(upbeat music)
- Hey, it's Thomas here.
And today we're doing a quick review
on Adaptive Reefs Controller Boards.
If you're looking for an easy
ready to go solution for mounting your apex
or other controllers for your pumps, lights, heater
and other gear made from a sturdy, lightweight
and waterproof material that can be customized to
fit the needs of your aquarium
while helping to keep your power cords, power bricks,
and cables, tidy and safe,
and all of your gear easily accessible and looking slick,
then check out Adaptive Reefs Controller Boards.
Honestly, my favorite product for this specific job.
I absolutely love it.
Now you've heard me say this before,
reefing is a hobby of gear,
as much as it is a hobby of maintaining a healthy ecosystem
for our fish corals and other reef inhabitants,
and cable management goes a long way towards
making it not only easier to manage the equipment we use,
but also safer for our homes.
Many savvy reefers have implemented a control board
to help sort out all of their gear,
having a central location organize all of the various
physical controllers for our pumps, lights, monitors,
and power strips
not only keeps it looking clean,
but also just makes using and checking the status
of that equipment a heck of a lot easier.
It often also asks to keep the plugs and power sockets up
and away from water, which is much safer.
While going the DIY or do it yourself route
is certainly doable
and it can look and function really nicely,
it takes time planning tools and often uses materials
like melamine that are heavy, only water resistant,
and don't typically last the test of time near water.
Adaptive reef did what they do best
but they're basic and deluxe controller boards.
They are super lightweight made from robust waterproof
expanded PVC, providing a false wall with cutouts
to hide cords and cables with some great optional hardware
to customize it to your specific needs.
Plus they come in black and white
so you can match it to your decor.
In the box, you'll find the adaptive reef control board,
six cord cutout plugs,
three cord grommets and mounting screws.
The boards come fully assembled
and ready to be mounted to your wall, stand,
or wherever you wanna keep your controllers.
They're incredibly lightweight made
from expanded PVC that is completely waterproof
and it is easy to screw into as pine board
making them a delight to work with
even if all you have to work with is a screwdriver.
They can be mounted vertically
or horizontally by removing the front panel
and using the three screw holes on each
of the brackets on the back or for easier quick removal,
you can use the optional French Cleat to hang it vertically.
You just mount the Cleat on the wall,
then you can pop the board on and off quickly
whenever you like.
The boards include cutouts on the front and sides
to easily rote courts to and from the controllers
and also come with plugs and grommets to cover and protect
anything going to and from the cutouts
while also allowing courts to pass through.
The plugs and grommets are made from the same
expanded PVC material and are pretty easy to modify
if you wanna create your own notches,
but if you'd rather not use any extra tools
adaptive reef has you covered with extras available
if you need them.
The backs of the boards include spots to tie down
and manage cables,
and a hidden shelf to support power breaks
so you can keep all of the cables and other electrical tidy
and organized as well as out of sight.
Like I mentioned, there are two models;
the basic and the deluxe.
The basic board measures 15 inches by 25 1/4 inches
by 3.5 inches deep and includes nine small cutouts,
one internal shelf, and two cord rails.
The deluxe board measures 16 1/4 inches
by 25 and a quarter inches
with that same three and a half inch depth
and includes nine small cutouts, four large cutouts,
two internal shelves and four cord rails.
Which one in the two you're going to need
is gonna depend mostly on how much
gear you wanna mount to it,
as well as how many cords or cables it has to support.
For most pump and light controllers,
I find the basic board does a fantastic job.
If you wanna mount your apex or other controller
along with the power bar, the deluxe is larger.
Cutouts will come in handy for passing multiple power cords
through that one spot to reach the power bar.
Aside from the French Cleat
and the extra cutout plums and grommets,
adaptive reef also makes a sizable shelf available
for the boards giving you a convenient place
to rest your doser, Trident,
or any other gear that needs a surface to sit on.
It also makes for a nice little work surface
right near the tank.
I've been using mine for my wireless remote
and preparing food before feeding the tank.
It's really easy to install and plugs two
of the cord cutouts on the board
while leaving the center cutout accessible to run power
to and from any gear sitting on the shelf.
I've been using the deluxe board for a while now
and I'm really happy with it.
It's a breeze to work with and is really nicely laid out.
I've always mounted my pump
or light controllers in the stand previously,
but I'll admit this is a much nicer way to work
with the gear and keeps it safe
from splashes and looking really slick.
A huge rat's nest of power bars and cables
is an accident waiting to happen.
And quite frankly, it makes me anxious to look at.
So whether you want a controller board like this one
or just wants some tips and tricks
on how to avoid that power cord catastrophe,
you can check out Ryan's video on wire management
right here.
I've actually showed this video to you guys before.
If you haven't yet seen it, please take a look.
There's a lot of things to consider in there
that are gonna help keep you
and your tank and your home safe, huh, go watch it.
It is super important.
Can't say enough.
(upbeat music)