Aquarium Monitor?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Yeah but a controller would be so cool! Maybe have it go to your phone or down load the data to excel and graph stuff........... But I agree, fresh water tanks just need a trickle system and a heater with a good controller. A small generator just incase of extended power outages and the tank pretty much is maintenance free. Filter changes, I guess, would be the next thing to automate.

The controller that I want will cost over $700 when all is said and done. With the controllable LED lights, the price skyrockets to over $2300!!! I'm pretty sure it is the system Jc1119 is talking about (Neptune Apex & Aqua Illuminations). I'm pretty sure I would be better off getting rid of my reef tank and getting a girlfriend with some kids. Should be cheaper anyway. :grinno:
 
Reef tanks are far more finicky than freshwater tanks. Freshwater tanks will take immense amounts of abuse (other than the cycling period).

when you say "other than the cycling period," i think i know what you mean... but just for the sake of not killing everything in my tank, can you explain what you mean exactly?

My statement is centered around the comparison of marine tanks and FW systems. Saying FW will take immense amounts of abuse is subjective to that comparison. Obviously if you subject your FW tank to immense amounts of abuse in respect to freshwater tanks, you are going to kill everything.

If you are starting out with a new tank and/or just added water and fish, plan on killing everything. Pretty much, that's cycling the tank these days.
 
If you are starting out with a new tank and/or just added water and fish, plan on killing everything. Pretty much, that's cycling the tank these days.

That means don't start with expensive fish. Start with some feeder goldfish or something you won't care about losing. Don't add any expensive fish until the tank is truly mature (several months).
 
The controller that I want will cost over $700 when all is said and done. With the controllable LED lights, the price skyrockets to over $2300!!! I'm pretty sure it is the system Jc1119 is talking about (Neptune Apex & Aqua Illuminations). I'm pretty sure I would be better off getting rid of my reef tank and getting a girlfriend with some kids. Should be cheaper anyway. :grinno:

Probably true about the GF, but it's not always about the money! :D
 
The controller that I want will cost over $700 when all is said and done. With the controllable LED lights, the price skyrockets to over $2300!!! I'm pretty sure it is the system Jc1119 is talking about (Neptune Apex & Aqua Illuminations). I'm pretty sure I would be better off getting rid of my reef tank and getting a girlfriend with some kids. Should be cheaper anyway. :grinno:

Mine cost about $500 for the Apex Aquacontroller Lite and an extra Energy bar 4. I dont see needing more than 12 outlets, so I only added the 4 instead of the 8.

The dimming module is a great idea, but they only support the Aqua Iluminations line and they are ridiculously expensive. Very cool system, but pretty much ovekill for most freshwater setups. Programming seasonal changes, clouds, etc is nice, but not really neccessary.

Once I get the water changes programmed and automated, the tank will pretty much be maintenance free. I'm in a pretty bad location from a drain perspective, so it's gonna take a minute to get that end sorted out, but being able to access everything about the tank from abroad, including feedings if I want (which would be very cool if I hook up a webcam). I could feed the fish and watch them eat from anywhere in the world. Totally unneccessary of course, but it gives you an idea of how much one of these can do. Even if I didn't automate the feedings, I could setup an automatic feeder and set it up to be manually controlled by the apex, so I could manually feed whenever I wanted to....
 
I'm in a pretty bad location from a drain perspective...

Don't feel bad. I'm in Longwood, and I have the same problems. The good news is I already did the brainy work for you. I have some threads that will help.

brb...
 

Are these trailer park specific threads? I can't just drill a hole under my tank and put in a drain............ :ROFL:

Do you put a 5 gallon bucket under the house to catch the water? :grinno:
How far do you lower the water level in the tank when you move the house....... :ROFL:
 
What, you never saw the space under a trailer? It's like its own basement under there.

url
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com