Bogue Chitto
New member
I'm thinking of getting an apex controller....know nothing about them. What is the basic things I will need to get it hooked up and running?
Apex
- Thread starter Bogue Chitto
- Start date
IshFish
New member
I picked up the gold package about a week ago and I love it! I was playing with it in the evenings but ended up taking a day off from work to fully set it up since if I needed customer service there was a 3 hour time delay (MI to CA).
I have all the basics set up on it but I feel that there is still a lot for me to learn to get full potential out of it. But, I also have to teach my husband what I know so when I learn something I need to teach him and so on so not to get him too overwhelmed!
We've been in the hobby since the early 90's and I've got to say that this is one of the coolest technologies to be available to us. A lot of your numbers are right at your finger tips and turning things on/off is a breeze!
We set it up in a corner cabinet (separate from the main aquarium) and have room on the bottom for when we get the DOS.
Once you get it you'll be wondering how you lived with out it!
A big thing I learned when setting it up was that the EB8 outlets came pre-programmed with on/off and my pumps were either not coming on or going on and then off. Be sure to program first before plugging in.
I have all the basics set up on it but I feel that there is still a lot for me to learn to get full potential out of it. But, I also have to teach my husband what I know so when I learn something I need to teach him and so on so not to get him too overwhelmed!
We've been in the hobby since the early 90's and I've got to say that this is one of the coolest technologies to be available to us. A lot of your numbers are right at your finger tips and turning things on/off is a breeze!
We set it up in a corner cabinet (separate from the main aquarium) and have room on the bottom for when we get the DOS.
Once you get it you'll be wondering how you lived with out it!
A big thing I learned when setting it up was that the EB8 outlets came pre-programmed with on/off and my pumps were either not coming on or going on and then off. Be sure to program first before plugging in.
Bogue Chitto
New member
Thanks for the info Scott and Ish. I am trying to get a little modernized and have heard so much about the apex. I just want to make sure I get the right stuff and not get something that I am too dumb to figure out.
slief
RC Sponsor
Glad to help. As a long time Apex user and even longer Neptune Systems user going all the way back to the first generation Neptune Aquacontroller in the early 90's, I think you will love the controller.
I would suggest checking out the Comprehensive Apex Reference Manual as there is a ton of great info in it.
You can find that as well as other useful documents here:
https://www.neptunesystems.com/support/docs/
I'd also suggest taking a look at the Official Neptune Systems forum. There are a lot of great people that monitor that forum all the time and lots of great info there as well.
https://forum.neptunesystems.com/forum.php
jason2459
Well-known member
100% this with a big +1
I just switched over to an Apex and so very happy I did. I followed to the T this guide first and it got me online and going
https://www.neptunesystems.com/apex_gs/
Then I started reading through the comprehensive guide linked to by slief. It's an absolute wonderful resource to get started with basic to semi advanced programming.
Then the forum also linked to will get you everything else or ability to ask questions to fill in any gaps you have. I also really like going through other people's programming to get some ideas as well because with some things there are more then one way to do them in different way. For that I browse around http://www.reeftronics.net/ and you can pull up apex user's programming in html or pdf form. I'm listed on there as well under my username.
slief
RC Sponsor
Great point of Reeftronics! There is a ton of great programming info to be had there by browsing peoples programming there. I'm on there too under Scott L. My system is extremely large and I have a ton of code in my setup. Reeftronics is a great resource.
nuxx
.Registered Member
Yeap...
After you have one and find out all the things you can end up using it for, you'll never be able to run a tank without one.
About to add another one to our frag tank. Was going to just go "dumb" on that tank, but changed my mind.
slief
RC Sponsor
Were you at MACNA & if so, did you attend the Apex user group meeting there?
Bogue Chitto
New member
Thanks Guys! I will check out the links before I buy and see what I can find. One question though, I'm planning on hooking up 2 kessil lights to the dimmer a 160 and a 360. Do I need to get extra cables to hook them up with? I just don't want to get the apex in and not be able to use it right away. The links will probably tell me that but I just want to make sure. This hobby is getting expensive but I love it and want to make it work. None of my family feels the same way though. They think is is such a waste......HaHa
jason2459
Well-known member
cardiffgiant
Active member
So true. The automation, monitoring, accessibility, and coordination of all of your equipment is pertty amazing.
I've been running an apex for about a year. I thought I'd go small, just monitoring ph, controlling 2 part and T5 lighting schedules. Within a few months I was using leak detection, autofeeding, controlling radions, controlling jebao pumps, and just recently added the new wav pumps.
nuxx
.Registered Member
jason2459
Well-known member
Yeah, I was planning on doing a slow cut over from my reefkeeper to Apex spanning a few months as I slowly got new modules...
As soon as I got my display side setup with the base package and connected with fusion that was it. I feel in love with it. By the next week I was buying everything else needed to do a quick and complete cut over. I didn't want anything at a to do with any other controller.
Bogue Chitto
New member
I am having a hard time trying to get the connections I need. I have a kessil 360we and a
A160we. Do I have to have the VDM to hook them up to the apex for the dimming? and what kind of cables to get for this. I tried to call Neptune but the phone was out of order.
A160we. Do I have to have the VDM to hook them up to the apex for the dimming? and what kind of cables to get for this. I tried to call Neptune but the phone was out of order.
markster33139
New member
Yes you will need the VDM module to get them to dim.
slief
RC Sponsor
That is incorrect.
Bobby,
If you have the standard Apex or Apex Gold then you do NOT need a VDM module unless you are already using the built in variable speed ports for something else.
The standard Apex has 4 variable speed ports on two different RJ45 (VS1/VS2 & VS3/VS4) connections. With the 360WE's and the 160 WE's, you would use one of the two RJ45 connections on the base unit to control both intensity and color (VS1/VS2 or VS3/VS4). This is where the Kessil Apex cable comes into play as it has an RJ45 on the Apex side and a dual channel 2.5mm on the Kessil side to give you seperate control over intensity and color via the single cable. You would simply program the two corresponding Variable speed ports for intesity and color using Fusion via the graphs or ramping profiles through advance programming. Fusion however makes it stupid easy to program your sunrise/sunset and color.
You can daisy chain the Kessils but the 360 and 160 would likely require different settings. As such, you will want to control them both seperately and use 1 RJ45 connection for each light using seperate Kessil to Apex cables. If you have multiple 360's, you could daisy chain those together or multiple 160's could be chained together.
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