Dive Deeper: The HYDROS Controller Lineup
HYDROS is the aquarium controller and monitoring platform built by CoralVue. What separates it from most reef tank controllers is the distributed architecture: every Control unit has its own processor and memory and runs independently. Units share data and power over the Hydros Command Bus and talk to each other wirelessly, so one device dropping offline does not cascade through your system — and the wiring under your stand stays manageable.
Which HYDROS Controller Do I Need?
| Controller | Best for | Key capability |
|---|
| HYDROS Start | First controller, nano tanks | Temperature, pH, four switched outlets |
| HYDROS Launch | Mid-size reefs | Expanded outlets and sensor inputs |
| Control X2 / X3 / X3-S | Nano to mid reefs | Leak detection, water level, pH/ORP |
| Control XS / XD | Compact automation builds | Sense ports and drive ports in a small footprint |
| Control X4 | The volume seller | Sense ports, 0–10V control, probe inputs |
| Control X10 | Large and mixed reefs | Twin drive ports, four sense ports, pH/ORP and salinity, four stepper dosing motors, IP-65 housing |
Dosing, Testing and Flow
The Minnow runs two independent micro-dosing pumps and the Blenny runs four, both driven directly from the Hydros app. The Sole and Duet use continuous-duty pumps for calcium reactor effluent, kalkwasser and automatic water changes — a different job from micro-dosing, and worth getting right.
The HYDROS Maven is a standalone automatic water tester that measures alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, nitrate and phosphate on a schedule with nobody standing at the tank. WaveEngine controllers bring flow pumps from Reef Octopus, IceCap, Maxspect, Tunze and others onto a single wave program.
Power: Kraken and XP8
The XP8 Energy Bar gives you eight individually switched AC outlets with per-outlet scheduling and current monitoring. The Kraken runs up to eight 24V DC devices from one industrial supply, which takes the wall of power bricks out of your cabinet entirely — the single biggest cable-management win in the lineup.
Probes, Sensors and Accessories
Triple Optical ATO kits, water level sensors and ATO pumps, rope and point leak detectors, pH, ORP, salinity and temperature probes, flow and skimmer sensors, inline TDS meters, solenoid valves, an automatic fish feeder, and the Command Bus, Drive Port and Sense Port cabling — plus wire management boards to keep the install tidy.
Setup Tips
- Start with the controller, not the accessories. Pick the Control unit that matches your tank size and outlet count first; sensors are easy to add later over the Command Bus.
- Calibrate pH, ORP and salinity probes before you automate anything against them. A controller acting on an uncalibrated probe will confidently do the wrong thing.
- Place leak detectors where water actually goes — the low point of the cabinet floor, not the back corner.
- Set alert thresholds you will actually respond to. Too many notifications and you stop reading them.
- Keep firmware current. CoralVue ships meaningful feature and stability updates through the Hydros app.
Expand Your HYDROS Setup
Compare the full range of aquarium controllers, add controlled supplementation with reef tank dosing pumps, and verify what your probes report using aquarium water test kits.
