Anyone else have a ReefKeeper yet?

rottielover · 02-04-2005, 12:29 PM

Hi all,

I just placed my order for a reefkeeper today!

I'm wondering if I should replace my redsea wavemaster pro and use the reef keeper to control my maxijets? It would be nice to have only 1 "feed" button, but then again it's not that hard to push two feed buttons.

The Redsea has 4 differnet programs 2 for marine 2 for reef and I'm not sure how to best simulate it on the reefkeeper if I were to get rid of it.

Would Tunze Stream pumps be OK to use with the reefkeeper? / Does anyone have any info on how many tunze streams per gallon of tank or anything like that?

Thanks in advance!

traip93 · 02-04-2005, 12:36 PM

I just got mine in the mail on monday and I am setting it up this weekend. There is a good thread on Reefcentral.

YEs, it controls your maxi and will replace your wavemake. THe reefkeeper has 3 set cycles, but you can also customize the cycles any way you want!!!

What intervals do you use now for your pumps? (time on vs time off for each pump?)

rottielover · 02-04-2005, 12:55 PM

I don't know what they are, the red sea just has their "highest reef setting" or "random" it doesn't divuldge the info on what the times are

traip93 · 02-04-2005, 03:58 PM

A fews concerns I have with the unit.

>>I am really afraid to have all of my plugs in a single unit.

>>It's a lot of power for one outlet!!! (true / false?)

>>And if the product fails, I rather not have my Sump pump connected to it. But maybe as I gain trust in the unit I'll eventually connect the sump and skimmer to my Reefkeeper.

rottielover · 02-04-2005, 04:40 PM

As I understand it the ReefKeeper has a fuse in it, to keep from overloading it. I think it's rated at 15 amps (normal household circuit).

It's not so much having a "lot of power comming out of one outlet", it's more a matter of Amp draw on the same circuit....

OK you have a 15 amp breaker in your fuse box/breaker box at home. That breaker is wired to say 4 outlets in your basement. You can have a MAX of 15 amps drawn on that circuit meaning from all 4 receptical's... If you have 15 comming from 1 or from 4 doesn't matter, as each receptical is also rated for a max of 15 amps. See where I'm going with this?

I agree, that with any controller system you have a "single point of failure", and it would be very difficult to setup any kind of redundant system, but who out there has redundant anything on thier tank, other than cheaper items like heaters ? Do you create a redundant closed loop system, just in case the primary closed loop fails? Do you create a redundant overflow box, sump, pumps etc, just in case the primary sump system fails?

I agree it's a chance to take that this single point of failure may happen, but then again, your breaker box in your house could fail, the lines that feed electric to your house may fail, or a metor may come and crash thru your roof and into your tank...

I don't want to sound mean, on the contrary, I just want to point out that there is a risk in everything you do, we can do certain things to reduce our odds for certain outcomes though....

After reading the testimonials about the product, I think the slim chance of a failure is far outweighed by the feature set offered by the product. Mainly the "sure on" for MH lights!