Change can be a difficult thing and over the years I have certainly had my moments of resisting it…..this is true for life in general and, specifically, the reef aquarium hobby. Hey, I am still holding on to my metal halides 🙂 Nonetheless, I do believe change is a good thing when it makes sense. I have been tending to reef tanks for 25+ years and for most of that time I have been using a Neptune APEX controller to monitor my tank and control the equipment. But change is in the air.
Conversion to GHL Products
Recently I have gravitated towards GHL products, including the Doser 2.1 and KH Director. These high-end products have been extremely reliable, a good thing since they have made it easier for me to maintain and run my reef. So when my Neptune APEX began acting up (the display monitor started to wig out), I immediately thought about a switch to the GHL Profilux 4.
Yes, switching controllers seemed a bit daunting given my familiarity with APEX, but integrating the Doser 2.1 and KH Director with the Profilux seemed like a smart idea. I had also heard the Profilux was pretty intuitive to program, with drop down menus and boxes versus coding for an APEX. No more searching the reef tank forums for specific APEX code to program new equipment, yahoo!
I don’t program a ton with my APEX, but that will likely change with the Profilux.
List of What I Will be Transitioning to Profilux 4
- pH and temperature measurement.
- Two water sensors (next to sump).
- Float switch shut off valve for skimmer (prevents skimmer cup from overflowing into sump).
- Skimmer pump startup delay (prevents cup from filling up after power outages).
- Program light cycle for LEDs on Pax Bellum ARID Algae Reactor.
- Control chiller.
- Sump webcam. Nest Cam can be turned on to monitor problems remotely (camera has night vision so no lights are needed to view the sump).
- Fan over frag tank – Turns on if temperature hits a certain set point.
- Alarms (emails and text messages for parameters out of whack or other emergencies such as a water sensor being triggered).
Stay tuned for further updates on my transition between controllers. In the meantime, check out my unboxing of the Profilux 4.
So that’s the skinny. One very important note to disclose, I do sell Profilux 4 controllers but I only sell or recommend products I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. If you would like more information or would like to purchase a Profilux 4, please visit the Equipment section on reefbum.com.
Additional Resources
If you would like some help with a new tank build, including help designing a custom aquarium, or help re-configuring your current setup then you can visit this page for more information. And if you are looking to add some equipment, I do sell GHL, Pax Bellum, Reef Octopus Calcium and Kalk Reactors and Royal Exclusiv products, including Dreamboxes, which is the equipment I use and recommend. I also sell Reef Brite metal halide and LED fixtures as well as Maxspect & IceCap Gyres.
As for additional insights and information, please explore my many other reef tank and SPS related articles as well as my YouTube channel. For an even deeper dive into reef tank care you can check out my Reef Keeping Master Class. This online course is an immersive and one of a kind educational tool designed to help reef aquarium hobbyists build and maintain a beautiful SPS reef tank. The course is a series of video presentations with some supplemental video from my YouTube channel. There are also quizzes to help students retain and understand the information presented in the course.
Need some frags…..I can help with that as well 🙂 Please visit my SPS Frag store to see what is available.
