re: How many of you reefkeepers use an aquarium controller

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Not the same guy

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Lol revtree is in Bama just assumed he was a hammer

Didn't think same guy

I am the same name but mostly post on reefcentral

Have a local club board too

Probably the Red Sea Reefer 170

Slight chance i go for the Reefer 250 instead but it depends on how much of a deal that extra $1200 or so would be, plus space in the apartment

Ive priced out how much it will cost to get both versions up and running... the tank itself, plus the equipment like skimmers and reactors, lighting, rock, sand, RODI unit, return pumps, powerheads, etc. etc. etc.

170 is about $3000

250 is about $4200

I have all the exact equipment on an excel sheet on my work PC. Those prices are if i bought everything new and at MSRP. Doesnt include livestock prices

Among the equipment i want:

-Reef Octopus Space Saving Skimmer
-Nanobox Duo lighting(170) or Kessil A360s(250). Nanobox not big enough for 250
-Ecotech Vortex MP10wQD powerhead(170) or MP40wQD(250)
-Bulk Reef Supply RODI and Duo Reactors, plus BRS Rox Carbon and GFO
-Sicce Silent Return Pump
-Flipper Magnet Cleaner
-Reef Cleaners Rock
-CarribSea Pink Fiji live sand
-Red Sea Coral Pro Salt
-Bulk Reef Supply refractometer

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Do you need the Kessil 360s? Going SPS?

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I imagine I would eventually go that route

Kessil 360s are a bit cheaper than an EcoTech Radion setup 250. AI Prime Hydra 26s would be a bit cheaper though

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So you think a Reefer 170 would be a better bet? Its 24x20x20 

The appeal of a 250(36x24) would be more options in terms of livestock

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I am just commenting from a lighting standpoint usually 20x20 or 24x24 foot print

Feels like 36 you could have lit another foot

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Livestock what do you want?

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Looking at clowns, damsels, firefish, gobies, wrasses, flame angel, blennies, and maybe a dottyback or gramma of some sort. Obviously I won't get all of them but those are my options. No tang for a 170, maybe a yellow tang in the 250

Inverts typical clean up crew like hermits and snails, maybe a conch, emerald crabs, shrimp to pair with a goby, cleaner shrimp

Want to put more focus on corals this time around

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How many lights are you pricing for 250?

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2 Kessil A360s at $400 each plus $100 for the control and $40 for the gooseneck = $940

For 2 Ecotech Radions x15s thats 2x $400 plus the mounts at $89 each and the controller for $100 is $1200 which is why I went with the Kessil

I have heard good things about the AI Prime Hydra 26, which I would get 2 of them at $350 each plus $65 each for the mount arms, no need for a controller since its controlled via phone app. That would be $850.

Lighting is an area I would save on the 170, since I would just need one light regardless. I've heard a lot of good about the Nanobox lights. The one I would need for the 170 is $470 and that includes everything - mounting + controller.

So I like the idea of upgrading to a 75 gallons BC it is 4ft and would use all of 2 lights.

Keep us posted- if I get Seattle job my tank goes bye bye

I have yet to be sold on the LEDs exclusively. I've ran halides only, T5/halide combos and T5 only tanks and had the best coloration using the T5 only (ATI Powermodule)

Had a 65g setup last year prior to the August flooding. Looked hard at the LED fixtures and was torn between the AP700 and a reefbuilders Photon V2. . . Ended up sticking with a tried and proven ATI Sunpower for the tank.

Now with the house almost finished, time to start setting up a new tank. This time around it will be a 120 (48"x24") and I may end up trying the LEDs by splurging for a ATI Powermodule. We shall see.

As to the original question, for years I did not run a controller and everything was fine. My first controller was a reefkeeper lite and it was great- controlled lighting,ph,temp, ATO. Before, I had lighting controlled with outlet timers and to be fair, that worked well for years. Was a controller necessary? Absolutely not. But it was helpful and made the more mundane tasks such as topping off water much easier.

With the 65g I set up, I splurged for the Apex classic... being able to monitor the tank parameters from afar was a cool feature. Being able to set failsafes up so that temps are regulated worked well. I even got the DOS attachment that made dosing 2 part very easy. Unfortunately, I did not get the one separate add on that in hindsight would have been the most important... no leak detection sensor for the stand.

Had I had one, the pumps would have shut off when the floodwaters reached the bottom of the stand... not when the floodwaters reached the Apex power strip that was mounted above the level of my sump. And of course, by that time enough nasty flood water had been pumped into the display tank...

Will I have a controller on the next tank? Yep. Is it necessary to maintain a successful reef? Nope. But if you're already spending $$$ on lighting, coral and other equipment, in the long run it's not much more