el bloque de alimentación de cualquier cosa de 24v, menos de 10 amperios. Puede hacerlo 8 veces y obtener una batería de respaldo. Asegúrate de consultar las preguntas frecuentes de KRAKEN, que realmente ayudan: https://www.coralvuehydros.com/product-support/hydros-control/kraken-faq/

4: Puertos de detección, estos son los puertos en los que se conectan la mayoría de los sensores. Sensores de temperatura, sensores de skimmer, sensores de nivel de agua... fíjate que son los puertos verdes, los accesorios de Sense Port, al igual que todo lo demás está coordinado por colores. Son conectores GX12, no propietarios. Sin embargo, una sonda de pH o ORP no se conectará al puerto SENSE... necesita un puerto de sonda para eso... y eso es BNC, usted es libre de usar cualquier sonda BNC que desee. Lo mismo con la salinidad, pero necesitará un puerto de salinidad.

5: La Experta va a ser las rodillas de las abejas.

Espero que esto te ayude, en serio, ¡comunícate con el apoyo y danos la prueba!

Me gustaria saber si reefapalooza Lax tiene alguna promocion en las compras de sus equipos Hydros

 

[iprayforwaves]

Hey there! Thanks for checking out HYDROS, make sure to reach out to our support team as well, we can schedule a call to ID what Control...or Controlsssss that may work best for you! I'll do my best to quickly answer these:

1: Control WiFi Devices: HYDROS has a few WiFi devices as accessories, namely the WiFi 4-Outlet Strip, Single WiFi Plug, and the WiFi feeder...along with 3rd party integration like Sicce. You can have up to 8 of these devices.

2: 12v DRIVE Ports. Yes, these ports provide 12v Power, we have a good amount of Drive Port Accessories like Drive Port Dosers, Water Solenoids, CO2 Solenoids, Diaprahm pumps, micro ato pumps, more coming too! But we also have Drive Port adaptor cables to power anything 12v within amperage limits.

3: Yeah, the Kraken is a game changer, same thing with the Drive Ports, 4 are found on the Kraken...but now you have 8x FORCE Ports...these are 24v. You can eliminate the power brick of anything 24v, less than 10amps. You can do that 8times over, and get battery backup. Make sure to check out the KRAKEN FAQs, those really help: https://www.coralvuehydros.com/product-support/hydros-control/kraken-faq/

4: Sense Ports, these are the ports you plug most sensors into. Temp Sensors, Skimmer Sensors, Water Level Sensors...notice they are the Green Ports, Sense Port accessories, just like everything else is color coordinated. They are GX12 connectors, not proprietary. However, a pH or ORP probe will not plug into the SENSE Port...you need a PROBE Port for that...and that is BNC, you are free to use any BNC Probe you wish. Same thing w/ Salinity, but you will require a Salinity Port.

5: The Maven is going to be the bees knees.

Hope this helps, seriously, reach out to support and give us the test!

Do the different modules need to be wired together? For example a salinity probe on one module and you have a power plug on another control module you want to turn on off based on salinity.

 

[n2585722]

Do the different modules need to be wired together? For example a salinity probe on one module and you have a power plug on another control module you want to turn on off based on salinity.

Yes, controllers in a collective have to be connected together with command bus cables and a couple of terminators. You will also need to create a collective in the app. The controller you have access to when it is created becomes the first member. The settings you have setup in that controller become the settings of the collective. You will need to add the other controllers to the collective one at a time in the app. Any settings in them will be erased when they are added but most times you will be adding a new controller so t will not have anything setup anyway. Hope this helps explain it.

 

[iprayforwaves]

Yes, controllers in a collective have to be connected together with command bus cables and a couple of terminators. You will also need to create a collective in the app. The controller you have access to when it is created becomes the first member. The settings you have setup in that controller become the settings of the collective. You will need to add the other controllers to the collective one at a time in the app. Any settings in them will be erased when they are added but most times you will be adding a new controller so t will not have anything setup anyway. Hope this helps explain it.

I saw a post by someone who had a controller on their tank and another setup in the garage for making RO and salt water. I imagine these would each need to be their own “collective”. Would these both be available in the app - could they interact with each other at all with no command wire? TIA

 

[n2585722]

I saw a post by someone who had a controller on their tank and another setup in the garage for making RO and salt water. I imagine these would each need to be their own “collective”. Would these both be available in the app - could they interact with each other at all with no command wire? TIA

I have several controllers in my garage and at my tank and they are all in the same collective. Any command bus cable over 14ft needs to be a data only cable so the cable between my controllers at the tank and the ones in the garage is a data only cable since it is over 35ft between the tank and the garage. You just have to have a source of power on each end. There are quite a few controllers now that can provide power so that is not much of an issue now.

 

[scowall]

I have several controllers in my garage and at my tank and they are all in the same collective. Any command bus cable over 14ft needs to be a data only cable so the cable between my controllers at the tank and the ones in the garage is a data only cable since it is over 35ft between the tank and the garage. You just have to have a source of power on each end. There are quite a few controllers now that can provide power so that is not much of an issue now.

Yor help has been invaluable and so much appreciated! I am a new apex user but am switching over to hydros.

 

[Connor At CoralVue]

Do the different modules need to be wired together? For example a salinity probe on one module and you have a power plug on another control module you want to turn on off based on salinity.

Yes, to communicate together, the units must be in a Collective together. A Collective is grouping of multiple units acting as one system. The units will need to be wired together via Command Bus Cable to have that communication.

**You would also require 1 OR 2 Command Bus Terminators based on your system, never more than 2. Make sure to pick 2 up, they will be needed to form a collective.

 

[BryanM]

Hey there! Thanks for checking out HYDROS, make sure to reach out to our support team as well, we can schedule a call to ID what Control...or Controlsssss that may work best for you! I'll do my best to quickly answer these:

1: Control WiFi Devices: HYDROS has a few WiFi devices as accessories, namely the WiFi 4-Outlet Strip, Single WiFi Plug, and the WiFi feeder...along with 3rd party integration like Sicce. You can have up to 8 of these devices.

2: 12v DRIVE Ports. Yes, these ports provide 12v Power, we have a good amount of Drive Port Accessories like Drive Port Dosers, Water Solenoids, CO2 Solenoids, Diaprahm pumps, micro ato pumps, more coming too! But we also have Drive Port adaptor cables to power anything 12v within amperage limits.

3: Yeah, the Kraken is a game changer, same thing with the Drive Ports, 4 are found on the Kraken...but now you have 8x FORCE Ports...these are 24v. You can eliminate the power brick of anything 24v, less than 10amps. You can do that 8times over, and get battery backup. Make sure to check out the KRAKEN FAQs, those really help: https://www.coralvuehydros.com/product-support/hydros-control/kraken-faq/

4: Sense Ports, these are the ports you plug most sensors into. Temp Sensors, Skimmer Sensors, Water Level Sensors...notice they are the Green Ports, Sense Port accessories, just like everything else is color coordinated. They are GX12 connectors, not proprietary. However, a pH or ORP probe will not plug into the SENSE Port...you need a PROBE Port for that...and that is BNC, you are free to use any BNC Probe you wish. Same thing w/ Salinity, but you will require a Salinity Port.

5: The Maven is going to be the bees knees.

Hope this helps, seriously, reach out to support and give us the test!

One of these days, after a I get a bonus or my next tax return, I look forwarding to contacting y'all and seeing just how many power bricks I can rid myself of if I switch from Neptune..