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txg8gxp
Sun, 17th Jan 2010, 02:49 PM
OK, well I'm ready to step up my systems. I have one bc14, 45g, and some to be 30g. I'm looking for a good controlller system to control/monitor all of the above. I have been looking at the reef keeper elite, but would like to have some opinions before dumping in that kind of money. Any opinions or advise would be awesome. Thanks, Stephen.
fishypets
Sun, 17th Jan 2010, 03:25 PM
Profilux has my vote.
jroescher
Sun, 17th Jan 2010, 05:36 PM
I can't decide between the Reefkeeper Elite or Neptune Apex. Both seem pretty equal and have good reputations.

Profilux is just too expensive for me to consider.


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txg8gxp
Sun, 17th Jan 2010, 05:49 PM
I was looking at the neptune systems, but they are even more money then RKE. Plus all the expansions are more aswell.
jroescher
Sun, 17th Jan 2010, 06:18 PM
I charted out everything I wanted to control now and in the future and listed the components I needed, and it came very close in price. Each module has different capabilities and they drive the cost up fast.

I'm leaning towards the RKE since I have both of the earlier versions.

The downside to all of them is that they aren't backwards compatible with any of their earlier products. I have to buy all new again.


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corruption
Sun, 17th Jan 2010, 06:23 PM
tx8gxp: the other option, if you're brave enough of course, is to attempt to make the components you'd need... a friend and I are loosely working on adapting PIC microcontrollers initially into a timing mechanism for our LED projects to allow metered and timed dimming effects, as well as the standard timer operation. Our idea (and her current existing framework) is designed as an open-ended structure, that can have more built into it.. A temperature probe is pretty simple, and the pH and salinity/conductivity will be a bit more work, but are pretty well documented as well.. I know several projects for the same exist on the Arduino framework as well..

That said -- there's a lot to be said for the plug-and-play abilities of many of these units :) I like the look of the RKL/RKE and the ProfiLux hardware... but I'm a cheapskate :bigsmile:

-Justin