What is needed on a Digital Controller

[mark]

Sort of following through on another thread, what is really the minimum required on a Digital Controller? What got me thinking is hopefully soon I'll been setting up a Ca reactor so thinking might be a good idea to control the unit by monitoring the pH of the effluent.

I have a 145g that is totally functional with two timers, one for the NO fluorescents and a second for the MHs and a hood fan. The basement sump return pump and skimmer are on the same switched power-bar and the CL is plugged into a separate receptacle. Heater runs on it's own internal thermostat.

[Psyire]

This is the kind of question that you probably want to ask yourself instead.

Some things to consider:

ORP monitoring (for use of ozone)
pH monitoring (for obvious reasons, multiple probes if your using a reactor or 2)
temp monitoring (sump, tank, ambient, etc)
salinity monitoring (obvious reasons, but I find it helpful to track how much salt my skimmer has pulled out in the skimmate)
timer programs (lights, kalk stirrers, solenoids)
water level switches (automatic evaporation topoff using pumps or solenoids)
Computer/LAN Interfaces (control and alarm alerting via. internet or stand alone computer)
SMS Interfaces (control and alarm alerting via Cell phone)
Dosing Pumps (control of and use of dosing pumps)
Redundancy (multiple floatswitchs, probes, programs, etc; Incase something fails)
Wavemaker (multiple powerhead control for wave/tide effects)
Sunrise/Sunset options (Dimming)
Seasonal temperature changes through manipulation of heater(s)
Water Parameter Logging (for each probe)

... I could go on but I think you get the idea

[Psyire]

It is easy to get carried away, but I guess that is personal preference.

For example you said your heater runs on it's own thermostat... well how many people have had those fail and cook or freeze their tank? Atleast combined with a controller, it will shut it off, or vice versa. (and alarm if your temp is out of whack)

[motox]

I have the reefkeeper 2 and does everything I want at a affordable price www.digitalaquatics.com

[mark]

Just for my current purposes want to monitor and control pH and since doing that, replace the timers at the same time, can't imagine much more. Just trying to get an idea if units with all the functions are really used or just nice to have (and get an argument ready for the wife if I buy myself a Xmas present)

Originally Posted by Psyire

For example you said your heater runs on it's own thermostat... well how many people have had those fail and cook or freeze their tank? Atleast combined with a controller, it will shut it off, or vice versa. (and alarm if your temp is out of whack)

The Reefkeeper has a temp probe and controls a heater through one of the switchable outlets. Shuts of lights and can turn on a chiller if over temp as well.

[BMW Rider]

I have recently set up my tank with an Aquatronica controller. Like you I do not have a huge range of paramaters that I want to control or monitor, but I like the fact that it is fully expandable in the future. I am monitoring PH on the tank and the CA reactor effluent, controlling the CA reactor ph, monitoring and controlling temperature, monitoring the sump water level and operating all timing functions with it.

I must say, that since getting this thing, my tank seems way easier to keep consistent since there is one single unit that runs everthing instead of a bunch of different equipment that were overlapping controls or operating under manual control. And, its all done automatically. Best of all, I only had to change one time setting this weekend instead of five