Apex Questions

[Watchman86]

I am looking at picking up an Apex. I currently have a couple parts, but I need some more to make it work.

Will the VDM control the RLSS 12000 pumps?
Do I need any special cord to make this happen?
How much better is the lab grade probes over the standard probes?
How important is dissolved oxygen and orp in an aquarium?

 

[mrx66699]

shoot Dr Thompson a pm he is pretty good with the apex and should be able to help you on the apex

 

[currentking]

Apex says the lab probe is way better but I find that they fluctuate considerably. The orp probe just gives you an indication of water quality. For instance last week the orp said 350 and this week it's 440. So your water quality is better. This is how it was explained by the vendor.

Don't hesitate to call them and ask questions. They are great. They spent about 40 minutes with me on the phone before I purchased.

 

[Daimyo68]

There was hopes, and even talks between Neptune and RLSS, but from what I understand, it never went through, so the DC pump cannot be controlled by the Apex. It is possible that someone may have DIY'd the RLSS to make it controllable via the Apex, but I've never searched.

I've always used the standard grade pH probe and never had any issues.

ORP and DO can give you insight into water quality. You can get the Pinpoint ORP probe for around $60, or the BRS lab grade for about $70. They aren't that expensive, but it's a personal choice on whether to have them or not.

 

[nivram]

You can make a cable to make dc pump work. I haven't done it yet. But plenty of tutorials.