Help picking an Apex controller

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by habs247

I also meant to ask a question about my auto top off unit - can this be controlled by any of the apex units or do they have a built in function for ato. In which case I guess I would sell my ato.

No, you would need to configure floats or switches, depending on your ATO setup.
A big question, and one that is hard to answer, is what are you going to need next year? You really want a display, it helps if you need to troubleshoot connectivity issues. A VDM is a variable speed/dimming module, so lots of LED and pumps will use this feature. The add-on VDM is about $120. Will you ever use a Ca Reactor, and need pH? Maybe.
At a bare minimum, I'd go with the Lite model, but if you need VDM, you've just paid more than the full package. Although, if you are ever considering AI Sol lights, you'll need the add-on VDM anyway.
The junior, while looking good price-wise, would probably just have you wishing you spent more and got the Lite.