What's Your Tank Temperature?

All aquarium heaters contain a certain amount of differential. This is the temperature difference between ON and OFF. It doesn't matter if it's an electronic heater or the older magnetic contact types, there can be as much as 2 degrees difference from heater ON to heater OFF. This means that if your aquarium heater is set to turn on at 77 degrees, it won't turn off until the temperature reaches 79 degrees. That's a 2 degree difference. You really don't want to subject your tank inhabitants to a 2 degree swing in temperature several times a day.

The Lighthouse controller was designed with precision temperature control in mind. We do not use mechanical contacts, thermocouples, or thermistors. Our custom made temperature probe contains a digital integrated circuit and associated electronic components encapsulated in epoxy within the tip of the probe. The entire assembly is submerged in your tank for the best possible sensing of the water temperature. You can set the differential to as little as 0.1 degrees F. For example, you can set your heater or chiller to turn ON at 79.1 Degrees and turn OFF at 79.2 degrees. The controller samples the temperature every second, and after 15 seconds it decides whether the heater or chiller should be turned on or off based on a rising or falling temperature trend.

So, now we have good temperature control. What about absolute value? Is it really 78 degrees when your thermometer says it is? Aquarium thermometers, both electronic and alcohol/mercury-based, are very inaccurate. You will typically see a 2-4 degree error. The lighthouse controller is guaranteed to be accurate within ±0.4 degrees. Though our typical production units go out the door closer to ±0.1 degrees.

Consistent Lighting Schedule

It is well known that a consistent lighting schedule is beneficial to the health of your animals. The Lighthouse controller can turn three sets of lights on and off at any time of day or night. You can use these three lighting zones for Metal Halide/Actinic/Refugium, or power compact Daylight/Blue/Moon light, or any combination you need. In fact, you don't even need to use the lighting outputs with lights. For example, If you wanted to run your protein skimmer only at night, you can use one of the lighting zones for that.

The Lighthouse Controller uses a modified surge-protected AC power strip for lighting and heating. You simple plug your appliances into the power strip and the controller will switch the individual outlets on and off based on the program. Each outlet is capable of switching 10 AMPS at 120 VAC (about 1,000 watts each), or 1/3 HP for inductive loads like chillers and ballasts. This is more than enough power for even the most demanding lighting.

Some aquarium controllers provide lighting/heating control by using X-10 modules. We don't like the X-10 modules because they are affected by electrical noise generated from electronic ballasts and are unreliable long-term. The bottom line is that sometimes they do not turn on or off when they should. They are also sensitive to computers, televisions, and most other electronic equipment, especially when plugged into the same breaker circuit.

We use a hard-wired, direct connection from controller to AC outlet for maximum reliability. We also include the AC direct connect power strip with the unit, so there is nothing else to buy to get you up and running.

PH and ORP Monitoring and Control

The Lighthouse Controller can monitor both PH and ORP on a continuous basis, and can be used with PH or ORP modifying equipment (i.e., an ozone generator or calcium reactor) to control PH or ORP. One of the lighting zones can be designated for ORP or PH control. Basically, when the PH or ORP value reaches a certain level, you can turn equipment on or off. If you use this feature, you give up one of the lighting zones, because the same plug on the AC strip is shared between one set of lights, PH, or ORP control. If you just want to monitor PH and ORP so the values continuously show in the display, you do not need to use the control feature and you can keep all three lighting zones for lighting or other uses.

Programming The Controller

The Lighthouse Controller is a stand-alone unit. It does not require a PC or any other hardware or software. Everything can be set up using the front panel buttons. When you connect the Lighthouse to a network, you can also set up the unit using several web pages built into the unit. In either case, an intuitive and simple menu system allows you to set everything up in about 15 minutes. You can then monitor water parameters and control via the console display or your web browser.

Put Your Tank Readings Online

Not only can you view your tank stats from any computer on your local network, you can put your Lighthouse on the World Wide Web and view/control your aquarium from anywhere in the world. We have a Yahoo!(tm) Widget and other free programs ready for download that lets you view your aquarium stats without opening a browser, and you can attach your tank stats as a signature on reef boards and forums throughout the internet. If you maintain your own personal web pages, you can add the Lighthouse web pages to your own site. If you want your Lighthouse data a certain way on your web site, you can freely customize or create your own Lighthouse web pages from scratch to perfectly match your web designs.

But Can You See the Display?

We believe the display is everything. You will most likely be looking at it at least once a day, and at a glance you can tell the status of your tank. We opted to use the more expensive OLED (Organic LED Technology) display instead of LCD's which provides very bright characters that be read from across the room and at any angle.

Internet Access To Your Aquarium

The Lighthouse controller has a built-in web server, similar to a web cam. You simply connect the controller to your Ethernet hub, switch, or router. For wireless or WiFi access, we sell an optional wireless adapter. There are no ActiveX or plug-ins needed, so any java-enabled web browser running under any operating system (Windows, MacOS, Linux) will work. Click any of the small pics to the right to view a full-size image of what the Lighthouse web pages look like.

You can check the conditions of your aquarium or make any configuration changes from anywhere in the world. This feature is ideal for aquarium maintenance companies or anyone maintaining aquariums at different physical locations.