Gear
Controllers and monitors: what reef keepers commonly use
Systems that watch the tank, switch outlets and send alerts. Below are 1 item we see often, each with our honest note and where to view it in the UK and the US.
We sell nothing and earn nothing from these links. Prices are as each retailer's page showed them on the date checked, and they change. How this guide works
Listings checked . How we check
What should you look for in controllers and monitors?
- Power outlets made for your country's plugs, and which probes come in the box.
- Whether it can switch off a heater or a pump when something goes wrong, not only report it.
- Alerts that reach your phone. Graphs are nice; a warning at the right time saves animals.
Commonly used controllers and monitors
Specs are as published on the listed pages. Where the US and UK pages give different figures, we show both.
Neptune Systems A3 Apex
Brand: Neptune Systems
Our note. A full controller that watches temperature, pH, water level and leaks and switches outlets in response, with phone alerts. It has a learning curve, and the UK kit ships with a six-outlet EB632 power bar instead of the US EB832.
Key specs
- Temperature and pH probes
- Optical level sensor and LD-2 leak sensor
- US: Energy Bar 832; UK: Energy Bar 632
UK listing
Kraken Corals (UK): opens the retailer's page for Neptune Systems A3 Apex in the United Kingdom- Price as shown
- £549.99 (was £669.99)
- Checked
US listing
Bulk Reef Supply (US): opens the retailer's page for Neptune Systems A3 Apex in the United States- Price as shown
- US$699.88
- Checked