Aquatronica

[el tel]

hi all, im thinking of buying an aquatronica unit because my iks unit got wet and blew up,and no it wasnt me it was the girlfriend, i was on holiday.
are these units good or not what there all cracked up to be.thanks terry:thanks:

[instantsquid]

Oooh, you're opening a can of worms here mate :D

It depends on who you ask!

I've got one and have been running it for just over a year. I've had one or two "teething problems" but on the whole I have been very satisfied with it.
I use mine to control metal halides and T5s, I monitor and control tank temperature and water level, I run a calcium reactor off it, and I monitor tank pH. I also have the Ethernet module which will allow me to monitor the controller and override any plug using just a web browser - so effectively, from anywhere in the world. I'm also planning on adding the dosing pump module shortly.

It is a relatively new product, and some might argue that certain aspects of the functionality don't appear to have been tested quite as well as perhaps they should have been. However, the company are committed to improving the product - so firmware updates are available over the internet which add extra facilities whilst also dealing with any issues that may have arisen.

Just my humble opinion - but bear in mind that this is the opinion of someone who has paid their own money and actually uses the kit. A large of pinch of salt should be taken with some of the comments people make about this equipment when they don't have first hand experience.

[el tel]

thanks for reply,think i will go for it

[jobr]

Like Ian I have had mine for over 12 months, all my plugs are controlled via the unit.

Very happy with it.

[Tiggsy]

Its superb, i run 5 plug bars monitoring/controlling 5 separate tanks in all. Only down side is it can go wrong so i would NEVER have it 100% in control (i run backups on EVERY system critical component)

Like any PC - couldnt live without it (but wouldnt bet my life on it working wither)

[Robbyg]

Works great and the Aquatronica UK dealer (aka. Wavey) is a great guy to deal with.

[Dave_P]

I have had mine know for 9 months, I have had a few teething problems.

IMO

Pros.
All controls in one unit.
Easy to setup
One stop place for readings of probes that are available
Recording of probe readings over a given time period (i use this a lot)
Overall a good user interface in most places
Regular release of updates and improvements of software

Cons
Expensive
Programming ability ill thought out in places i.e. prioritising of programs (I am sure this will change)
Conductivity probe is bit flaky IME. needs constant cleaning. Too unreliable to be anything but a measurement tool. I would never use this a controlling device
Lack of nitrate, calcium probe (but they are coming, I hope)
Ethernet web interface needs to be improved for the price being charged
Needs more storage of probe readings or ability to dump off readings to a storage device
Exporting data is poor and requires manual interaction
No history of on/off devices such as topup etc.
Lack of resillience as you are using one device to control the equipment

Dave

[abyss]

ive got a full system on here for sale , take a look in equipment

R

[The Reef Master]

Great bit of kit ,one small fault but sorted really quickly,been running perfectly since,controls my Giesemann infinity amongst other things