Innovative Marine 50 Gallon EXT Lagoon

Screenshot_20211123-001645_GHL Connect.jpg

Screenshot_20211123-001640_GHL Connect.jpg


This is almost everyday... lol..
I just laugh at the ghl, e.g. a, piece of **** device ...
And now working for a moment...
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Now i get a leak sensor alarm on my phone. But the display of the profilux does not show any such alarm and nothing is wet..
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Oh and turning on magnetic stirrers doesnt work either...

Notice kalk dose without stirring... then i turned on stirrer manually in app and nothing ... same with other stirrer... assume, unless both stirrers failed, this more software issues...

Closed app, restarted app, a couple times and got stirrers to come on...

Whether they do when theyre supppsed to now--any ones guess...
 
Id say its my wifi, except been watching a movie and browsing the internet, typing on here, without any issue on the couch next to the profilux...

It's just a crappy app and software. Its not the first time ive turned on or off a pump/device in the app, it tell me it went through, and the device not respond...
 
Yup, resigned to the fact my GHL controller is a nightmare. Updated firmware. Watched video, followed it, lost my advanced programming on the "virtual probes" and chiller and heater emergency settings. Vinny at ghl was nice enough to point out that had i read the written instructions it warned that those settings had to be written down and manually reprogrammed because backing up your GHL settings wont back up those settings...

Obviously, what was i thinking?!

A back up of my settings would back up my settings? And silly me thinking watching a 5 minute video was sufficient to up date a computer?

How stupid could i be thinking updating my ghl would not require more than clicking some buttons and following instructions a 5 minute video... obviously, all computers require you to manually reprogram them when they update.. and require you to find a manual online and not miss the footnotes....

OMG! lol, jesus, how about it just updates and my settings don't change, or the back up backs All of them up??? Is that so hard?? Oh, wait, GHL is spending years--and all of its time and resources on new gizmos (and taking mucho $$$$ on preorders!!)--when its basic software SUCKS A FAT DONKEY YOU KNOW WHAT...

For example, and i dont know if this is related to my "update":

Kalk is set to dose 15 times a day, so every hour or so.
Screenshot_20211123-200749_GHL Connect.jpg

But, at 3pm today the dosing pump "history" shows the last dose was at about 9am....
Screenshot_20211123-145829_GHL Connect.jpg


And my ALK dropped 0.5 dkh so far..

Screenshot_20211123-182437_GHL Connect.jpg


Any way, enough bit*hing. I submitted a ticket. Hopefully it's sorted after another few hours of my time gone...

The good news:

New anemone!
20211123_194527.jpg

20211123_194602.jpg


And so far the pest spagetti ulva, is working just fine so far! Grows ridiculously fast, but isn't leaving my refugium into the return section :)

20211123_194810.jpg


Screenshot_20211123-200352_GHL Connect.jpg
 
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Yup, resigned to the fact my GHL controller is a nightmare. Updated firmware. Watched video, followed it, lost my advanced programming on the "virtual probes" and chiller and heater emergency settings. Vinny at ghl was nice enough to point out that had i read the written instructions it warned that those settings had to be written down and manually reprogrammed because backing up your GHL settings wont back up those settings...

Obviously, what was i thinking?!

A back up of my settings would back up my settings? And silly me thinking watching a 5 minute video was sufficient to up date a computer?

How stupid could i be thinking updating my ghl would not require more than clicking some buttons and following instructions a 5 minute video... obviously, all computers require you to manually reprogram them when they update.. and require you to find a manual online and not miss the footnotes....

OMG! lol, jesus, how about it just updates and my settings don't change, or the back up backs All of them up??? Is that so hard?? Oh, wait, GHL is spending years--and all of its time and resources on new gizmos (and taking mucho $$$$ on preorders!!)--when its basic software SUCKS A FAT DONKEY YOU KNOW WHAT...

For example, and i dont know if this is related to my "update":

Kalk is set to dose 15 times a day, so every hour or so.
Screenshot_20211123-200749_GHL Connect.jpg

But, at 3pm today the dosing pump "history" shows the last dose was at about 9am....
Screenshot_20211123-145829_GHL Connect.jpg


And my ALK dropped 0.5 dkh so far..

