Peter, I was asked to set up a friend's Profilux controller. After several days trying to do it on my own (instructions are useless) I finally gave up and so did my friend. We installed an Apex system from Neptune Systems and has been operating without a glitch for the past year.
I have used Neptune controllers from the ACII, ACIII, ACIIIpro and now the Apex model for many years without problems! The Apex is literally plug and play, it is a snap to set up and can do more than I need, and I need a lot! lol
Do yourself a favor and install an Apex, you will not be disappointed.
Good to hear from you Elliott. I'll get Peter to take a look at your turbo charged scratch removing system over in your build thread. Maybe he will buy one, and one of those Turbo charged sports cars in the background for me to transport it in
I'm a big fan of Neptune Apex as well, it's all we sell in my shop. They have really improved the product line over the last year with IOS and Android apps and great user-friendly, intuitive software.
As Peter mentioned, we always try to keep our criticism constructive and focus on the positives, rather than the negatives. Peter is the resident software expert here, so I will let him illustrate the deficiencies of the Profilux and offer his direction. I will focus on the positives of either a new overhauled Profilux or the Apex system as a replacement.
I have been a Mac user since 2000, and Peter switched over two years ago. Without digressing into a Mac vs. PC debate, let's suffice to say that Peter and I are happy with Mac and would like to keep things simple and have all of our software devices on the IOS and OSX platform.
One of the setbacks of the Profilux is it is the only time either of us has to turn on a PC. Again, I don't want to make this an endorsement for Apple, but Peter & I have large collection of iPhones, iPads, Macbooks and iMacs that we can use for all of our needs, except the aquarium which leaves a large gap.
I paid for two third party IOS apps for the Profilux but neither are supported at this time and connection was very difficult for the brief period it was available. Network connection has always been an issue with the Profilux. We have tried USB, several USB to RS232, and even with Peter's super high end wifi network, it's hard to maintain a connection for more than a minute or two. This gets very frustrating when we are making programming changes. Saying Peter's house is fully automated is a gross understatement
Peter has a team of network professionals at his avail, yet Profilux connection has remained spotty at best. To clarify, the Profilux has never had a problem with the LAN connection, it is the wifi that cuts out.
I will take full responsibility for some of the Profilux control issues. Perhaps if I was a network admin I could have resolved some of the software updates and connection issues more efficiently, but I'm no different than the rest of the aquarium market. Perhaps it is the best aquarium control system for a technophile, but they need to be able to navigate the entire process on their own, as support is almost completely non-existent. I have a number of very capable computer-savvy friends who have traded in their $2500 Profilux controllers for the Neptune Apex, which is a fraction of the cost ($800-1000 for the same features). I have set up a few Profilux controllers for customers, but most have them have remained as passive monitors rather than fully realized for the control potential. many have found them to be too difficult to use, or have discontinued use after a wipeout due to user error or a bad probe/sensor etc. A common complaint is that there is only a simple one-liner in the user manual for each feature.
When we set out on the controller journey, we had grand visions of a fully automated system. We have been very conservative with the Profilux, as we didn't want to control anything until monitoring was stable. There is always a delicate balance with any brand of aquarium controller. They can be your best friend or worst enemy. They could maintain perfect water chemistry and water levels with flawless dosing or they could jam in the on or off position and cause devastating results very quickly. All mechanical components
WILL fail, it's just a matter of time. Limiting the window/duration & extent of failure is the key. Redundancy, failsafe's and timers is the only way to safely implement control in your reef. Probes can drift out of calibration regardless of controller brand, and many of the probes are the same anyway.
One of our design flaws was using the Profilux in-line probe holder. It looks slick and allows us to locate the probes near the controller and not in the sump which is far away. The problem is the in-line probe holder is labourious to open and service and it exposes us to potential leaks every time we recalibrate. The easier ot is to do, the more likely we are to do it. The probes for the MARS system are in conventional open probe holders so calibration and cleaning is much easier. I also found that PH and ORP readings varied from the sump and the in-line probe holder.
