Hydros Owners: how happy are you long term?

[Joe31415]

The Tunze is turning the pump on and off when the ATO output the way I understand

Yes, the entire Tunze ATO standalone system is plugged into a wifi outlet. So far as I know, the Hydros isn't aware that it's not turning the actual pump itself off and on. From it's POV, I can't imagine it would care. Especially since I don't have the hydros handling ATO, I just told it where to find the ATO pump.

it will turn on the ATO to fill to full before starting the AWC if needed

I didn't know that. Any way to defeat that setting? I could see it causing problems.
Also, as I'm thinking about it, it kinda defeats it's own purpose. I can see the logic of wanting to make sure the tank is properly topped off with RODI before starting an AWC that's ended by a level sensor (as opposed to running both pumps for X minutes or gallons). But since, when the sensor reads 'dry', it's not that it doesn't start the AWC, it's that it doesn't perform the drain function first. For example, mine is set to start at 1:00, drain for 20 minutes then fill back up until it hits the sensor. However, if the water is below the sensor at 1:00, nothing happens. At 1:20 it'll fill back up to the sensor with saltwater.
It seems to me, it should stop the entire AWC, not just the draining part.

The Drive port has a maximum output of 1 amp so if the Tunze pump needs more than that it can cause an issue

I'll have to look at the pump. I can't find the specs online and none of the pictures I see online show the label with the current or wattage.

How do you use the pumps manually without turning them on and off from the app?

I switch them between On and Auto. That's easy enough for me to remember. What would be more difficult to remember is if I left the AWC schedule intact and had to remember to switch it between Off and On, but when I want the AWC to run, I have to go back and forth between Auto and On. Also, remember to only do it for this pump, not for anything else I have set up that isn't on a schedule.
Either a pause button for the schedule or an enable/disable slider would be a lot more helpful.

click on Device Properties and there is a button there named Review Archived Versions.

But aren't those previous versions of the firmware? Wait, what are those? I'm looking at mine and it's showing one or two most days. And looking at it closer it's showing one from today, marked "Latest" (with a grayed out button) right at the time I made my first post in this thread. Maybe it is a back up?
How friggen confusing. If that's a back up, what are the "Save Config" and "Load Config" buttons for? What about the "Copy Properties" button? What did I actually save when I hit 'Save Config" and how do I access it?

While I'm hear, is it possible to run the WaveEngine without a power cord? Part of the reason I picked it up was to elimnate some of the clutter, but it just seems to be adding more of it's own. I thought with the cord running from the Control to the WE, it would be able to drive the pump(s). I don't remember what my issue was, but I remember it couldn't do it. I think I started having Collective issues.

 

[n2585722]

Yes, the entire Tunze ATO standalone system is plugged into a wifi outlet. So far as I know, the Hydros isn't aware that it's not turning the actual pump itself off and on. From it's POV, I can't imagine it would care. Especially since I don't have the hydros handling ATO, I just told it where to find the ATO pump.


I didn't know that. Any way to defeat that setting? I could see it causing problems.
Also, as I'm thinking about it, it kinda defeats it's own purpose. I can see the logic of wanting to make sure the tank is properly topped off with RODI before starting an AWC that's ended by a level sensor (as opposed to running both pumps for X minutes or gallons). But since, when the sensor reads 'dry', it's not that it doesn't start the AWC, it's that it doesn't perform the drain function first. For example, mine is set to start at 1:00, drain for 20 minutes then fill back up until it hits the sensor. However, if the water is below the sensor at 1:00, nothing happens. At 1:20 it'll fill back up to the sensor with saltwater.
It seems to me, it should stop the entire AWC, not just the draining part.


I'll have to look at the pump. I can't find the specs online and none of the pictures I see online show the label with the current or wattage.


I switch them between On and Auto. That's easy enough for me to remember. What would be more difficult to remember is if I left the AWC schedule intact and had to remember to switch it between Off and On, but when I want the AWC to run, I have to go back and forth between Auto and On. Also, remember to only do it for this pump, not for anything else I have set up that isn't on a schedule.
Either a pause button for the schedule or an enable/disable slider would be a lot more helpful.


But aren't those previous versions of the firmware? Wait, what are those? I'm looking at mine and it's showing one or two most days. And looking at it closer it's showing one from today, marked "Latest" (with a grayed out button) right at the time I made my first post in this thread. Maybe it is a back up?
How friggen confusing. If that's a back up, what are the "Save Config" and "Load Config" buttons for? What about the "Copy Properties" button? What did I actually save when I hit 'Save Config" and how do I access it?

