Controller Question

[Dave]

Basically, I am trying to establish what are the features of the controllers and are they worth it.

After googling this multiple times and reading several threads, I cannot find the plain english on all that they can do.

So far I have determined they usually can:

1. Control Lights
2. Control Powerheads - Wavemaker
3. Temperature
4. PH
5. Some can send alerts out.

Are there other key features? Is there a place I can find this? I tried to look on the aquacontroller site, but it did not work for me, and looks to be out of date.

 

[curt]

You can check here.
http://www.aquariumcontrollers.com/index.php

 

[mikem]

Thats the basic features for any controller. For sending the alerts, you would need a more advanced controller.
You can run many different things besides lights and power heads. You can run a Kalk or Calc. reactor off them. You can push a button for feeding which will turn off your power heads.You can have them hooked to your PC and program everything from there. You can turn anything on or off at any time period you like.
The better models have an ORP probe, if you run ozone or just want to know the ORP reading of your tank.
You name it, someone here would know how to setup a program to do it.