I too had a broken system hours after setup. It was the RKL Plus that died on me. But the short time I had with it was awesome! BRS was by my side and worked things out with me. The replacement RKL worked and is still working with no problems. About a month later I ordered a RKE Net and absolutely love this system. I think the folks that put these things together just don't give a crap along with the folks from quality control, because this system is great. If you can navigate a smartphone without the instructions for the most part, then you should not have a problem getting to know the system. If you panic at the thought of upgrading your phone to the latest and greatest phone available the you might find it hard to work with. As far as the instructions go, whats wrong with saving trees? I feel like DA has done a wonderful thing by posting the instructions instead of putting 1 in each box!
I give BRS 5 stars for awesome service
I give DA 4 stars.. 5 for an awesome product -1 star for poor quality control
All in all the Reefkeeper line is just awesome. This is what I own
1 RKE
4 PC4
2 SL1
1 SW5
1 MLC
1 NET
1 RD1? (RKL Control)
And I would buy it all again!

I just opened the box today and its already broken, I have to hold the bus cable in the back of the display unit to keep the display on. Beyond that, the online manual does NOT match any of the options on the display. I figured the problem is firmware related so I tried to download the version referenced in the manual (v1.07), but I am on v2.06 already. It wouldnt have mattered because the link on their website for the upgrade goes to a dead web page.

I give up.

Easy to install and the software is easy to follow to assign and setup your components.

I am noot sure where to begin on this. It is not "Super simple" unless you use the ReefKeeper software to setup. Without the ReefKeeper software this is beyond the most painful device i have ever tried to use as the actual head unit is NOT user friendly. It does do what it says though and will respond accordingly,

I have tried to calibrate the pH probe but think i would have done better to throw it out of the window. It is ALWAYS 0.1 off from actual. As a result i just had to readjust my alarms for the RKE "standard".

Overall it does give me some piece of mind knowing that it can email me when there is a problem. However, I think spending the few extra dollars to get the Neptune device may be worth it....

This product SUCKS! Well, let me restate that....this product SUCKS MY #$&! Nothing is easy....everything is a hassle. If you wanted to make and sell a product to super computer nerds....then just advertise it that way. This hobby is suppose to be relaxing. If I was a wealthy person, I'd smash up the whole thing, put it in a box, and ship it back to DA.

I honestly don't know why this product still has a 4 star rating. Before reading my review note that I have a technical background and perform regular maintenance/calibration on all of my tank equipment. I'm giving this product a 1 star review because of a lack of confidence in the Digital Aquatics. In my opinion DA has not been able to successfully produce a product that works as advertised.

Here is my story. I purchased my RKE w/Net back in April 2011. I was new to the hobby and had lots to learn. The RKE seemed like a good choice at the time and I believed that it would help me automate and accurately monitor my tank. Setup was pretty easy for me and all seemed well.

That is until I brought a water sample to my LFS for testing. Salinity and pH were way off from what the RKE was reporting. Even after firmware updates and re-calibration. Note that DA has not put out firmware updates since 9/2011. I have reported a few repeatable software bugs (Like Timer Issues) on DA's forums and directly to support. None have been addressed.

Its been almost a year since they had a press release and admitted that the SL2 and Salinity probe were defective. BTW you can find the press release on DA's website. You will see that DA has agreed to replace both the module and probe, This sounded great and made me very happy. But here we are a year later (close to 2 years after my initial purchase) and still no replacement or even a firmware update.

If you don't believe me, check there website, forums, and Facebook page. You can see for yourself just how many upset customers they have.

You have to get familiar with it.. BRS has done a great job putting up instructional videos..

Very Upset Customer from the post before.. why don't you grow a tupee with brains in it! You posted negative review on the wrong product retard!

I've had extremely bad experience with Digital Aquatics. I've never used my Head unit it was broken on the first day. Without Head unit ReefKeeper Elite w/ Net Digital Aquatics is the first candidate to garbage bin. I asked about replacement Digital Aquatics and waiting one week ... after "We have received it and will get back to you as soon as possible." on the second week I got respond stupid advices as ..." I would recommend inspecting the bus cables, connectors and ports to make sure they are clean and free of debris or damage,"...bla, bla, bla. I am radio engineer and perfectionist, it was difficult to proof that I am not beginner in plug in play. After 3 week communication I got finally 2 suggestions but both were bad for me. If you are Iron Men with rock nerves, self masochist and want to waste your money try the ReefKeeper. I should inform Bulk Reef Supply don't help me and they were uninvolved spectator on my problem.

Overall the product is SoSo. They are not in the same ball park with companies and products like Vortech and Digital Aquatics. I say this because their salinity meter is poor and their product support is well below par.

I dropped $500 on the Elite module about 6-7 months ago. It stopped working and tried to call in for which their phones were not working and would just hang up when you call or give busy signal. Thankfully their was email. I had to pay $20 to ship the short circut device back to them only to waste a week for them to tell me they were not standing behind their 2 year warranty and would have to pay $215 for a new one. To make matters worse they stated I needed to pay for return shipping for my 6 month old product.

I have never been so disatisfied and upset with a company. I have been in the hobby for 10 years. I had no other choice but to buy another one since I alreayd invested close to $700 after all the modules I have added on. I would never reccommend this company to a family or friend.

