You ONLY top-off with freshwater as salt does not evaporate.Īfter adding a timer to your lights this is by far the most popular first real piece of automation almost every saltwater aquarium owner will install. To ‘top-off’ for evaporation loss, you need to add the same amount of FRESHWATER to your aquarium as it loses. This now starts to become a problem, especially if you want/need to spend some time away from home. This is not so bad but if you have a larger aquarium or running high-temperature lights like metal halides, you could be into the gallons per day. My 90 gallon system evaporates over 1 gallon per day and without some form of electronic help, I would be adding a jug-full every day! The water in your aquarium is warm and no matter what your aquarium is going to evaporate water, every day.
The light fixtures use a 0-10V control protocol or a digital signal to be controlled via one of the Multifunction Controllers detailed later in this article.įor more information on flow pumps with their controllers, you can view them Here at.A manufacturer-specific light controller that plugs into the light/s to allow for set up and control via a home computer, internet-based user interface, or smartphone app.
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Aqua Illumination is a good example of this with its Prime HD & Hydra HD series LED fixtures. Built-in WiFi capability with a manufacturer-specific app that allows the user to set and control all the functions.
Apart from the Plug-In-Timers mentioned earlier to control the simple fixtures, most of the high-end LED fixtures are controlled via three main ways: This is a Set-&-Forget controller with a great pedigree & reviews.Ĭlick Here for more information at Īs lights become more and more advanced, the control they require also advances. Calcium Reactors are used on coral-heavy aquariums where the demand for Calcium and Alkalinity out-consume the supply from water changes. This device is mainly used in conjunction with Calcium Reactors to control the flow of water through the reactor and out to the display tank. Some have been DIY and some have gone into mainstream production. Pretty much most tasks within the aquarium have been automated in some form or another. If you are an owner that travels a lot or runs a busy lifestyle then one of the more feature-rich aquarium controllers is going to be best suited to you. The first pieces of automation many aquarists use are a timer to automate the ON/OFF times of their lights. In short, every aquarium can benefit from some form of automation.
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Read on to find out all about them and how to select one to best suit you… Who Are Aquarium Controllers For? This is not an in-depth review of every aquarium controller, but more of an overview of what types of controllers there are. I am lucky enough to have the knowledge to build my own DIY controller, but there are many great devices on the market to enable any aquarist to automate their aquarium.įor those of you with electronic and DIY experience, there is a ton of information and projects on Google to help you build your own step-by-step, but for the rest of you, there are some great controllers available for purchase ranging from under $10 to +$1000. I would never own an aquarium without a controller as they bring so much help and peace of mind. They can be simple devices or complex, multifunction controllers that not only automatically monitor & control, but can alert you via text or email when your attention is required. This is where Aquariums Controllers come in.Īn Aquarium Controller is a device that automatically looks after a task or piece of equipment on your aquarium. A trip of a day or two can be accomplished without any major fuss, but to go away for 2 weeks needs help. But without a little help, we are tied to our aquariums. In today’s world, we are busier than ever, we travel more and the coral we keep requires the most stable water parameters you can reach. Aquariums are time-consuming, especially saltwater! Maintaining water parameters as best you can lead to stability which leads to a healthier tank, but the amount of time we spend tending to our aquarium soon adds up.
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