Screenshot_20211123-182437_GHL Connect.jpg


Any way, enough bit*hing. I submitted a ticket. Hopefully it's sorted after another few hours of my time gone...

The good news:

New anemone!
20211123_194527.jpg

20211123_194602.jpg


And so far the pest spagetti ulva, is working just fine so far! Grows ridiculously fast, but isn't leaving my refugium into the return section :)

20211123_194810.jpg


Screenshot_20211123-200352_GHL Connect.jpg
What kind of computer is supposed to require you to reprogram it every time? That’s patently ridiculous. Sorry for all your hassles there man, you’ve got a complicated system and the tools that are supposed to make it easier to manage are making it harder. Beyond frustrating I’m sure.

On the other hand, cool new nem, I’ve been waiting to check it out. Hopefully it gets happy and extended ASAP. Is that a Colorado or one of the other types?
 
Yup, resigned to the fact my GHL controller is a nightmare. Updated firmware. Watched video, followed it, lost my advanced programming on the "virtual probes" and chiller and heater emergency settings. Vinny at ghl was nice enough to point out that had i read the written instructions it warned that those settings had to be written down and manually reprogrammed because backing up your GHL settings wont back up those settings...

Obviously, what was i thinking?!

A back up of my settings would back up my settings? And silly me thinking watching a 5 minute video was sufficient to up date a computer?

How stupid could i be thinking updating my ghl would not require more than clicking some buttons and following instructions a 5 minute video... obviously, all computers require you to manually reprogram them when they update.. and require you to find a manual online and not miss the footnotes....

OMG! lol, jesus, how about it just updates and my settings don't change, or the back up backs All of them up??? Is that so hard?? Oh, wait, GHL is spending years--and all of its time and resources on new gizmos (and taking mucho $$$$ on preorders!!)--when its basic software SUCKS A FAT DONKEY YOU KNOW WHAT...

For example, and i dont know if this is related to my "update":

Kalk is set to dose 15 times a day, so every hour or so.
Screenshot_20211123-200749_GHL Connect.jpg

But, at 3pm today the dosing pump "history" shows the last dose was at about 9am....
Screenshot_20211123-145829_GHL Connect.jpg


And my ALK dropped 0.5 dkh so far..

Screenshot_20211123-182437_GHL Connect.jpg


Any way, enough bit*hing. I submitted a ticket. Hopefully it's sorted after another few hours of my time gone...

The good news:

New anemone!
20211123_194527.jpg

20211123_194602.jpg


And so far the pest spagetti ulva, is working just fine so far! Grows ridiculously fast, but isn't leaving my refugium into the return section :)

20211123_194810.jpg


Screenshot_20211123-200352_GHL Connect.jpg
Oh no! Hopefully this is not 'normal'.
 
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OMG what is this gem? Stunning!
I copied your photo to keep the post short.

It's apparently a colorado sunburst anemone. The back of the tank right there gets hit with a reefbrite actinic and fiji purple t5, directly, so i think that really brings out the color...
 
What kind of computer is supposed to require you to reprogram it every time? That’s patently ridiculous. Sorry for all your hassles there man, you’ve got a complicated system and the tools that are supposed to make it easier to manage are making it harder. Beyond frustrating I’m sure.

On the other hand, cool new nem, I’ve been waiting to check it out. Hopefully it gets happy and extended ASAP. Is that a Colorado or one of the other types?

Im not trying to bash GHL, i am just being totally honest about how i feel when using this controller. There's so many reefers that feel compelled to defend the products they purchase.

I am the opposite. It if bothers me, ill post about it. Maybe somebody from GHL will listen. I put it on blast because these posts will at least make anyone considering a ghl research it.

You have to want to really geek out on a controller to enjoy using a GHL in my opinion. Theres a video and multi page instructions for EVERYTHING for a reason. It is the opposite of plug and play. They obviously focus narrowly and blindly on the hardware tech. The hardware feels well built. If you get a hard on for hefty metal gear, you'll like ghl products.

That said, i trust my $50 hanna alk checker far more than my $800 kh director! Id challenge anyone who said different. Before i change any dosing amounts, i verify my alk with the hanna. Too many failure points and/or things that mess up a reading on the kh director. All thing i have had cause ridiculous readings:

- vent tube submerged.
- calibration of ph probe in unit.
- calibration of sample tube.
- calibration of reagent dosing pump to tester.
- tubes popping off dosing unit.
- testing occuring while 2 part dosing (there is no setting to prevent a test during dosing--you have figure that out with the two schedules....).

