Are controllers worth it for smaller tanks?

[SwiftStorm]

Just learned the hard way one of the reasons to have a controller.

I lost my red scooter blenny and couldn't figure out how he died. I have been supplementing pods regularly and he was very active. When removing him from the tank I noticed the water was very (86 degrees) warm. I feel lucky it was only one fish. I guess I bumped my Neo Therm a while back while cleaning in the sump area. Not sure how long this had been this way but my nem split a while back.

 

[Jcat2k]

While controllers are not necessary on any tank, they can and will make your life a lot easier and assist in you being successful.

I have two reasons I am pro-controller:
1 - Heaters fail. I personally had a heater fail on my 125 to where it was always on and I went to target feed one night and my water was hot. Like 85F hot. So having my Apex gives me the peace of mind of knowing I have another device watching my back.

2 - Vacations. It is really nice to be able to check in on my tank while I'm gone and know everything's OK. I probably check my tank once a day while I'm out of town.

Reason to be anti-controller:
1 - Investment. None of the quality controllers are cheap. Whether you go Apex, Profilux, etc. If I could redo things now, I would probably get the ApexEL as I have the Apex 2016 and don't care about my ORP and I have AI Hydras so I have no need for the 0-10v control.

+1 I got the ApexEL for the exact reasons so eloquently stated above. (Insert EcoTech Radion XR15 in place of AI Hydra)

 

[Mjl714]

If you can afford it, they’re great. Many years I went without, now I really like controllers. Love the heater range backup, the outlet control for feeding, maintenance, etc. Consider a lower cost controller for your smaller tank. I have an older Apex Jr on an IM Fusion 30L.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Just learned the hard way one of the reasons to have a controller.

I lost my red scooter blenny and couldn't figure out how he died. I have been supplementing pods regularly and he was very active. When removing him from the tank I noticed the water was very (86 degrees) warm. I feel lucky it was only one fish. I guess I bumped my Neo Therm a while back while cleaning in the sump area. Not sure how long this had been this way but my nem split a while back.

Controllers are like having a butler. monitoring twice a week is beneficial and although sorry for your loss, the good news is that you located the source rather than tackling a mystery or disease.