Do I really need a controller (Apex or Hydros)?

[Jmp998]

You can get really fancy and complicated with a controller, and I do use mine for some mildly complex but totally unnecessary tasks (e.g. one button to go into 'water change mode', use it to control feeding when I am at work, automatically turn off stand lights if I forget, etc).

But for me the most important part of the controller is that it provides real time monitoring and notifications if something is out of whack-temperature, pH, power consumption, etc out of normal ranges, and even leak detection with Hydros. When I was out of town years ago I had a power blink or something that tripped a circuit breaker, tank went completely unpowered, and I lost almost everything including corals and fish I had for years. With a properly configured controller, I would have known and could have had someone flip the power back on within 30 minutes and everything would have been fine.

Of course you can also do backup power supplies, dual heaters, dual return pumps, and otherwise try to prepare for what might go wrong, but then you need something to manage that, and you need to figure out all of the potential problems in advance. To me it seems simpler to just get a notification that something is wrong, and know I need to go fix it.

Plus it is a fun toy .

 

[Reeferbadness]

I bought the Red Sea Max S 1000 and went all in on Red Sea in January. I got the Apex system because everyone rants and raves about it.

I’ll probably catch hate, but I have been nothing but disappointed. The probes are almost always incorrect despite multiple calibrations, the trident has had the hoses pop off multiple times internally, and it is a bit unsightly against the red, white, and black of the Red Sea aesthetic.

The positives I would give it are regulating my heaters, timing my Kalk Stirrer, Plank auto feeder, and Ozone (Avast is great, Customer service super responsive to questions. Shout out to Dan). It also shows how much electricity draw you have going to each outlet for utility budgeting/issues.

All in all, Red Sea does just fine with their app and products (without programming anything) and I would rather do my own testing to be 100% sure the numbers are accurate now. Get it for kicks with on/off controller settings if you want, but knowing what I know now, I would have spent my money elsewhere.

I don’t rely on my apex probes at all - all are off - but I know about how much they are off as a reference point. I added a Trident and that is very helpful - now I only test Phos and Nitrate 2x a week. With the Red Sea dozer I can also adjust dosing based on Trident readings in real time even when traveling. Apex also helps u with other devices ( on / off + schedules ) My $.02

 

[Spare time]

I've never used one

 

[kentexan3]

Yep as reefer Matt said “insurance on your investment”. Love my hydros

 

[Doctorgori]

I do use mine for some mildly complex but totally unnecessary tasks

Dig this, if you can’t do unnecessary stuff with your money what’s the point? I’m currently struggling with mine for photo lighting, feed modes, maintenance et… point being some “unnecessary” task are likewise convenient

OP my take away here is many of us Neptune users were not so much early adopters so much as Neptune was really just “early to market” and filled a badly needed niche pre Hydros, et …
Be also advised, Neptune has marketed some winners but also continues to make some duds; those 1” Flow sensors for starters, also Trident is a game changer but that manifold and case was engineered/outsourced to a community college…

 

[apb03]

You definitely do not need a controller device. In fact I believe everyone should feel comfortable running a tank without one.

Controllers are indeed required, the only question is if the controller is a human or not.

 

[Doctorgori]

You definitely do not need a controller device. In fact I believe everyone should feel comfortable running a tank without one.

Controllers are indeed required, the only question is if the controller is a human or not.

One upon a time, back when Reef lights were white, and tangs were cheap we had to hand dose everything and based off of API test kits to boot. IF i wrote the book “ Reef Tanks for Dummies” 2nd chapter would be testing and dosing

 

[TylerHaworth]

I just rejoined the hobby a few months ago from a 5+ year break… So far I’ve found zero reason to pick up a controller.

INKBIRD controls temp and shoots me a notice if something is wrong… Requires no attention.

Reefbeat controls ATO and Reefmat and shoots me a notice if something is wrong… Requires no attention.

Mobius controls two lights, four power heads, a return pump, and a dosing pump… This is the only app I look at, and that’s just maybe twice per week since I’m still dialing in dosing.

The only thing I lack at the moment is a ph probe, which will get added in as dosing requirements get more intense… This again will be a reactive/safety device that will essentially only be needed in order to notify me in case of an emergency.