While I'm hear, is it possible to run the WaveEngine without a power cord? Part of the reason I picked it up was to elimnate some of the clutter, but it just seems to be adding more of it's own. I thought with the cord running from the Control to the WE, it would be able to drive the pump(s). I don't remember what my issue was, but I remember it couldn't do it. I think I started having Collective issues.

The Hydros has to have direct control of all three pumps for the AWC to work. What is happening is it is trying to fill to full but since that may not happen it never turn on the drain but since the full sensor is not wet it assumes it did drain and fills to full. The reason is it turns off the ATO when the AWC starts after initial fill untill the AWC sequence is complete. The ATO will not resume until the fill pump fills to full. So if it did not fill to full the ATO would not work again as long as the full sensor is not wet during the end of the AWC. I use a dual head pump for AWC and I could not get it to work with the AWC built into the Hydros either since there is only the one pump. It would work as long as the full sensor was full throughout the AWC sequence. When it went low during the sequence the ATO would quit working. My issue was there was no fill pump to fill it back to the full sensor. I was using the drain output to run the single pump.I just use a dosing pump schedule with it for AWC.

There is a Depends On setting in the schedule you can use to do what you want also. It would require you to setup an output that you can turn on if you want the schedule to stop. Just set the depends on to the output you setup and set it to off if on. Then when you turn that output on it will override the schedule and keep it from running.

Those are saved to the cloud and are not saved locally. I think the other save you do saves it on the device you are using when you save it and it does not go to the cloud. Since it automatically saves the setup to the cloud every time you change a setting the other really is not needed in my opinion.

No, the WaveEngine has to be powered by its power supply. Also you will have to remove the power pack for the controllers when you hook up the WaveEngine. The power packs cannot be connected to a buss that is powered with another source such as a WaveEngine or XP8. The buss can power the WaveEngine brain but not the pumps. So if you want to run the pumps form the WaveEngine you need to run it with its power supply, but remove the power pack that came with your controller. To use in a collective the control buss requires at least one terminator to work. The power packs you are getting rid of are the ones with the pump you connect directly to the direct drive outputs of the WaveEngine.

 

[FishyFishFish]

It’s been mentioned before that the Tunze pump can’t be driven from the drive ports.

Do you have the Tunze set up as an ATO? I think that confuses the Hydros. I have mine as a generic output.

 

[n2585722]

It’s been mentioned before that the Tunze pump can’t be driven from the drive ports.

Do you have the Tunze set up as an ATO? I think that confuses the Hydros. I have mine as a generic output.

The issue is that the auto water change regimen has to have full control of the ATO pump, sump drain pump and salt water fill pump to work correctly. To use that regimen you cannot have the ATO controlled outside of the hydros controller by another controller. The ATO is part of the auto water change regimen and not the normal Hydros ATO setup.

 

[FishyFishFish]

The issue is that the auto water change regimen has to have full control of the ATO pump, sump drain pump and salt water fill pump to work correctly. To use that regimen you cannot have the ATO controlled outside of the hydros controller by another controller. The ATO is part of the auto water change regimen and not the normal Hydros ATO setup.

Yes, I understand that. The AWC complicates things but I initially set up my Tunze ATO using the Hydros ATO output, which clearly doesn’t work.

It’s obvious in hindsight, but I just thought I was naming the output and not adding functionality to it.

 

[n2585722]

Yes, I understand that. The AWC complicates things but I initially set up my Tunze ATO using the Hydros ATO output, which clearly doesn’t work.

It’s obvious in hindsight, but I just thought I was naming the output and not adding functionality to it.

You can use the Hydros as a backup if you have a water level sensor on the Hydros set a little higher than the ATO level sensor you have using a generic output. That may be what you are doing. I just want to make sure you knew that with the AWC regimen it requires that the Hydros controls the ATO also within the AWC regimen.

 

[n2585722]

@Joe31415 Here is a link to way that someone came up with to do auto water changes before they had the built in regimen. The built in regimen may be based on this. since it is several outputs setup individually you may be able to modify it in a way it will work the way you want it. Be sure and test anything you do to make sure it behaves the way you want it to.

Auto Water Change (Advanced Users ONLY)

For those who want to do an auto water change before Coralvue releases their easy AWC profile, I figured out how to do it with what's available now, but its not super straight forward and very detailed oriented. The following is for advanced users, if you do try this make sure to proceed with...

forum.coralvuehydros.com

 

[Coling]

I read that with the wireless power outlets, if Wi-Fi was lost and the dosing pump was dosing and the ATO was filling up, that the doser and ATO would continue running until Wi-Fi connected again. Is this correct?

