Auquanut
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My Tank Thread
"Keep It Simple Stupid" or something like that.
K.I.S.S., no controller needed here
- Thread starter Just_Pete
- Start date
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Rollman
Active Member
I think I utilize kiss with reefing. ATO, dose, lights on auto. For me tho, part of the hobby is the technology and I like the backup of apex notifications as part of my redundancy. We spend for corals, I like additional protection
slojim
Active Member
no controller for me, and I've never had one. But I am thinking I will eventually get one on this tank - primarily to improve my odds against wet floors and having to replace them. shut down skimmer on high level, shut down return pump and heater on a leak detector signal - that kind of thing. I don't feel like I need it for the aquarium itself. That said, I don't necessarily have someone I can trust to look after it when I'm away from home, so some remote monitoring would be interesting. This last time I had an issue with my ATO (my fault - last minute change - I knew better) and I came back a few days later with my return spitting air into the tank.
I honestly think that the next wave of future controllers will come down dramatically in price, and not have a single point of failure, nor have the heavy initial price tag of a main brain.
With most of the new equipment on the market coming equipped with wifi and or bluetooth, I think we are going to start seeing smart centralized app to control it all.
With most of the new equipment on the market coming equipped with wifi and or bluetooth, I think we are going to start seeing smart centralized app to control it all.
My lights are on their own controllers - radions w/reeflink for the DT, AI Sol Blues with their "controller" on the FT, and a pair of Kessil A360w's on the QT that use a standard lamp timer.
2 x BRS 1.1ml dosing pumps on both the DT and FT that use digital lamp timers.
No ATO or any other automation for me. I top off the tanks as needed - every other day or so in the winter, every 2-3 days in the summer, as needed. They all get checked daily.
I trust myself to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. ATO's can fail, as can any other "autorun" type device. I'll pass, TYVM.
2 x BRS 1.1ml dosing pumps on both the DT and FT that use digital lamp timers.
No ATO or any other automation for me. I top off the tanks as needed - every other day or so in the winter, every 2-3 days in the summer, as needed. They all get checked daily.
I trust myself to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. ATO's can fail, as can any other "autorun" type device. I'll pass, TYVM.
ca1ore
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Not really sure how to respond …..
My first thought was that if you're really about keeping things simple, don't get a reef tank.
My second thought was to 'lecture' about the difference between complexity and complication. A reef tank is inherently complex, but it doesn't have to be complicated.
My third thought was that automation adds a certain level of complexity, but it also simplifies tasks. So it's a push.
I ran reef tanks for 25 years without a controller; the last 5 with one. Current tank looks better than any of the others so must be the controller .......
My first thought was that if you're really about keeping things simple, don't get a reef tank.
My second thought was to 'lecture' about the difference between complexity and complication. A reef tank is inherently complex, but it doesn't have to be complicated.
My third thought was that automation adds a certain level of complexity, but it also simplifies tasks. So it's a push.
I ran reef tanks for 25 years without a controller; the last 5 with one. Current tank looks better than any of the others so must be the controller .......
Coralvue is coming out with a $200 and a $400 controller, so that puts it under $500. Having multiple pieces of equiptment on individual controllers seems like the polar opposite of K.I.S.S. when weighed against having a single controller to set up, especially when the single controller can be set up to control certain groups of equiptment based on events in the tank, something that may take multiple, advanced, specific operation controllers to achieve.
SeaDweller
2500 Club Member
Had an Apex 2016 brick, so I haven't used it on my system in years. The only thing that's on a control that's critical are the heaters and lights with the built in controllers. Other than that, less points of failure, the better. I'll never rely on a controller again.
OP
OP
Just_Pete
Well-Known Member
Curious to see when this happens. Under the 500 mark is definitely interesting.
They are saying March or April.
Wait for the mobius to come out, I hear they're working on a power bar to control 110v outlets.
Wow great question.
It feels like there are so many ways to approach this hobby.
And this is a great reminder that no way is 'wrong'.
I love cycling, but detest maintaining my bike, never watch professional Races (Tour de France), and don't use electronic monitoring (gps tracking / apps to share times / measure my calorie use), and am not part of a local, social cycling club. But it's still my hobby, and I participate in the parts of the hobby that I like, and avoid the parts I don't like.
