Wasn't Prepared for this -- Need Expert Advice on Controllers

[Salty Lemon]

I'm at work today, so I can't really reply. Thank you everyone.

 

[Billldg]

Truthfully, I don't think you could go wrong with a Apex or GHL setup. As it has been said previously, they both have their strengths and weaknesses. I personally have a Apex setup and have had no issues with it, others have a GHL setup and love it as well. I feel that the Apex interface is far better than GHL, but I also feel that GHL being German made speaks volume about quality. Apex has the COR return pump which opens up many possibilities for alerts on the return pump, they also have the Trident, which if supplies ever catch up, lol, is a great tool as well. GHL's innovative thinking is a plus for them with the future release of the ION Director, having the possibility of testing nitrates and whatever else they add to it.

 

[MnFish1]

Every controller has advantages and disadvantages. I have an Apex controller - found it easy to set up - there is good information out there. The one issue (and maybe its corrected since the 2016 unit came out- see below) is that if it works right when you set it up - its great - if you have a problem or a question - there is (was) not a good troubleshooting guide - there is good phone support though. The 'comprehensive manual' thats still on the site is fairly old and outdated (the Apesxd 2016 (the orange one) is not mentioned. (this is when you click on the documentation tab on the website). That said - though the documentation to me seems scattered - and there is tons of information out there to sift through - its likely you won't having any trouble setting up an apex controller. Once you get into the website - there are tours and how to's.

 

[shoggoth43]

Older units and accessories are also an option. For expansion, you also may or may not need the latest and greatest features. For example the older style power bars can still be found and used with the newer units for basic on/off control even if they do not provide all the power monitoring the new ones have.

 

[Tamberav]

I have an Apex on one of my several tanks. There is no difference between the tanks...the Apex just controls the ATO...dosers...heater ect and the other tanks have devices that have their own 'brain' to control themselves.

I feel Apex has a larger fan base and a good interface but if I told you everything Apex makes works perfect or better...I would be lying.

For example I would say Tunze ATO is far superior to the ATK and the salinity probe can be wildly inaccurate because just being near other electrical cords or other probs can cause it to drift. This can be frustrating for new users to find out after making such an investment.

So I would figure out what exactly you want your controller to do vs what you already have before making a decision.

It can do a lot of cool things with $ add-ons which you may or may not care about.

 

[AZMSGT]

Lemon, I went down this rabbit hole and made the call to go with GHL. My plans for the future is allot of automation. Dosing, dosing and auto water changes. Also I want reliability. GHL seems to have the market on reliability over Apex from what I have read. Time will tell if I made the right call. Good luck with which ever you choose.

 

[User1]

Lemon, I went down this rabbit hole and made the call to go with GHL. My plans for the future is allot of automation. Dosing, dosing and auto water changes. Also I want reliability. GHL seems to have the market on reliability over Apex from what I have read. Time will tell if I made the right call. Good luck with which ever you choose.

You made the right call.

However, the bit about market coverage on reliability is a bit misleading. There are no statistics to back that up (for any of the controllers). It is an opinion.