I really can’t justify spending the money on a controller when it’s not going to do anything more than what I’ve got with on-board controllers.

 

[MUTiger]

I just rejoined the hobby a few months ago from a 5+ year break… So far I’ve found zero reason to pick up a controller.

INKBIRD controls temp and shoots me a notice if something is wrong… Requires no attention.

Reefbeat controls ATO and Reefmat and shoots me a notice if something is wrong… Requires no attention.

Mobius controls two lights, four power heads, a return pump, and a dosing pump… This is the only app I look at, and that’s just maybe twice per week since I’m still dialing in dosing.

The only thing I lack at the moment is a ph probe, which will get added in as dosing requirements get more intense… This again will be a reactive device that will essentially only be needed in order to notify me in case of an emergency.

I really can’t justify spending the money on a controller when it’s not going to do anything more than what I’ve got with on-board controllers.

As the original poster, my point exactly. All of my equipment has its own controller/app. The icons on my smart phone are grouped together and easy to access. Sure, all my equipment is not controlled by one app, but is that such a big problem?

My apps on my phone:

 

[Dragen Fiend]

No you don't need it for what you currently have. Unless you want everything ran by a single app. If I ever did a big build which I'm starting to re-think about. Initially was a 65 gallon. But with a move soon and way more space. I may go with a 175 gallon tank. In which case I'm likely going with hydros because of its adaptability and how you can expand with it.

 

[Joe.D]

I have a Red Sea 350 with Red Sea wavemakers and LED’s and an Apex, Trident and Apex Dos.

I like having all of the controls in one place and setting up macros for feeding or cleaning. I like the alarms that you can set should something get out of range. I like controlling my dosing all in one app. I agree with previous poster that the Trident tests can get wonky, but I test Alk, Nitrate and Phosphate weekly with Hannah testers and Calcium bi-weekly with Red Sea. If trident is off significantly in comparison, I’ll recalibrate to my test kit numbers - it’s actually been pretty good doing it this way. I do not get good results calibrating to the fluid that comes with reagents.

Since I travel for work a lot, I like having one dashboard when I’m gone.

I have had the lines disconnect in the Trident - that’s a pain.

 

[DJ Mike Fury]

Considering how much we invest in our livestock, it’s a no brainer these days to get one. If I had one just over 10 years ago, I could have avoided a tank crash due to a heater that was stuck on. Hydros is my go to now for over 3 years. It’s already saved my tank as well as my house about 3 or 4 solid times already. Two were heater related as they simply just fail as we all know. Another two saved my floor with the leak detectors. Besides safety, they help make you be a more successful reefer by taking on some of the tasks on your behalf so that you can focus on other areas. Lastly, considering a full fledged Hydros module starts at $199, it’s a no brainer.

 

[MUTiger]

Considering how much we invest in our livestock, it’s a no brainer these days to get one. If I had one just over 10 years ago, I could have avoided a tank crash due to a heater that was stuck on. Hydros is my go to now for over 3 years. It’s already saved my tank as well as my house about 3 or 4 solid times already. Two were heater related as they simply just fail as we all know. Another two saved my floor with the leak detectors. Besides safety, they help make you be a more successful reefer by taking on some of the tasks on your behalf so that you can focus on other areas. Lastly, considering a full fledged Hydros module starts at $199, it’s a no brainer.

I understand protecting your livestock, but as far as a heater getting stuck on, my inkbird prevents that and continuously displays the tank temperature on my phone (see below). As for a leak, I have never been concerned about that and even if it happened and I am out of town, what am I going to do about it?

I think that as individual devices become WiFi capable, controllers become a redundant, expensive, and fancy gadget that are fun to have, but unnecessary.

 

[Hooz]

You don't need a controller to be successful, but they certainly are handy for some things. I've fought the urge for quite some time, but finally caved and got my first one last week (Hydros) for a tank build I'm doing.

I will say this... I think it's much easier to do a controller from the start of a build than to add one after the fact. I'm purchasing all my hardware (pumps, heaters, dosing pumps, etc, etc) with the controller in mind. So everything will be compatible, and I won't have to "rebuy" equipment I already have.

If you're already setup in an ecosystem, you'd really have to decide if the features you could potentially add (control, monitoring, testing, etc) with a controller are enough beyond what you already have to make it worth the money.