I am glad to help out. I have been using Hydros now for 3 years but I added to it slowly over time. The collective makes it easy to add to your controllers as you get more experience and want it to do more functions with it. Just choose a controller that has the ports that you need to do what you want to do and add it into the collective. Since the controllers are daisy chained all together they do not use wifi for communication between the controllers in a collective. A collective does require 2 terminators and enough command bus cables to connect all the controllers together. There are 2 types of command bus cables one with data and power and one with data only. If the length is over 14ft for the cable you would use data only. You would have to have a source of power on both ends though. The XD, X10, XP8 and Kraken all provide power to the bus. There is also a power pack that can connect directly to the bus if needed but with it there has to be a data only cable between it and any other source of power. These supplies come with the starter kits with the X2, X3, X4 and XS. A better choice now would be the Pro Packs since they come with either an X3 or X4 and a XP8 with a command bus cable and 2 terminators. I believe they also come with a temp sensor and a pH probe. The wifi strips will stay in whatever state they are in until wifi communications is restored. I use drive ports and the built in pumps on the X10 for all my dosing, ATO and AWC. I have used the wifi strips for heaters, return and skimmer but the heaters have their own thermostats as backups. Now that the XP8 is out those are on the XP8 now. I still use the wifi strips for non critical uses and testing things when I try different setups. Also Hydros has a facebook group here https://m.facebook.com/groups/hydrosgroup/?ref=share and they also have a forum here https://forum.coralvuehydros.com/ .
How do the wave engine's behave when under battery power and only getting 12V?I have a pretty crazy Kraken setup right now. I use 1 kraken to provide most of my backup power for my 1000+ gallon farm setup. I run 12+ tanks and a TON of Hydros Wave Engines across them for my flow needs. I have 20 icecap gyres, and 3 octo pulse 2 power heads for flow. Kraken powers all of these Wave Engines for me! My farm is actually split up into 2 main systems, each system uses 2 parallel return pumps for redundancy but also for backup. I run a main varios 10 off standard AC power (not on Kracken) and also a Varios 8 return pump as well. The Varios 8 pump is powered by Kraken but only run if I lose power. Since Kraken doesn't support 36V out of the box, I use a 12V or 24V in to 36V booster to run these pumps. These varios 8s still provide enough flow to turn over the whole system when on battery too. Then I also run a bunch of dymax cooling fans that turn off/on based on tank temp.
I am running a 200Ah LIFEPO4 battery with its own external charger made for that type of battery, plus its bluetooth so I can see charging/usage info if I need to. I disabled the internal charger in Kraken to use this type of charger/battery.
The Kraken has a max battery draw of 10A. So out of a 200aH battery, at max draw, I should be able to get up to 20 hours of run time! When Hydros detects its on battery mode, I actually change my flow modes to save power. All tanks have 2 gyres, so I turn off the bottom one and run the top gyre at a constant speed to keep gas exchange up. Then I alternate turning on each of my backup varios 8 return pumps every 10 mins. I have to do this since running both at the same time, plus running the gyres, would exceed the 10A battery draw limit. Plus the cooling fans will trigger if for some reason the tanks are too warm (summer) on battery too.
Overall its pretty sweet that I can keep my whole 12+ tank, 1000 gallon farm running for at least 16 hours with flow and cooling. Heat is another issue but typically I dont lose much heat since my farm room is very well insulated. I might add a second 200aH battery soon and double my runtime as well.
Are you sure about that. I'm pretty sure both my MP40s and my Vectra M2s are 24v.
I just got a kraken and am in the process of collecting the ancillaries i need to make it work well for my frag system.
If you use that type of battery instead of a lead acid gel cell you have to disable the onboard charger in the Kraken since it is not compatible with that type of battery. You will have to use a charger that is compatible with that type of battery. The Kraken can only charge a lead acid gel cell type battery.
Just making sure that you did know to do that.
I am not sure about running trolling motors with it. It is more for aquarium use. I don't see trolling motors in a reef tank. The Kraken will provide 8 24v controlled outputs and 4 12v controlled outputs. When there is no AC power then the 24v outputs will still have 12v if you have them active during low power mode and the 12v outputs would still have 12v if active during low power. There are several Hydros controllers that require a 24v power source other than the command bus. Theses can also be powered with the Kraken 24v outputs. The Meanwell 24v supply that comes with the Kraken is a 480 watt supply.
