best controller?

[THEDLO]

so salt water critters is have this neat layaway thing, so a controller is one of the things im interested in getting (besides mp40s, but that isnt a priority right now), and im torn between 2 brands the neptune or Digital aquatics. i would be getting the highest model of either.

thanks for the info!

here are links to each product on saltwatercritters.com

Digital aquatics Reefkeeper elite $400

Neptune Apex controller $460

 

[bigdog1428]

Tagging along ,, I just started comparing both companies controllers recently also ,,


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[THEDLO]

Tagging along ,, I just started comparing both companies controllers recently also ,,


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yea i was looking at the 2, and digital aquatics seem to pack more into there elite package then the neptune.

 

[charliethetuna88]

me to i was loking into it for my christmas gift i know a few guys with with crazy tanks that use the apex controller they love it .

 

[reefoman]

Was trying many of them... Apex is my favorite. Running w/o any problem chiller, heater, top-off, ramp LEDs, tunze pumps, ph and orp so fare...I have acces to my tank from anywhere I'm. Easy to set up, very friendly customer service and they pickin up the phone! If you guys know what I mean
Highly recommended!

Regards,
mark


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[THEDLO]

lol i dont know what u mean. which model do u have?

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Digital aquatics has always done right by me. I love the reefkeeper controllers

 

[THEDLO]

ok so this has been turned into a vote.

 

[reefoman]

Me?
Some people call it Apex pro cause I got it with laboratory pH and ORP probes.
One more thing, you can name any thing you connecting to your apex which making your life much easier trust me, reefkeeper has only numbers... sometimes I have mess with my named ports and don't even want to thing to remember numbers, lol


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[NYreefNoob]

profilux you forgot the best one but is alot more $ also, and i have been very happy with my ac jr for last 5 yr's without problems

 

[reefoman]

ok so this has been turned into a vote.

You don't have to...
Jump on reefcentral it has beed done there already
Profilux is nice, that's true but the energybar dimensions killing and also I don't like the huge box with LCD display. Apexs or reefkeepers idea for extended small controlling/LCD unit is great IMO, all modules can be easy mounted 6' away or more from your tank.



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[beerfish]

I think it's more a question of what you want to do with it than which one is best.

The Reefkeeper Lite is a great controller, and you can upgrade the head unit to the Reef Keeper Elite at a later time at a discount through Digital Aquatics. It's also the least expensive to start with, but lacks a few features out of the box.

If money is a concern, get an RKL and expand as you can afford later. Add a PC4, add an SL1, upgrade to the RKE, add probes... It's a great way to add on as you have the extra cash.

 

[James]

I think it's more a question of what you want to do with it than which one is best.

The Reefkeeper Lite is a great controller, and you can upgrade the head unit to the Reef Keeper Elite at a later time at a discount through Digital Aquatics. It's also the least expensive to start with, but lacks a few features out of the box.

If money is a concern, get an RKL and expand as you can afford later. Add a PC4, add an SL1, upgrade to the RKE, add probes... It's a great way to add on as you have the extra cash.

+1 This is what I did.

Started with just the RKL for my heater and lights, then upgraded to an SL2 module with ATO, then got a PH probe. Nothing fancy but it does what it needs to do. I have been told Apex is easier to control and has a better display but I am happy with teh RKL for now. The cons would be customer service. I have found DA to be pretty poor when I did need to contact them about some faulty software.

 

[THEDLO]

money isnt the issue, ill be putting it on layaway. i just want to know which would be better.

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

I see more people with apex, i just ordered mine today and did alot of reading on rc. I know there are cheap controllers to just turn on/off things but i needed something that would text/alert me if there was a problem since my tank is at my office. Also if i lost power due to bad weather it will text/alert me. Also i can change or turn on/off things from any computer anywere in the world. I just love how it the graphs show my levels over 2-3 month time

 

[reefoman]

I see more people with apex, i just ordered mine today and did alot of reading on rc. I know there are cheap controllers to just turn on/off things but i needed something that would text/alert me if there was a problem since my tank is at my office. Also if i lost power due to bad weather it will text/alert me. Also i can change or turn on/off things from any computer anywere in the world. I just love how it the graphs show my levels over 2-3 month time

True... I'm enjoying this all the time
And many more in the future...
GL with your new toy !

Regards,
mark


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[ming]

I see more people with apex, i just ordered mine today and did alot of reading on rc. I know there are cheap controllers to just turn on/off things but i needed something that would text/alert me if there was a problem since my tank is at my office. Also if i lost power due to bad weather it will text/alert me. Also i can change or turn on/off things from any computer anywere in the world. I just love how it the graphs show my levels over 2-3 month time

Make sure the base unit has the optional power transformer and plugged into a UPS, as well as the router/modem is also connected to a UPS. Otherwise the text/alert wont be available when the power goes out.

 

[stlblufan]

I originally got both the Apex and the Reefkeeper. Neither is perfect, but in the end I kept the Apex. Among other things, I heard bad things about customer service with DA--of course, it was all secondhand, I have no personal experience, so take that with a grain of salt. In any event, I have been happy with the Apex, although there are some problems...graphs, for example, fail to show a more than one day range, although the unit supports more than that. Also, setting up the network can be tricky.

One thing I have my eye out for is the new Elos controller, due in early 2011.

 

[ming]

I originally got both the Apex and the Reefkeeper. Neither is perfect, but in the end I kept the Apex. Among other things, I heard bad things about customer service with DA--of course, it was all secondhand, I have no personal experience, so take that with a grain of salt. In any event, I have been happy with the Apex, although there are some problems...graphs, for example, fail to show a more than one day range, although the unit supports more than that. Also, setting up the network can be tricky.

One thing I have my eye out for is the new Elos controller, due in early 2011.

The default for the graph is 1 day. If you change it to 7 days, change the date as well because the date showing is the starting date of the graph (default is yesterday) so if you forget to change the date, its only going to show 1 day.. yesterday to today.

 

[stlblufan]

The default for the graph is 1 day. If you change it to 7 days, change the date as well because the date showing is the starting date of the graph (default is yesterday) so if you forget to change the date, its only going to show 1 day.. yesterday to today.

Thanks. I have tried that. Sometimes it works, sometimes I only get one day anyway. I haven't been able to figure out a common denominator as to when it works. Maybe mine is defective, but I'm hopeful that a firmware update will fix the problem. In the meantime, I have a script that automatically polls the webserver and save the data so I can create my own charts.