Newbie Reefer looking at Hydros system

[Twinkietoes]

New reefer looking to add a hydros system. What is best place to start? X4 pro pack? If anyone has one for sale... let me know. So excited to get started.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Welcome to your new home for saltwater reef aquarium resources and fun! Welcome to the family! :D

 

[fishface NJ]

Welcome to R2R

 

[vetteguy53081]

 

[Twinkietoes]

Welcome to R2R

 

[BubbleBuddy]

Welcome aboard. Any of the controllers are great starting points. I started with the Launch.

 

[PharmrJohn]

Greetings and Welcome to our collective obsession!!

 

[Fish Fan]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[Twinkietoes]

Greetings and Welcome to our collective obsession!!

You are NOT kidding. I am so happy that I finally bought a tank and picked a salt. That ... was like rough decision. LOL. I can relax a little until the tank cycles now.

 

[kevgib67]

Welcome, glad you are here!

 

[kingranch2003]

 

[slingfox]

New reefer looking to add a hydros system. What is best place to start? X4 pro pack? If anyone has one for sale... let me know. So excited to get started.

I have a Hydros system. It has positives and negatives. Some products work really well but the pricing on some of the later product releases has been very low value per dollar.

If I was you I would wait to see what RedSea releases. They will come out with their full line of aquarium controller products soon—potentially as early as June 2026—according to their interviews during the recent Reefapalooza Orlando.

 

[littlebigreef]

I use both apexes and a hydros unit.

Without any additional info, and depending on your needs, I’d say you could even consider the X2 bundle. I started with that and additional dummy power strip and the ATO kit. I haven’t needed/wanted to upgrade or add any additional equipment beyond that.

With hydros it really is the modularity and the fact you don’t need to buy and mount additional modules/power bricks for things like leak sensors or atos.

 

[Boehmtown]

If get one with a couple dosing pumps if you have a small tank or one with two continuous duty dosing pump if the tanks larger, you can push kalk, dose, auto water changes etc. You're gonna need dosers of some sort, if you don't, you probably don't need a controller.

 

[CoralB]

Welcome !!

 

[BryanM]

New reefer looking to add a hydros system. What is best place to start? X4 pro pack? If anyone has one for sale... let me know. So excited to get started.

Welcome to R2R!

Hydros stuff doesn't go on sale often, or at all.

It would help to know what you plan to use. The Launch is good, if you know you're going to dose the X10+XP8 is great, but obviously a lot more expensive.

 

[littlebigreef]

@Twinkietoes it begs the question, what’s your vision for this aquarium? What’s your goal(s)?

 

[FrugalReeferJon]