Whats the best Controller ?????

[Nickcdll]

Alright, so i definitely don't know enough even after reading through allot of threads and watching quite a few youtube videos. I know that Apex and Digital aquatics seemed to be the biggest ones out there. Whatever happened to Vertex, their controller a few years ago looked ******. Whats the best price wise with the important options?

 

[mcarroll]

I think you're going to have to pick according to your needs since there are so many good options out there.

I think DA leads the price competition with their ReefKeeper Lite, in case that's an important factor. FWIW this (with an added powerbar) is what I use. I like the simplicity of it...especially compared to what I've seen online of the other popular option. Of course DA has high end models and even-higher-end models as well.

Apex and the Reef Angel both seem to be vying for Master of Complexity title. If you like programming, these are for you!

Tunze has their 7000 model that's still really new, but seems great.

GHL makes a great one as well.

Hm....feel like i'm forgetting some.

 

[Jamie7907]

My vote for ghl. Interface isn’t as polished as some others but it’s rock solid reliable where others have failed.

 

[Nickcdll]

Whos GHL ?

 

[iemsparticus]

https://www.aquariumcomputer.com/the-new-profilux-4/

This is the GHL Profilix controller. There are a lot of members on this forum who use it and love it.

I personally use the Neptune Apex, but as @mcarroll said, there are several good ones out there.

There isn’t really a general “best” as it’s all highly dependant on what you want out of it, what features are a “must” for you and your own situation, and general personal tastes.

Perhaps if you came up with a list of features you consider necessities out of a controller for your style of reefing and situation? That might help narrow down the selection.

 

[nemlover91]

Alright, so i definitely don't know enough even after reading through allot of threads and watching quite a few youtube videos. I know that Apex and Digital aquatics seemed to be the biggest ones out there. Whatever happened to Vertex, their controller a few years ago looked ******. Whats the best price wise with the important options?

I personally have the Reef Keeper Lite. It does the job and I have had no problems. I use it mainly for the timers and makes things simple electrical wise. I don't have to go under the tank to stop something if needed. I would say Apex has all the bells and whistles. However the price is very steep for what your get. You def. have to add more equipment on if your want the whole setup. I would say Apex is the Apple and DA reef keeper is the PC of the controller world. Its all about what you want. Let us know and we can help you out!

 

[Why-Me]

APEX (imo)

 

[nemlover91]

Apex by far has the best software and customer service. You get what you pay for in my opinion. It really depends on what you want to get out of it. Also how much you are willing to spend. I have my first baby on the way so I went with the DA reef keeper. haha

 

[Neo Jeo]

Follow up question: Why is Nicolas cage a bird cage? lol

 

[Jamie7907]

Apex by far has the best software and customer service. You get what you pay for in my opinion. It really depends on what you want to get out of it. Also how much you are willing to spend. I have my first baby on the way so I went with the DA reef keeper. haha

I manage over 30 different controllers and can tell you there’s no basis in fact in this. Apex may have the prettiest software but not the best, ghl can do a lot of things apex can’t out of the box. Customer service i would rate the same but they’re very different. For apex you call and create a ticket and they get back to you. For ghl you post on their forums and they get back to you. I can tell you that after a recent power outage all of ghl was fine and did what it was supposed to do while 5 2016 apex units had issues ranging from the outlets not doing what they were programmed to do, to forgetting modules that were connected to picking up modules that either weren’t there at all or were actually something else. Apex is an ok controller but the new model still has quirks that need ironed out. All of the old models worked just like they were supposed to.

 

[OriginalUserName]

I personally have the Reef Keeper Lite. It does the job and I have had no problems. I use it mainly for the timers and makes things simple electrical wise. I don't have to go under the tank to stop something if needed. I would say Apex has all the bells and whistles. However the price is very steep for what your get. You def. have to add more equipment on if your want the whole setup. I would say Apex is the Apple and DA reef keeper is the PC of the controller world. Its all about what you want. Let us know and we can help you out!

I have the RKL and if you want the basic stuff it's a good value. However if you price out adding the other modules you wind up at a similar price point to the Apex. Light module, salinity module etc.

 

[User1]

There really isn't a best to be fair. There are opinions based on experience or personal bias. But there is GHL and Apex which are both popular over the counter closed ecosystems. Then there are some open source projects like Reef Angel. In between there are others but you sort of get the idea. I have used a open source based Reef Angel and it is more than capable compared to any other controller out there just not has nicely packaged. In fact, it does several things that the big two don't do or easily do such has new fish or coral acclimation with lighting by intensity or spectrum. On the other hand it requires more code skills or time to understand what you are doing. I also own a Neptune Apex and it is a nice little package. Does more or less what I want outside the coral acclimation thing I noted above. It is a one stop shop package that is much like Apple in they have products that just work together. Top off, dosing, etc.

I don't own or have used a GHL product but they look nice and have similar packages that work together like Apex. Like I said it is a personal preference and what you are comfortable with and how much you want to spend up front. You should build a list of what you must have in a controller then look at a couple different products and see if they check the box. If the do then you at least narrowed it down. From there just take the plunge. Best of luck.

Edit: Things on my list of must haves included hard wire ethernet port, pH, ORP, and Salinity probes, expandable, some sort of pwm management for lighting.

 

[clsanchez77]

I use the Apex Classic and really like it for what I want out of it. I am not a fan of the new Apex units - still buggy and a few features have been dropped. The Classic does not support several of the new features coming out. If I were starting new today, I would consider the GHL. But as it stands today, I am very happy with the Apex Classic.

 

[WWIII]

I love my GHL profilux 4. They also have some of the best dosing options available.

The Vertex controller was scrapped and they are coming out with an all new version, built in house by Vertex. It will utilize the rasberry pi as it's base. Currently Vertex has all the parts in California to assemble enough Cerebra V2's to "give" to all the original beta purchasers of the V1. (Around 600). Hopefully it will be much improved over the original Cerebra, but there is a long ways to go yet.

 

[Nickcdll]

I love my GHL profilux 4. They also have some of the best dosing options available.

The Vertex controller was scrapped and they are coming out with an all new version, built in house by Vertex. It will utilize the rasberry pi as it's base. Currently Vertex has all the parts in California to assemble enough Cerebra V2's to "give" to all the original beta purchasers of the V1. (Around 600). Hopefully it will be much improved over the original Cerebra, but there is a long ways to go yet.

I think after much consideration I might got the digital aquatics reef lite plus. What I want out of it, something that's expandable but won't break the bank. PH, salinity, ability to monitor and control the heater, and to control a ato

 

[WWIII]

I think after much consideration I might got the digital aquatics reef lite plus. What I want out of it, something that's expandable but won't break the bank. PH, salinity, ability to monitor and control the heater, and to control a ato

I have one of those too! It's also a great controller for what it is and the price! I have one on my quarantine tank. I set it up and basically haven't touched it since.