The best thing I ever bought for my tank, I look forward to performing maintenance to my tank because this controller make it easy.

So much easier to have and aquarium with a controller, when I recived my RKE It was easy to setup, and has so many options on what I can do with the controller, I run my main DT and a QT with my RKE. Must have one of these on your list.

Takes a little while to set up and understand all the options, but once you do it is awesome!

I bought this on pre-order before release... (I have been around the block with this train wreck).
DA has constantly lied about deadlines their products bugs and problems and basically craps on their customers. I own just about one of every item they have made for the saltwater side and have been thru living hell with them. keep in mind I run an engineering group (software/hardware) and am a tech geek...this product has been a disappointment from start to finish... from reliability to customer support...they cover up and LIE about technical problems they have over and over. go with ANYONE else~! Just NOT them.

I'm going to keep it simple and just say there is good and bad in all products, but with this one the BAD far outweighs the good. Save your money and look for another controller.

Setting up this controller is very easy with the software that downloads onto your computer. Made tank life so much easier with being able to set up dosing schedules automatically...recommend

I thought if I was going to buy one, get the top of the Digital Aquatics line. I got it, had no idea how to hook it up. Got great support from DA and BRS also many post on youtube to help. You can get it in parts then add on. It is cheaper to go with the elite right off.

I definitely recommend this product, but with a few caveats.
1. Not all options are available on the Web version of the setup screens
2. Connecting to the unit physically uses a USB connection which is way too short; just a couple feet. I hope and assume that all options will eventually be available on the web configuration screens, but for right now be prepared sit very close to your aquarium while connected to a laptop.

Get this item best thing i did for my system and peace of mind. All the negitive talk i think alot of people dont set it up right them blame the rke. Once you set up right its a wrap in have phone labtop wireless all have access no problem. can view my swstem on my phone make changes labtop same thing so dont believe the negitive.

This a must have for any reef keeper. I will not have a tank with out this controller attached to it.

Really easy to set up and program

the price may seem high but with all the stuff that this controller does you will save money in the end,no testing PH, no bulky timers ,fail safes, it is nice knowing my heater will not stick on and over heat my tank or if my tank does get a little warm a fan turns on, the peace of mind is worth every penny.

This is a great product to make caring for you tank practically worry free. The flexibility of the timers and alarms allows for just about any custom setup you could want. I highly recommend the BSR TV video. It covers some insightful ways of configuring the system.

I have been using this for a few months and i am always on the app for iphone looking at the status of everything. It takes a little time getting it set-up, but after that it works great and it gives me a piece of mind when i am not home.

This unit is a very nice Aquarium controller,i had to update all the modules with Digital Aquatics reef keeper software and the supplied USB cable,Nothing worked right out of the box,But after all the updates this bad boy is sweet,Email notification was easy to setup,But the mobile app is a pain to setup with a home server for remote login.

I got this product for more than a year now and still felt that not able to utilize all the functionality. pH probe broke 6 months later. Update takes forever and still haven't fixed the Salinity Probe yet. I should have got the Neptune one.

No need for dozens of bulky timers. Allows logging of all the parameters which I find great for monitoring PH and temperature swings. I set my lights to auto turn off in the temperature gets too high and then I also use the net module to send emails if temperature or PH get to dangerous levels. This makes my tank more stable and gives me a sense of comfort. I recommend updating the firmware on each device which can be easily done by following the directions on the manufacturers forums.

working good, some rough edges in the software. support isn't spectacular. email notification system has a tendency to oversend emails.

It's one thing to be able to glance at the screen and know your PH and Temp are within proper parameters, but to have the unit alarm if it goes outside of them is just awesome. But then to top that it will email you, even to your phone if there is a problem. I mean there is nothing like being at work 20 miles away and having your fishtank call you. :)
A must have.
Yeah it's pricy but how much would pay to replace your tank friends when the heater fails, or worse stays on all day.

love the simple programming and love the peace of mind of not having to worry about the heater sticking or the tank getting to hot as the controller moniters it and turns the heat or chiller on as needed and if it is still too hot will cut the metal halides off and what ever else i want it to cut off should i get a temp that is too high again my choice my controller my peace of mind cannot beat the price either.

I am one of those paranoid reefers and this has reduced my stress and daily work load significantly! It's great to be able to monitor everything from work. Don't let the price scare you, this is a good value!

I've seen a lot of back and forth between the Apex AC, and the RKE, but I personally LOVE the RKE, and the engineering and design choices that the DA folks took. The only thing I wish it had (which will supposedly be coming) is the ability to program through a web API, or web interface. Otherwise, great tool, and i've yet to find someone who doesn't love their RK tool!

Just got this and hooked it up and all i can say is wow! Everything you could need is included, and having the tank status available online with instant emailing of any alarms you could possibly think of is fantastic. No more bulky timers or having to wonder what is happening when you are not in front of your reef. There is built in simple logic that can easily be programmed in an if-then manner.

The graphing feature allows you to more accurately maintain rock solid parameters by tweaking exactly what happens and when. I'm planning to run my two-part dosing using this and dosing pumps and can monitor exactly what is happening to the pH in real time and also by looking at the graphs for the extended effects. The audible alarm, however is close to silent, so depending on hearing it from anywhere but close by is unwise. Definitely recommended as a great asset for removing some of the anxiety and hassle that can occur when everything would otherwise be done manually.