Whats a good controller

About the Ecotech pumps, I don't control them with my phone.  I have a schedule that they run on and they switch modes throughout the day.  During the night, they run a ReefCrest mode from 10% to 50% max intensity.  During the day, they run ReefCrest 40% to 100% intensity.  When the "auto-feed mode" comes on, they go to 5% constant, and then for a half hour a day, they switch to 100% to stir up any detritus that may have settled....at least that's the idea.  The bottom still collects a lot of crap.  That's how I use my Apex to control my Vortechs.
Keep in mind, that there are some things that you don't need to control.  For example, your ATO, it's probably OK just being on constant power unless you have some kind of a fancy auto-water change routine where you want to have it powered off.
Heaters & fans are no problem.  I would actually recommend chaining your 4 fans off of a single outlet and controlling them as one.  As for no stuck heaters, you have to remember that you're just as likely to loose a temp probe as you are a thermostat on a heater.  I run two temp probes.  One in my frag tank (with a heater in there) and one in my sump (with heaters in there).  All heaters are set to 78 degrees max so if my temp probe goes bad, hopefully me thermostats on the heaters have not also gone bad...  Hopefully I will be able to see a variance between the two temp probes and check things out (when a temp probe goes bad, you typically see wild temp swings).  Also, a min temp and max temp alert should also help to point out when something is wrong. 
pH probe will help you determine something like a dosing pump or CO2 solenoid on your calcium reactor that's gone bad and an ORP probe is usually a general indicator of water quality.  If your ORP suddenly drops, start looking for something dead in your tank.
Anyway, effective controller usage is all about effective configuration, knowing what to check when something looks off, and alerting.  But even with all this automation in place, remember that you're making your controller a single point of failure.  Think through all of the different scenarios on what could happen if your controller failed or something like that.
It's not if something is going to fail, it's when.  If you plan for a failure, then you'll be better equipped to handle it when it happens.
--AJ


I didn't know if you could control the MP's by a phone or not AJ. So the Apex will change the settings on them throughout the day, huh? Cool as I've been doing that manually about 3 times everyday./DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/w00t.gif
No fancy auto WC here...all manual/DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/plain.gif
I'll have to remember your suggestion about the fans...didn't know they could be daisy-chained/DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/whistling.gif  Good to know!  I really like how a min and a max temp can be set and if there is a variance, either the fans will come on(and lights go out if too hot!) or the heaters on.
Effective configuration...that's what I'm worried about/DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/blink.gif  You "young'uns" /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/biggrin.gif know so much more about this hi-tech stuff than us old coggers.  I've had my Vortecs for almost a year and am finally getting to where I remember how to run them/DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/hehe.gif 
You said it...WHEN!  I have always tried to be prepared for the "when"...extra pumps for when one fails, heaters...the same, etc.  Just ask Jeanette!  She says, "Why do you have all this "STUFF"!!"/DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/hehe.gif  Thanks again AJ!!






 

 

That is a great feature about having a controller...flood...power failure!...shop vac and a generator, check/DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/biggrin.gif

 

+1 for Apex.

 

About the Ecotech pumps, I don't control them with my phone.  I have a schedule that they run on and they switch modes throughout the day.  During the night, they run a ReefCrest mode from 10% to 50% max intensity.  During the day, they run ReefCrest 40% to 100% intensity.  When the "auto-feed mode" comes on, they go to 5% constant, and then for a half hour a day, they switch to 100% to stir up any detritus that may have settled....at least that's the idea.  The bottom still collects a lot of crap.  That's how I use my Apex to control my Vortechs.
Keep in mind, that there are some things that you don't need to control.  For example, your ATO, it's probably OK just being on constant power unless you have some kind of a fancy auto-water change routine where you want to have it powered off.
Heaters & fans are no problem.  I would actually recommend chaining your 4 fans off of a single outlet and controlling them as one.  As for no stuck heaters, you have to remember that you're just as likely to loose a temp probe as you are a thermostat on a heater.  I run two temp probes.  One in my frag tank (with a heater in there) and one in my sump (with heaters in there).  All heaters are set to 78 degrees max so if my temp probe goes bad, hopefully me thermostats on the heaters have not also gone bad...  Hopefully I will be able to see a variance between the two temp probes and check things out (when a temp probe goes bad, you typically see wild temp swings).  Also, a min temp and max temp alert should also help to point out when something is wrong. 
pH probe will help you determine something like a dosing pump or CO2 solenoid on your calcium reactor that's gone bad and an ORP probe is usually a general indicator of water quality.  If your ORP suddenly drops, start looking for something dead in your tank.
Anyway, effective controller usage is all about effective configuration, knowing what to check when something looks off, and alerting.  But even with all this automation in place, remember that you're making your controller a single point of failure.  Think through all of the different scenarios on what could happen if your controller failed or something like that.
It's not if something is going to fail, it's when.  If you plan for a failure, then you'll be better equipped to handle it when it happens.
--AJ
I didn't know if you could control the MP's by a phone or not AJ. So the Apex will change the settings on them throughout the day, huh? Cool as I've been doing that manually about 3 times everyday./DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/w00t.gif
No fancy auto WC here...all manual/DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/plain.gif
I'll have to remember your suggestion about the fans...didn't know they could be daisy-chained/DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/whistling.gif  Good to know!  I really like how a min and a max temp can be set and if there is a variance, either the fans will come on(and lights go out if too hot!) or the heaters on.
Effective configuration...that's what I'm worried about/DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/blink.gif  You "young'uns" /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/biggrin.gif know so much more about this hi-tech stuff than us old coggers.  I've had my Vortecs for almost a year and am finally getting to where I remember how to run them/DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/hehe.gif 
You said it...WHEN!  I have always tried to be prepared for the "when"...extra pumps for when one fails, heaters...the same, etc.  Just ask Jeanette!  She says, "Why do you have all this "STUFF"!!"/DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/hehe.gif  Thanks again AJ!!
You can do the MP's by phone. I don't know if could do any more then turn them off and on as I never tryed but Im sure it pops up like the other outlets. I miss my apex already.  APEX ALL THE WAY SH*t I'm all up in your box
 

 

Sure you can, I get a text everyday just to make sure it's working.

 

I thought this was an awesome thread for a DIY flood sensor. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1958259

--AJ

 

That's pretty cool. I like the light up buttons. I have many of the parts already. I don't have the lighted buttons, transistors, or relays, but everything else. Let me know when you want to put them together.

--AJ