Controller Questions

Flyflicker · #1 10/25/2005, 06:33 PM

I am trying to get a little more involved in some of the more high tech part of this hobby. I am looking on upgrading my tank within the year and I want to find out about a controller and what it does. I know that they will control your heater and chiller to maintain temps, but will they control or at least monitor ORP, pH, calcium, or phosphate?

I want to put in a calcium reactor, kalk reactor, phosphate reactor, dosing pump, ozonizer or uv sterilizer. Will the controller control or monitor any of these.

And what about lights?

bertoni · #2 10/25/2005, 06:50 PM

If you use a CO2-based calcium reactor, you will want the pH controller. For ozone, an ORP controller would be good, IMO.

I don't know of any practical way to monitor either Ca or phosphate at this time.

Many controllers will run your lights.

Flyflicker · #3 10/26/2005, 12:41 PM

So are they all seperate controllers, or can you get one controller to do it all?

MCary · #4 10/26/2005, 12:46 PM

Check out the Neptune website, www.neptunesys.com

It will tell you what their's does. The other's are much the same.

Flyflicker · #5 10/26/2005, 12:53 PM

Well I guess that answers that question. Just one more... is neptune the best or are there others out there that I should consider?

MCary · #6 10/26/2005, 01:45 PM

I use a neptune jr. I don't know if its the best but it works for me. The Neptune II has an ORP probe port and a serial interface (neither of which I need), I believe the II pro can page you, and the Neptune 3 has a web server so you can check your tanks parameters remotely.

Like I said the Jr is all I need. It can control devices by temperature, time, and pH. Any combination you can think of. Like "Turn on lights at 8 o'clock provided the temperature isn't greater than 80 degrees" If I could add anything it would be the ability to add extra probes of the same type. For instance, I have a pH probe in my tank now and I'm adding a calcium reactor.If I could put a pH probe in the reactor I could monitor and control CO2 going into it with my neptune. But to do that now I need to take the probe out of my tank. I want 2 pH probes. I'm not sure if any controllers can do this altough I know some are working on it.

Mike

Flyflicker · #7 10/26/2005, 04:50 PM

Thanks Mike.