Aquatronica Controller

[Dave C]

Not to worry, I don't feel bad about my purchase. But you need to be fair when commenting on issues that arose from the Aquatronica product when it was first released into N.A. users' hands. Sure, there were issues that needed to be resolved, much like there were issues with the first release of the Vortech. But those issues don't diminish the value of the product as a whole. One thing that I have noticed is that the company behind the Aquatronica product is very responsive to its customers' needs & wants and that is what will make this a good product for years to come. I assume the same will be said of the Profilux product.

[Ruth]

Originally Posted by Dave C

One thing that I have noticed is that the company behind the Aquatronica product is very responsive to its customers' needs & wants and that is what will make this a good product for years to come.

And that statement is the key and just may sway me in favour of an Auqtronica when and if I decide to buy a controller. I have bought some very expensive German made equipment that has since broken down (within a year) and have found the customer service to be sorely lacking. If you want something that has broken fixed or replaced you are on the hook for some very expensive shipping.

[Dave C]

I should also say, don't treat my posts as an endorsement for Aquatronica. Although I do have the unit in my possession & have tested it on my tank, the tank that it is intended to be used on isn't running yet. So far I'm very happy with what I see, but it's not actually controlling anything.

[Ruth]

Well we can look forward to some detailed reviews when you get everything hooked up.
I just think it is important to see that a company actually stands behind their products and is interested in customer service and willing to listen to their input.

[Dave C]

I've been using the Aquatronica for a couple of weeks now and I like it. Everything I've needed it to do works well. And with the new firmware update it will do the rest of what I need. So far it's not doing a ton but here's a list:

Heater - I set the temp, an upper and lower delta and it handles the rest. Pretty simple stuff.

Top-off - I have a solenoid and two float switches. When the water gets down to the lower float it opens the solenoid and closes it when the float goes back up. If that takes too long (based on a setting I choose) it shuts down the solenoid and sounds an alarm (because I told it to). That way if a float gets hooped it won't run forever. The other float switch is a maximum water level. It should never be used but if the water ever did get that high it would shut down the solenoid. I plan to run this top off water through a Kent Marine float valve that will shut it down if the solenoid ever fails. Triple redundancy works great.

Ozone - I have an ORP probe and the AQT will turn on/off the ozonizer on the basis of my ORP levels. I'm at 375mV right now so it runs constantly.

Sump lights - there are simple timer functions so the sump lights are handled by the AQT.

Calcium reactor - this isn't operational yet as I'm waiting for my co2 tank. But when I get that the pH probe in the reactor will turn on/off the solenoid on my regulator to maintain the proper ph in the reactor.

Ethernet adaptor - I got this and it's up and running. Now I can monitor & adjust any equipment on my AQT system from anywhere in the world. That allows me to go to Mexico and check the temp/salinity/water level in my tank, just for peace of mind. If I wanted to I could shut down or turn on any piece of equipment attached to the AQT system. I have it set to send me an email if any parameter goes out of the normal operating range.

X-Y Programs - I don't use this yet but this basically gives you the ability to have two parameters affect the operation of a device. Aquatronica is working on a calcium probe and when that comes out the X-Y ability will allow me to either run top-off through my kalk mixer or straight from my RO on the basis of water level & calcium levels. Should be great.

That's it for me. I'm totally satisfied with the way this unit works & how you program it to do the things you need it to do. I haven't found anything yet that I need that it can't do.

[bourbon]

can you comment on what you can and can't do via internet vs pc direct connect.

I've heard the aquatronica just has minimal abilities vs internet vs pc connection.

Thanks.

[Dave C]

The direct PC connection allows you to access the unit from your computer and look at/print graphs of parameters, change programs, update firmware... stuff like that. I rarely use it but it's a necessary piece to have in order to keep your unit current. It comes with the unit at most places I've seen.

The ethernet connection allows you to connect your unit to a router and have access to it on the net. So far you have fairly minimal access IMO. You can see all of the parameters for any probes you own. You can also see any powerbars on the system and the status of whatever is plugged into those powerbars. While you can't change the programs over the net you can change the status of anything plugged into a powerbar. So you can turn off lights, pumps etc. It was great when I was on vacation to be able to jump onto a computer, see that everything was working the way it should be working and know that all measurable parameters are in the correct range. Hopefully in the future the ethernet access will give you more power and abilities.

[Psyire]

Edit: What Dave said...