So I guess, it's down to what aspect of having a controller sparks joy in you!!!
For me, I hate manual parameter testing, but now it seems that I can almost eliminate that if I choose my controller correctly. Even if I use it for nothing else other than almost eliminating any manual testing, it's going to bring me joy by meaning I don't have to do that!!!!
Removing a part of a hobby that I don't like doing? Yes for me!!!
It feels like there are so many ways to approach this hobby.
And this is a great reminder that no way is 'wrong'.
I love cycling, but detest maintaining my bike, never watch professional Races (Tour de France), and don't use electronic monitoring (gps tracking / apps to share times / measure my calorie use), and am not part of a local, social cycling club. But it's still my hobby, and I participate in the parts of the hobby that I like, and avoid the parts I don't like.
So I guess, it's down to what aspect of having a controller sparks joy in you!!!
For me, I hate manual parameter testing, but now it seems that I can almost eliminate that if I choose my controller correctly. Even if I use it for nothing else other than almost eliminating any manual testing, it's going to bring me joy by meaning I don't have to do that!!!!
Removing a part of a hobby that I don't like doing? Yes for me!!!
Daniel@R2R
Living the Reef Life
Great post!!
zalick
A cup of water and a dash of salt
One of the most successful tanks I've run, softies, fish and a clam, was using the following "system"
MH light on a plug-in timer
ATO was my Brita jug using tap water
Occasionally I'd squirt some 2 part
Once a week or so I'd put a drop of iodine
Once a day I'd drop a frozen cube on surface
My "chiller" was floating a bag of ice.
Jager heater
No water changes
No testing of any kind
Tank never had algae. Softies covered everything including 3 sides of tank so viewing pane was the only thing not covered. Clam grew from 1" to 5+
It was as KISS as you can get
I wouldn't recommend that method as I really had no idea what I was doing and was just winging it. This was in the mid 90s, so no internet forums to learn from!
Sadly that tank got wiped by an Australian sea apple getting sucked in to a maxi-jet. (Still have the maxi-jet)
MH light on a plug-in timer
ATO was my Brita jug using tap water
Occasionally I'd squirt some 2 part
Once a week or so I'd put a drop of iodine
Once a day I'd drop a frozen cube on surface
My "chiller" was floating a bag of ice.
Jager heater
No water changes
No testing of any kind
Tank never had algae. Softies covered everything including 3 sides of tank so viewing pane was the only thing not covered. Clam grew from 1" to 5+
It was as KISS as you can get
I wouldn't recommend that method as I really had no idea what I was doing and was just winging it. This was in the mid 90s, so no internet forums to learn from!
Sadly that tank got wiped by an Australian sea apple getting sucked in to a maxi-jet. (Still have the maxi-jet)
I understand the need for KISS, it is ingrained in my being. You must always think of Occam’s razor IMO.
In doing so, I have found my love for the geeky has given me a gift of combining hobbies in my system. My ReefPi is doing a lot of what other have asked for a fraction of the cost mentioned. I have it web enabled so I can access it from anywhere, it sends me text messages when triggers I enabled happen.
It is really fun project, and the help for troubles is amazing.
In saying all of the above, do I think this is KISS principle right off the bat? No.
Does it help now that is it implemented to have a KISS system, in my view, absolutely.
But, again, my view. I enjoy DIY more than many, I take pride in it. Now, I can simply look at my website, see the probes, the lighting, ph, dosing, and know, what is going on immediately and know if I need to correct or test for something. That to me is KISS.
In doing so, I have found my love for the geeky has given me a gift of combining hobbies in my system. My ReefPi is doing a lot of what other have asked for a fraction of the cost mentioned. I have it web enabled so I can access it from anywhere, it sends me text messages when triggers I enabled happen.
It is really fun project, and the help for troubles is amazing.
In saying all of the above, do I think this is KISS principle right off the bat? No.
Does it help now that is it implemented to have a KISS system, in my view, absolutely.
But, again, my view. I enjoy DIY more than many, I take pride in it. Now, I can simply look at my website, see the probes, the lighting, ph, dosing, and know, what is going on immediately and know if I need to correct or test for something. That to me is KISS.
ScubaShane
MENTAL REEF DISORDER!
I K.I.S.S with an APEX!
