Seasoned hobbyists are familiar with the expense of many of the aquarium controllers on the market but often are in need of a source of information to compare the costs vs. benefits of obtaining a quality controller. Historically, devices designed for automating/monitoring and controlling all of the functions of our aquariums were considered luxury items and most typically would be one of the last additions to our aquarium and reef systems.
Being a busy person who welcomes any new device which would take over some of my daily duties, I have personally used aquarium controllers to monitor and control pH, ORP, temperature, lighting and dosing over the years. Nowadays, most quality aquarium controllers can do much more than what I have used them to do for me. The first controller that I purchased over 16 years ago was an Aquadyne Octopus 2000 followed by the Octopus 3000 model to control a different aquarium. Through the years I’ve used many of the familiar brands including Aquatronica, GHL Profilux and Neptune Systems. For the most part all of them have worked pretty well and performed the functions for which I had bought them. With all of the new technology on the market, finding what’s right for your needs can be somewhat of a daunting task. That is why AquaNerd is building a comprehensive chart of aquarium controller brands and listing their out-of-the-box capabilities and upgradable options for your review. To date we have included Neptune Systems, GHL and Digital Aquatics. We will be adding other brands and filling in blank spaces in the coming days and weeks. Please like us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter to be informed of when updates have been made to the chart.