After careful thought we elected to limit the Profilux to monitoring rather than control. The 3 x 1000w heaters were to powerful for the Profilux, so they could not be incorporated as a failsafe. The 1 HP chiller was also too powerful to use, so it too operated independently. Our Abyzz pumps have elaborate sensors and wave sequences that are far more advanced than the Profilux, so it too operates independently of it. Our LED lights have too many drivers to use the Profilux so they are also working on their own, but the Profilux does run a single timer for the fishroom lights and a second for the two mangrove lights. Last night the Profilux time switched to 8 hours ahead so the lights were off. I assume this was a loose end from the new firmware update.
We are left with ORP control of ozone which we do use. I find it needs calibration once or twice a month, but this is not a unique problem to Profilux. If I learned how to use the programmable logic in the Profilux, I would use timers for primary control of ozone dosing and ORP as a backup.
We have far too much to risk to use the Profilux for automated water changes, as they rely too much on the salinity probe for accuracy. We have not been able to successfully calibrate the salinity probes. They always read lower than our calibrated refractometers. When the refractometer reads 1.025, the Profilux reads 1.020-1.022. I was instructed by the Profilux distributor that the Profilux reading is correct and I should disregard all other devices.
We added a dissolved oxygen (DO) sensor to aid in some of our testing. We wanted to be able to use the probe in different parts of the system including sand beds, protein skimmer with ozone, high flow areas as well as day and night readings. Traditionally, DO is measured in mg/l but Profilux uses a percentage so a chart was needed t compare to common standards. The percentage is often over 100% even after calibration so we gave up on the idea. I use my portable Pinpoint unit instead, but it would have been nice to have day and night values logged on a chart.
The PH controller feature has served us well with little need for calibration. We are using it to govern the Co2 feed to the calcium reactor.
The temperature probe was pretty good for the first year, but now it's way off and no way to calibrate it. We use a calibrated scientific (12" glass) thermometer as a standard. That's one of Peter's jobs. He hasn't broken it even after two years of daily use, so that would make him an expert
The Profilux thermometer would be another key sensor for a water change system. If the tank temp dropped it may indicate a water change or top-up device that is stuck in the on position.
We use a timer in the Profilux "processes" feature to turn on several actuators and solenoids. A single timer turns on a solenoid that does the skimmer cup wash down, an actuator valve that does the skimmer internal neck/riser tube wash down, and a series of fine sprayers that mist the mangrove trees. The Profilux will only allow 8 timer sequences per day, per device. We have the wash down and mist run for one minute every three hours, but a common household timer would do the same with even more frequency flexibility.
We have an elaborate RO/DI system with a two way solenoid that washes down the RO membrane automatically when the post RO (pre DI) water rises above 8 TDS. We also have a water meter so we know when to change the carbon and sediment filters. This system is completely independent of the Profilux, but if it was we could at least use it to monitor remotely via app. It could remind us to change the filters and order new ones, and it could be incorporated into an auto water change. We have had problems with the Profilux optic sensors for the ATO either sticking on or off. They have worked after cleaning with vinegar, but I can't get them to work since the last firmware update. I have hooked up an independent dual float switch system and have ordered two replacement optical sensors. The fear of sensors jamming on or off can be partially aided with redundancy. You need to use programmable logic to use a second float sensor to turn off the water, should the primary sensor fail. Regardless of sensor dependability, the solenoid or feed pump could be the weak link. It is just as likely that a solenoid could jam in the on or off position, preferably the latter (we have had both). We have a mechanical float valve that acts as the final fail safe for over filling the sump. We also have a bulkhead at the top of the sump that leads to a floor drain.
I was informed that the new firmware was radically different as we haven't updated in two years. This was our chance to overhaul the whole Profilux system and implement some of our automation plans. It looks the same to me, with exception to a new picture at the top.
I will talk it over with Peter and of course measure the feedback here. We will either continue with the major Profilux overhaul or abandon it for the Apex.
