What to add next?

[recliner]

I've had my tall 150 gal tank running since late august. I think I'm at the point where im ready to start adding more equipment. My water parameters are all great except phosphate has always seemed to stay around .25
I have had to add calcium every once in a while to get it up around 480. I currently have 3 anemone and an assortment of all kinds of coral but would like to transition to mostly sps in the future.
Current equipment:
My return pump is 635 Gph and I have 4 750gph power heads. 18watt turbo twist uv sterilizer, bursa skimmer (300 gal rated), trigger ruby36 fuge, tautronics led light and a 36" light with 250mh and a couple t5s.
I have a calcium reactor and a couple empty co2 tanks that's not hooked up
Future equip:
Vortech mp10 and mp40, Controller of some type, Gfo of some type, 2 reef breeder led with 60 degree optics

What order should I start adding this stuff? I'm planning on holding off on adding the calcium reactor until I have a controller to monitor it but beyond that I'm not sure.

 

[Laz]

I'd go for a controller. Get your other equipment corresponding with that and work from there. I wish I could get one in the UK. The only one's they do here is a single Apex System for a staggering £500 ($760)

 

[Marinne13]

I just bought the Apex Lite...I would go controller and then add other stuff

 

[cvcdrk]

I'd go for a controller. Get your other equipment corresponding with that and work from there. I wish I could get one in the UK. The only one's they do here is a single Apex System for a staggering £500 ($760)

Can't you order an APEX Lite or a RKL and just use American-European plug adapters on everything? Would save you a lot of money.

 

[recliner]

I'm just starting to dive into controller research, but is the apex the most expandable/customizeable?
I imagine in the future I'll want my contoller to control my lights, temp, calcium reactor, and power heads (vortechs hopefully)
Any recommendation on a price effective option for that?
Would the gfo or calcium reactor bennifit from being run through a controller? Or are they good just run 24/7?

 

[recliner]

Oh, and what about ab auto top off? Any reason/benefit to running that through a controller?

 

[Ted]

The Apex is the more expandable controller right now but it also more expensive. It has the added bonus of being able to talk to the vortex power heads. The reefkeeper and Apex can run your lights. The reefkeeper is only windows based the apex is apple friendly. For me it all came down to price. I dont see taking my tank much further then it is now so I choose to save some money. As far as the benefit of have the ato run by your controller. First you have one less box to maintain. Second if you choose to use kalkwassier the controller will monitor ph so it will prevent a kalk over dose if configured correctly.

 

[recliner]

Can both apex and reef keeper run a ATO? I have both a PC and an iPad so I don't care which I use to set up or run my controller.
My main thought is I'd like the controller I buy to last 10 years. And be able to handle or cheaply expand to handle all aspects I might need in the future

 

[Ted]

They can both run a ATO. For what my reefkeeper light is set up to do it cost me just over $200 thats adding a float switch and aqualifter pump. The same basic function for a apex jr would cost twice that. What I currently have set up is Temp probe, ph probe, 4 controllable sockets which control 1 Heater 2 ATO 3 refugium light 4 Fan. I am run very simple systems no reactors. My main lights have a built in timer. If I needed it to control lights and reactors I would have gotten the plus model so 8 controlled sockets. Cost 280 plus float switch another 20..so basically $300 Comparable product for neptune systems is 500 plus you need ph calibration fluid. and the float kit for the ATO. so add another 30

You really have to decide on what you want to have and what you might want to have and add it all up. The apex is more expendable and has some really cool features but for me it just didnt make sense.

 

[recliner]

I think I've decided on the order of things I'm going to add:
1. BRS gfo and carbon reactor $60+$20 (pump)
BRS GFO & Carbon Reactor
2. Reef keeper lite Level 3 $265
Digital Aquatics Reef Keeper LITE System LEVEL 3 (PLUS) - AquaCave.com
3. Calcium reactor FREE (already own)
4. Two Reef breeder value led with 90 degree optics $400
reefbreeders

Hopefully using the wavemaker capability on the controller will cancel out the need/want for the vortech mp10 and mp40

 

[Ted]

I just love reading my old post...Apex is more expandable not expendable...anyway...I think you will be happy with what you listed. If you are running the controller as a wave maker make sure your power head can do that with out burning out. The Korila evolution power heads are wave maker friendly.