It's like having a light fixture that is dimmable and has a sunrise function.
Not necessary but it is nice to have that possibility.

With the gradual start up, there isn't a sudden explosiveness of water.
Being able to change the intensity of the return pump means you can use it for a broader range of applications. Almost all of my equipment can still be reused if I ever want to upgrade or downgrade.
It also has a 10min feed feature which I fine useful to target feed corals.

Of course this can also be done if you have an apex but it is hard to beat the price of Jebao products which already come with these features.

No heat whatsoever so far. I actually wish it did get hot to combat the winter cold..tank is having troubles with getting above 24C :redface:

I got mine in the states. You can get a dc6000 from fish street for $85 + $35 shipping to your door. I recently bought a dosing pump from fish street and it arrived within a week.

Brad,

After I shut off my return to do a water change, the water level is below the return outlet. A soft start allows some water to enter the display slowly first, whereas my old pump caused a firehose effect which splashed water everywhere (on the underside of my glass tops for instance) and freaked out the fish. Also, I like to dial down my return so having that feature is perfect for my application. I run mine at about 80%, but can run it up to 100% or slow it down if I change my mind. I like having that controllability.

Anthony

Ya, I suppose if things are setup that way, it's useful. I don't suffer from any of that and am fine with just "On". I also dislike additional cords and controllers and such, but I guess if there's an application for it, all good.

Thanks for all the info all! Boxing day is coming up~