If so, now that there is the hardwired power strip with the Wi-Fi controller, what happens if the Wi-Fi goes out? Does the controller continue to work as it did and you just can’t make adjustments until Wi-Fi is connected? Or would it be a situation where dosers and pumps could potentially keep running until Wi-Fi is connected?

I’m wanting a controller mainly for a fail safe/monitoring so just want to avoid a potential crisis.

 

[WVNed]

I am very happy with mine.
The X4 came. I followed the directions and made a collective.

Now I have temp, pH and ORP probes logging data.
Now I am thinking what else I can do. I think a kalk reactor DIY build is next.
I have been doing ATO/AWC a long time now with a wireless power strip I haven't had any problems but my network is stable.

I think I will put up a second wireless power strip I already have here. I need more ports for the feed pump for the kalk reactor.


Since the X8 uses a cable to communicate instead of wireless it continues to function and follow the programming if the network drops.

 

[Coling]

Thank you for the response! I’m sold. Have one in my BRS shopping cart now.

One more question…..I’m planning to dose Kalkwasser and want to dose smaller amounts as many times a day as possible or even continuously. Any recommendations for a dosing pump that I can control with the Hydros/turn off if my pH or kH reaches a certain limit? I thought about the BRS 50 mL/minute doser but not sure if I could have it run for a minute every 15 minutes (I think this would be more stable than hourly, which is the max my Coral Boxer doser can do)? Also hoping there is a continuous doser that can be controlled by the Hydros.

 

[n2585722]

Thank you for the response! I’m sold. Have one in my BRS shopping cart now.

One more question…..I’m planning to dose Kalkwasser and want to dose smaller amounts as many times a day as possible or even continuously. Any recommendations for a dosing pump that I can control with the Hydros/turn off if my pH or kH reaches a certain limit? I thought about the BRS 50 mL/minute doser but not sure if I could have it run for a minute every 15 minutes (I think this would be more stable than hourly, which is the max my Coral Boxer doser can do)? Also hoping there is a continuous doser that can be controlled by the Hydros.

Which controller are you getting? The X4 and X2 have drive ports you can use to run the Hydros dosing pump and the Hydros ATO pump with and will not need the wifi strips for those. Any dosing pump that runs when powered can be controlled with the Hydros as a simple doser. The issue you may run into is the Hydros has to have at least a 2 second run time each time it runs. So that may limit how many times you run it during the day if you use the hydros pump since it is 43ml per minute.If you are going to run dosing pumps, ATO pumps and AWC pumps on AC outlets I would suggest using a XP8 it has 8 AC outputs on it but is a controller itself so It does not rely on a controller via wifi to turn the outlets on or off. It can be added to a collective with one or more of the other controllers to give it inputs to use to control the outputs. One of the Pro kits come with this and one of the other controllers with all the cables and terminators needed to hook them together in a collective. The XP8 also powers the buss to power the other controllers so the power pack would need to be removed if you have one. The pro packs do not include this sine the XP8 will power the other controllers.

Yes, the wifi strips will need to get a command from the controller to change it's state each time regardless of the controller you have. So wifi is a must for those to work correctly but internet is not needed once everything has been setup for it to continue to run. If you have a phone you can always connect to the controller or collective via the wifi master with bluetooth. That is limited to only being able to turn on or off outputs you cannot change any programming without wifi and internet.

 

[Coling]

Which controller are you getting? The X4 and X2 have drive ports you can use to run the Hydros dosing pump and the Hydros ATO pump with and will not need the wifi strips for those. Any dosing pump that runs when powered can be controlled with the Hydros as a simple doser. The issue you may run into is the Hydros has to have at least a 2 second run time each time it runs. So that may limit how many times you run it during the day if you use the hydros pump since it is 43ml per minute.If you are going to run dosing pumps, ATO pumps and AWC pumps on AC outlets I would suggest using a XP8 it has 8 AC outputs on it but is a controller itself so It does not rely on a controller via wifi to turn the outlets on or off. It can be added to a collective with one or more of the other controllers to give it inputs to use to control the outputs. One of the Pro kits come with this and one of the other controllers with all the cables and terminators needed to hook them together in a collective. The XP8 also powers the buss to power the other controllers so the power pack would need to be removed if you have one. The pro packs do not include this sine the XP8 will power the other controllers.

Yes, the wifi strips will need to get a command from the controller to change it's state each time regardless of the controller you have. So wifi is a must for those to work correctly but internet is not needed once everything has been setup for it to continue to run. If you have a phone you can always connect to the controller or collective via the wifi master with bluetooth. That is limited to only being able to turn on or off outputs you cannot change any programming without wifi and internet.

