Piece by piece or controller

[Mordie101]

Hey all, new to reefing and am having ups and downs with my tank. It’s a 16g biocube but i have plans to upgrade in a year ish to a 525xl. I love the few fish and corals i have but I’ve had some invert deaths and I’m trying to piece together a list of items that will help everyone stay healthy and thrive.

I just ordered a ATO tunze nano.

I have a power head but should i get a controller? It’s a small hydor.

I use a small thermometer in my tank for temps but have trouble cooling my tank off. I’m using a fan whenever I’m there to turn it on but i keep getting large temp swings despite my efforts.

Should i try to get a controller and just dump money into the apex or reef keeper lite to help control/monitor or should i just piece together some things to help me manage the tank while I’m away.


Thanks, sorry for the long/ confusing post

 

[FartyParty]

Hey all, new to reefing and am having ups and downs with my tank. It’s a 16g biocube but i have plans to upgrade in a year ish to a 525xl. I love the few fish and corals i have but I’ve had some invert deaths and I’m trying to piece together a list of items that will help everyone stay healthy and thrive.

I just ordered a ATO tunze nano.

I have a power head but should i get a controller? It’s a small hydor.

I use a small thermometer in my tank for temps but have trouble cooling my tank off. I’m using a fan whenever I’m there to turn it on but i keep getting large temp swings despite my efforts.

Should i try to get a controller and just dump money into the apex or reef keeper lite to help control/monitor or should i just piece together some things to help me manage the tank while I’m away.


Thanks, sorry for the long/ confusing post

When I got back into the hobby several years ago, i started up with an JBJ biocube and put an apex jr on for heater and chiller control, lights and email monitoring if temps went wacko. I still use that controller on my bigger system, but I’ve added probes and other stuff relevant to my current setup. A controller is never a bad idea IMO.

 

[Mordie101]

When I got back into the hobby several years ago, i started up with an JBJ biocube and put an apex jr on for heater and chiller control, lights and email monitoring if temps went wacko. I still use that controller on my bigger system, but I’ve added probes and other stuff relevant to my current setup. A controller is never a bad idea IMO.

Have you found a reason to upgrade controllers? Just starting i really am hesitant to spend that much then upgrade when i upgrade tanks..

 

[Bmasculine]

If the apex is what your looking into you should just get the newest one. That way it’s compatible with all the new stuff coming out, like the trident, not sure what light your going with but the AI lights link up wirelessly, no need for modules. You could start with the EL and add to it with time to suit your needs.

 

[Mordie101]

If the apex is what your looking into you should just get the newest one. That way it’s compatible with all the new stuff coming out, like the trident, not sure what light your going with but the AI lights link up wirelessly, no need for modules. You could start with the EL and add to it with time to suit your needs.

I will do some more research on it. I appreciate it