I have been thinking of adding a controller to my set up but, i can’t decide on what i really want to control. Yes, the basics, lights ( mh, artinic, ) and a moon light and powerheads (4) and probally temp . what else should be on a controller? reading the decriptions of the controllers out there, why would you want to put return pumps, skimmers on a controller? after reading the literature, i’m at least confused if not bewittered about them. sounds like i need a degree in software enginering to run one. all i’m looking for is a controller to run lights and powerheads, not to fly to mars…
Many people run skimmer at night time only. Many people turn skimmers off for 30 minutes or a couple hours after feeding plankton. Similarly if you have media reactors such as carbon/phophates media in the sump you wouldn’t want to push coral or fish food through them until the fish and coral have had a decent chance to dine.
I recently hooked up a controller for someone that turns the return pumps off for 5 minutes after feeding and then turns them back on automatically. Many people have tried to do this manually and forgotten to plug them back in! Disaster if you leave for work for the day and leave the tank stagnant in a cold house or hot house.
Why are you considering a controller and not just a timer if you are not sure what it does?
Biggest thing for me about a controller is getting text message or e-mail alerts if the temp, pH, salinity, or ORP gets far out of range. Basically if anything happens to your tank you would want to know about immediately you would know. I’ve had people say they’d want to know about calcium and Mg, but seriously that is not a disaster emergency that can happen quickly. The items mentioned above can get out of range over a couple of hours while you’re at work or out to dinner. If you’ve sunk thousands of dollars into a tank one way to look at this is as an insurance policy or like a security/fire/smoke alarm service for your home or business.
Controller can also be set up to turn the lights off if the tank over heats or turn off your heaters incase the internal mechanisms inside them fail. Can be connected to fans or chillers to help cool the tank. They also can help controller Calcium reactors, kalk reactors, and Auto-Top-off devices(or ATOs). Most of this stuff can be added onto a controller a lot cheaper than it would be to be stand alone units.
I could go on and on. If you’d like a hand picking one out or hooking one up let me know.
I use a few of these High Tech timers on my tanks.
http://www.amazon.com/52048-24-Hour-Heavy-Appliance-Timer/dp/B0015GPNVO?tag=dogpile-20
and something like this power strip with built in timers, and on / off switches. its flexible.
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100647128&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&PID=500871&cm_mmc=CJ--nextag--D27X-_-100647128&cpncode=24-92262356-2&AID=10368321&cj=true&srccode=cii_9324560
and then I believe Logans Dady has used some of the in wall Levitron outlet timers. or something like that. he can explain.
it doesnt have to cost you a whole lot for that muffler. unless of course, you NEED to constantly, remotely, by your cell phone, incessantly monitor and or interact with and modify your current tank parameters and equipment settings. If so, Well … It’s gonna be a whole lot more complicated, and It’s gonna cost you!
Lo-Tech rules! High tech— DROOLS!
the reason i’m looking at controllers is that the two powerstrips ( one with built in timer and one regular powerstrip) are maxed out of available outlets and having better control over lighting than all on and all off,and tempenture control by the use of fans and heater and in the future adding probes to control calcium and alk . also, having the controller email me about pump failure is a definte plus.having the powerheads go off while coral feeding is a nice feature.
I wouldn’t recommend making the water stagnant during feeding. I would leave the power heads on and the return pumps off.
With a controller you can also watch graphs over time of your tank to see how the temp swings on a daily basis or how solid your pH stays during night to day.
I really think it’s one of those things in the hobby that you can do right from the beginning or spend a lot of money on crap that will get you half way there and then spending the money later. Best if you can afford to go all in to do so from the start. You could buy 3 power strips, 4 timers, a pH controller, an ORP controller, a second pH monitor, and an ATO and end up with all of them as used parts in your closet after buying a controller.
That being said many hobbyist don’t have the upfront money to do it right from day one.
Oh and if you like following Ken’s technology trends, he just got off a 56k dial up modem last year and has never had a cell phone or GPS. If you are retired and live sitting next to your tanks then yeah there isn’t much reason to find out when something happens to your tank.
VERY ironically while typing this I heard a loud click downstairs. My circuit break tripped and all the power to my tanks went off. Had I been at work (read if I had a job and wasn’t unemployed) then I wouldn’t know my tanks needed help. A controller can alert you to a power outage if set up right.
Programming them to do all of this isn’t super simple. Shoot me a PM if you would like more help.
Jon, what brand controller are you using. I have a Q if it’s DA.
all i can say is that after $ for reefkeeper elite i can rest easy if i’m on vaca or my co2 tank runs out or temp goes too high. it can notify me or anyone else if there’s a problem.
i had over 12 necessary plugs on 4 or so strips [4 lights, +1 on the sump 3 heaters .i have 2 tanks], p’heads, skimmer, ato, pump, etc. plus assorted heater pump etc., that is needed for mixing salt and what’s needed in a qt. crazy wiring.
w/ the rke i have even more plugs --ca reactor and 3 more pumps. and most of what’s important is able to be regulated
plus i really like charts.
Rosti, PM me the question and your schedule. I think I sent you a PM asking when I could come over, but it could have been that I was thinking of PMing you, lol. Regardless shoot me the question in a PM and your availability.
well, in defense of the low tech solution, since most of the loads we are talking about are small, like 20-50 watt pawer heads and pumps , theres not much danger of overlaoding a powerstrip if you plug one into another. daisy chain. we have a lot of little power equipment items in the tanks, and they all have a plug. whether they go to a string of power strips or another piece of electric equipment with wires and plugs to run it, doesnt matter. the same mess. i mount my power strips, like 4 at a time on a 12 x 18 board, so its sorta neat and easy to access. including timers.
when the power goes off, both high tech and lo-tech shut down. and come back on when the power returns. my biggest problem has been some of the pumps wont restart when the power returns. they get deposits inside, worn shaft bearings and stuff that makes them hang up. no matter what turns them back on, they dont start. i have to poke the impeller through the intake with a bamboo kabob stick to unstick them. when the impellers gets off center, they stick to the magnetic core and wont spin.
but if you like graphs and curves and stuff, Jon and a bunch of the guys can help you set that electronic controller stuff up. Im always home. the advantage of not working,. so i just give them a kick, when the power blips, now and then. or if things are clean and ok, they just restart when the power returns. its hard wired. like old nuke reactor control panels. But somebody is always on duty, watching, just in case.
Ken you realize poking your power heads with a stick is the low tech / old school solution as well. The new power heads start up right away.
but, they might suck instead of blow?.. i mean spin backwards if on a wave maker
I had some old Hydor pumps spin backwards, but never seen the new ones do that.
oh no, not the little power heads or korallias, theyare not a big problem. i mean the main return pumps. i have a mag 7 and quiet one 3000 as two sump pumps that can and do hang up when the power shuts down. it seems calcium deposts and stuff in the return pipe peal off and go into the impeller while it drains down a little from the tank before breaking vacuum, and this stuff and small snails can hang up the impeller. so when the power comes on, it just sits there vibrating and getting warm.