Hey guys, I'm sure there have been discussions on this before, but I am looking into getting a controller for my 70 gallon cube. My basic logic behind looking at a controller at this point is cause I was going to buy a Blue Line heater and controller but the blue line controller is $59 and it is just a heater controller then I saw the RKL which would control my lights as well. I have been wanting to get a better timer for my lights as I have the Apollo Reef LED Solarblast Ultra non dimable with moonlights and want to have separate control over when the blues and whites turn on. I also wanted a nicer heater controller for a more accurate temp monitoring in my tank. I like the RKL cause you have the display and can see everything right there, however as I started reading up on these controllers and such I saw all the crazy options available and the Apex line as well. The more reading I have done it seems that the Apex has a better programming end to it and if I am understanding right I can buy an Apex Jr. that will do everything the RKL will do and also have network capabilities but no display, which I don't mind cause I can use my iPhone for that and I like being able to monitor my tank from my phone and see whats going on with at all times.
So my basic question is in terms of what I want to do, monitor temp and have a more accurate controlled heater, and have my light timers controlled alot better than just one single timer for on and off for the whole unit, would the apex jr. be better than the rkl and is there any advantages to having the display on the rkl or getting a display for the apex jr, or is using my phone or a web browser going to do the same thing for me?
I am leaning towards the apex jr. unless there is something much better about the rkl than the apex. I am trying to keep it on that $150 or lower budget cause I don't need to have ph probes and all that other crazy nonsense you get with an rke or apex.
Oh I also have one Koralia Evolution 1050 powerhead in my tank for flow and figured if the wavemaker feature on the apex jr. or rkl would help achieve better flow with that, I would also have that hooked up to it as well.
So my basic question is in terms of what I want to do, monitor temp and have a more accurate controlled heater, and have my light timers controlled alot better than just one single timer for on and off for the whole unit, would the apex jr. be better than the rkl and is there any advantages to having the display on the rkl or getting a display for the apex jr, or is using my phone or a web browser going to do the same thing for me?
I am leaning towards the apex jr. unless there is something much better about the rkl than the apex. I am trying to keep it on that $150 or lower budget cause I don't need to have ph probes and all that other crazy nonsense you get with an rke or apex.
Oh I also have one Koralia Evolution 1050 powerhead in my tank for flow and figured if the wavemaker feature on the apex jr. or rkl would help achieve better flow with that, I would also have that hooked up to it as well.