Don't know how many pieces of equipment I have sitting on the shelf or have sold off because I thought I needed them or because I wanted them and thought they would be a great addition or serve a valuable purpose or get those cool new gadgets that are all the rave. I have since stripped down to the lesser is better approach. Less to maintain, less to fail or malfunction, less to replace, less to put my trust in while I sleep or go away, etc. And it has made my life simpler. Maintenance simpler. And I have found personally keeping my system stable is easier for me to do with less to look after. I now run nothing more then a skimmer, filter socks, and gravity auto top off. Plus when I don't need to spend my hard earned cash just maintaining equipment or replacing parts it leaves me with extra cash available to use instead on filling my tank with what I really want. Coral and fish. I have no experience with the controllers you were talking about but I think if things are doing great how they are now and your doing great without them then you probably answered your own questions. Hopfuly others will chim who can give you actual experience with or without the controllers and probs you have to help answer more directly your questions.

Well i can honestly answer right now i don't need a controller, period. I have the Tunze multicontroller for my pumps and thats enought for the pumps and wavebox which i custom made for $ 20 instead of $ 650 , just had to buy the pump for the $ 295 but saved $ 300 right there. I like a wave in my tank specially with my softies it calms my nerves and i like the swaying of the corals in it . But for the rest . If i could return the APex Neptune i would in a heart beat. $600 in my pocket right now. Not because its faulty , just not relevent to the success of the tank, just ego, or the illusion of controll.

The wavebox custom made by Concept Aquariums from Calgary. The whole tanks and supports where made by them . They're here on this site.

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/q...e/Photo170.jpg

The dimension where exact and they executed the plan flawlessly so much so that the pumps fits like a glove

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/q...e/Photo171.jpg

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/q...e/Photo174.jpg

The magnet fits perfectly

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/q...e/Photo172.jpg

Ya there pricy. I have always thought about getting myself one but everytime I make it to check out and see the total; cringe, justification to the wife, umm okay maybe not today. Lol.

The tank looks great though. So all things considered I think you got a good thing already. Granted you already got the controller so you might as well use it, and then you can determine which aspects of it you like and which not to bother with. I'm sure there will be features of it that you will like allot. I defiantly wouldn't leave such an expensive piece of equipment sitting on the shelf collecting dust. Or try and sell it before it gets any use if you end up deciding you not gonna get any real use out if it yourself.

Wave book looks great : )

If my controller saves me once from a faulty heater being stuck on. 600 well spent. And it's already saved me twice

Controllers nice and totally agree relying on a heaters built in thermostat risky, but unless you really need all a controller can do, a simple Ranco for $60 a solution.