I just purchased an apex for my new tank. I am also purchasing new heaters. Question is do you run a controller on your heater and then use the apex to turn off the plug if the tank gets to a certain temperature or do you use your heater without a controller and use the apex to control the heater's on/off functions?
Apex controlling your heater
- Thread starter jparadise
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125mph
New member
I have my heaters set to 79' and my apex to keep the temperature at 77.5', so in essence, it shuts the heater on and off many times during the day.. I read this is the most reliable way to keep temperature stable. Two years now and no issues with the heaters or apex.
Exactly what I do
One nice thing about the Apex is that you can set how it controls the heater. I have my heater set at 78 for safety, but the Apex turns it on at 77, off at 77.3. Even if Apex fails, the heater should turn itself off at 78. This has the heater usually running for about 30 to 40 minutes on, then off for 90 minutes or so. The Apex is only switching on about 10 times a day, sometimes less.
A lot of ways to skin the cat, that is just how I do it.
LobsterOfJustice
Recovering Detritophobe
You can run it either way - let the heater do its thing, and set the apex to turn it off if it screws up, or let the apex turn it on and off, and use the heater thermostat as a backup.
Some considerations:
1. Some people say cycling the heater on/off by using the apex as the primary control is bad for the heater... I'm not super convinced.
2. Using the apex as the primary control gives you a finer control of the exact on/off temps, which can give your tank a more stable temperature.
3. If you use the apex as the primary control and rely on the heater's thermostat as the backup, you probably want to periodically check the heater to make sure the thermostat is still working.
Some considerations:
1. Some people say cycling the heater on/off by using the apex as the primary control is bad for the heater... I'm not super convinced.
2. Using the apex as the primary control gives you a finer control of the exact on/off temps, which can give your tank a more stable temperature.
3. If you use the apex as the primary control and rely on the heater's thermostat as the backup, you probably want to periodically check the heater to make sure the thermostat is still working.
Spyderturbo007
New member
I do the same thing, but only with one heater at a lower wattage.
E Rosewater
New member
This is what I do too. No need to wear out the relay, I just have it as a back up. Also if it hits that temperature have it send you an e-mail (or text)
I use the apex to turn on/off my titanium heaters. Temp is kept between 78.5 and 78.7. I don't think you can get any heater to be as exact.
There is now a ton of debate on wether temp swings are actually good for the coral.. but I'm old school and like to keep it as steady as possible.. and the Apex keeps steady like a rock.
There is now a ton of debate on wether temp swings are actually good for the coral.. but I'm old school and like to keep it as steady as possible.. and the Apex keeps steady like a rock.
kikoreefer
New member
I've heard of heater controls malfunctioning and keeping heater off while apex is calling for heat. I donno I trust my controller more than my heater so I have it hooked up straight to outlet
This post caught my curiousity, so I tried a little experiment today to see how stable a heater would be using its internal thermostat vs. an Apex controller. See attached chart showing the past 16 hours or so. For the 1st (left) half, the Apex was controlling temps, on at 77.0, off at 77.3. Temps are in blue, amps are in red. You can see the amp draw of heater as it was switched on and off by the Apex to hold temps. For the 2nd half of the chart, I switched the heater on manually via apex, meaning the heater would have constant power and use its internal thermostat to regulate temps. As you can see, my heater is set at 79degrees, and once the tank reached that temp it then kept temps within a 0.1 degree swing for the next 5 hours. Note the red amp spikes towards the far right hand side of the chart showing when the heater was switching itself on and off as it regulated temps.
I was actually surprised at how well the heater did. FYI, it's a 5 year old 200watt EboJager in a 90 gallon tank.
Attachments
I was impressed by the heater's thermostat control as well. I actually expected to get a full degree or more of temp swing. I also did the test, as mentioned by someone else above, to test the heater's internal thermostat as a safety backup. I am now comfortable that if the Apex were to stick on (or Apex temp probe malfunction) the heater would only allow tank temps to rise about 1.5 degrees.
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