Thank you! I definitely want to go with XP8 (it’s in my shopping cart).
So with the Hydros doser hooked up to the drive port of my controller, could I control it to dose X ml every 15 minutes and automatically shut off if my pH or kH exceeds a certain value? Based on my calculations I should need to dose approximately 2500 mL/day of Kalkwasser (I’ll also be dosing Aquaforest components with my Coral Box doser but realize there is really no way to integrate that)
And if the controller loses connection, the doser will keep dosing as programmed and still have the shut off fail safe if it exceeds the set pH or kH?

 

[Coling]

And are you saying if I plugged in the BRS 50 ml/min doser into one of my XP8 outlets I would be able to program the Hydros to dose it every 15 minute?
Sorry for being complicated. I’m new to controllers and not super tech savvy.

 

[n2585722]

You can use a BRS doing pump on the XP8 outlets. I don't use kalkwasser but below are screenshots of my All For Reef dosing pump setup and schedule setup for it. Also is a log for that output. You input the daily dose you want and then how many doses during the day. This one is also setup for dynamic dosing so the dose is dependent on the pH reading. You don't have to use dynamic dosing but you could for that. I was testing the dynamic dosing and so I have the minimum and maximum close so I don't go too far. All For Reef doesn't not change the pH that much anyway. Not quickly anyway. The output the dosing pump is connected to is set in Output Device. This is not a Hydros pump but it is a 12v pump that is connected to a drive port. I did have to make my own cable to hook it to the port. At the time the Hydros dosing pump or the XP8 were not available.

 

[Coling]

You can use a BRS doing pump on the XP8 outlets. I don't use kalkwasser but below are screenshots of my All For Reef dosing pump setup and schedule setup for it. Also is a log for that output. You input the daily dose you want and then how many doses during the day. This one is also setup for dynamic dosing so the dose is dependent on the pH reading. You don't have to use dynamic dosing but you could for that. I was testing the dynamic dosing and so I have the minimum and maximum close so I don't go too far. All For Reef doesn't not change the pH that much anyway. Not quickly anyway. The output the dosing pump is connected to is set in Output Device. This is not a Hydros pump but it is a 12v pump that is connected to a drive port. I did have to make my own cable to hook it to the port. At the time the Hydros dosing pump or the XP8 were not available.

This was very helpful! Thank you!!

 

[n2585722]

This was very helpful! Thank you!!

Here is one that does not use dynamic dosing. This is my auto water change which is done with a dual head dosing pump. The limit right now is a daily dose of 500ml. This is not an issue in most cases but with water change I go over that amount. To get around that I divided the actual flow rate of the pump by 10. The actual flow rate is 83ml. The actual amount of the water change is 2757ml. I also divided that by 10 and use that amount as the daily dosing amount. They way I came up with those is it used be done on a timer and ran for 11 minutes three times a day. So I was trying to get as close to that as possible. So the flow rate in the pump setting and schedule is 8.3ml and the daily dose in the schedule is 275.7ml. So in the log when it show 91.9ml it is actually 919ml. This one does the change 3 time a day. I set the start time and end time so they would fall on the same times as with the timer which was 7am, 1pm and 7pm. The reason for the 11 minutes on each dose is it logs after the dose period ends. If you were dosing something it would be done the same with the exception of dividing by 10 unless you want to dose over 500ml in a 24hr period. This is also a 12v pump and run off a drive port.

 

[polyppal]

Anyone have a review of the XP8? Still haven’t seen these available anywhere but know some were able to pick them up early…

 

[n2585722]

Anyone have a review of the XP8? Still haven’t seen these available anywhere but know some were able to pick them up early…

They have been selling out as soon as the dealers get them in. You just have to catch them when they are in stock. Is there something specific you want to know about them. I was beta testing one for several months. I never had any issues with it. It is part of a collective of 8 controllers. I do have it at the tank and use it to power my return pump, skimmer and two heaters. I did have it controlling a couple of reactor pumps also but the reactors are not on the tank at this time.

 

[n2585722]

Anyone have a review of the XP8? Still haven’t seen these available anywhere but know some were able to pick them up early…

Bulk Reef Supply has the pro packs in stock with the XP8 and either a X3 or X4 if you are looking for one of those.

Coralvue Hydros Aquarium Controller

Bulk Reef Supply - Saltwater Aquarium Supplies for Reef Tanks

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[fragit]

I’m interested in maybe getting a hydros. My controller goals are to monitor and maybe do some basic safety control. Do all the hydros controllers actually track and chart Ph? I was about to go GHL mini (have their doser) but read it only monitors Ph and does not track it. And can I see a screen shot of what that looks like?