They're are no plug and play wizards. You must learn the system. The wifi connection is totally manual and is transport in time back to the 1990's. The app is like browsing the internet with a dial up connection. Slow and frustrating and you wont use it longer than you absolutely have to.

I basically dred doing anything new on it. When programming ive already done gets erased, its like spending the day on massive sand castle with your kid and then some ******* comes and kicks it over... you aint gunna rebuild right away. You're deflated and thats just not enjoyable. Even my buddy that will praise ghl all day hasnt updated his software for the same reason... too much work if you fu*k it up...

So anyway, other controllers may be better or worse in some respects. But if i had to do it over again, i wouldnt buy this controller. I would not buy any controller quite frankly. Manual switches and few alarms would do me just fine... just like my first reeg tank years ago...

Sucks i already have a full setup for the 200 gallon. Ill just grit my teeth and deal and learn all the quirks. But i wont blow any smoke up any ones but about how thousands of dollars are worth this headache. Hopefully it saves the tank one day and its worth it.
 
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I don’t see you as bashing GHL by posting your experiences. There are clearly problems and if nobody ever brings them to light then they’ll never get addressed. Nothing wrong with pointing out where things could be better. Your patience far exceeds mine, I woulda ran the thing over with my car a long time ago. I’m thankful my Apex does what I need it to do without too much fuss but I’m not exactly using it to it’s fullest potential.
 
I don’t see you as bashing GHL by posting your experiences. There are clearly problems and if nobody ever brings them to light then they’ll never get addressed. Nothing wrong with pointing out where things could be better. Your patience far exceeds mine, I woulda ran the thing over with my car a long time ago. I’m thankful my Apex does what I need it to do without too much fuss but I’m not exactly using it to it’s fullest potential.

Yeah my perspective is evolving.

Stated really simply, as an example, i use to think guys like Ryan at BRS didnt promote ghl because he made more money on, owned, or was friends with guys at Neptune.

Now i just realize, guys like him have been around this hobby a long time--selling things to reefers. And he has learned that usability is king.

Ghl us not user friendly so BRS simply didnt carry the brand for a long while and he/they dont really promote it now because it still sucks from a usability perspective. There's a following, but no one there even praises it software.

I'd take my old aqua controller jr over my ghl 24/7 seven days a week and twice on Sunday.
 
That’s a beauty for sure. I like the cradle you made to mount it as well. Hopefully it stays put until you transfer it to the big tank.
 
Pest spaghetti ulva macro is working out so far, hope it stays that way... PH is consistently back above 8.2. Nitrates holding in the 20ppm's.

The carbon dosing rather quickly produced slime in sump and PH dropped quite a bit. Maybe i dosed too quickly too much, but it was only a few mls a day and much less to start.

Regardless, the macro in the refugium isnt spreading and isnt being a detritus trap. It actually has attached to plastic sump at the bottom and grows straight up like some strains of calurpa. Looks like miniature kelp growing, pretty sure its an ulva variety of sorts. Within a week or so thr entire refugium sectiom went from empty to entirely full. Exponentially faster growth than chaeto.

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Pest spaghetti ulva macro is working out so far, hope it stays that way... PH is consistently back above 8.2. Nitrates holding in the 20ppm's.

The carbon dosing rather quickly produced slime in sump and PH dropped quite a bit. Maybe i dosed too quickly too much, but it was only a few mls a day and much less to start.

Regardless, the macro in the refugium isnt spreading and isnt being a detritus trap. It actually has attached to plastic sump at the bottom and grows straight up like some strains of calurpa. Looks like miniature kelp growing, pretty sure its an ulva variety of sorts. Within a week or so thr entire refugium sectiom went from empty to entirely full. Exponentially faster growth than chaeto.

20211125_220248.jpg
20211125_223043.jpg
Sounds like you kinda got lucky in a way with that macro. Might not know what it is but it’s doing the job and better than cheato would. I’ll take the mystery kelp for the win.
 
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I should sell this stuff... lol...

It's really easy to harvest, grows like super weed, does not collect detritus, and i am happy with it for rhe macro refugium(so far.... lol).

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