Debating if the Apex is worth it for me?

[Ron Reefman]

The question you have to ask yourself, and nobody here can answer for you, is what will an Apex do for you? Yes they can do some interesting things, but are the things it can do for you, REALLY worth it to you?

I have an Apex and it's sitting on a shelf not in use because I don't see anything it does that's really worth my time to even set it up. IMHO people who have them think they are great because they spent a fair amount of money on them. You know the theory, the more you spend on something, the better you think it is and the more important it is to you. Well, mine was free from a friend and I've had it for a year and can't even justify the time to set it up. It does nothing that I really care about.

If you can sit down and physically make a written list of what it will do for you and the cost is justified by that list, then go for it. If not, don't waste your money on something you don't need!

 

[JohnnyHildo]

I have an Apex and it's sitting on a shelf not in use because I don't see anything it does that's really worth my time to even set it up.

in my brief history of visiting this site i recognize this comment or something very similar to it from you a few times now. i suggest for 2017 you should make it a goal to either give that apex a solid try or gift it to someone that could use it.
depending on your personal tastes you might find it to be a lot better than you give it credit for, or possibly not but one thing is for certain... it definitely makes a better piece of tank equipment than it does a mess of wires stuffed in a box on your shelf

 

[4Runner2003]

I've had an Apex for years. I think it's one of the best purchases I've made for my tank. The main reason is for the alerting capabilities. If the tank is too hot/cold, water low, wet floor etc I get a text message on my phone and an email. Even set up a web cam to watch it and all on the Apex app or website. Do you have to have it, like others have said, no, but for me, the peace of mind of being alerted when something is going on is well worth it.

Scott

 

[RedStangGA]

The question you have to ask yourself, and nobody here can answer for you, is what will an Apex do for you? Yes they can do some interesting things, but are the things it can do for you, REALLY worth it to you?

I have an Apex and it's sitting on a shelf not in use because I don't see anything it does that's really worth my time to even set it up. IMHO people who have them think they are great because they spent a fair amount of money on them. You know the theory, the more you spend on something, the better you think it is and the more important it is to you. Well, mine was free from a friend and I've had it for a year and can't even justify the time to set it up. It does nothing that I really care about.

If you can sit down and physically make a written list of what it will do for you and the cost is justified by that list, then go for it. If not, don't waste your money on something you don't need!

With all due respect, I see comments like this all the time on these boards when referring to just about anything that costs $. And, IMHO, it's BS. Great, you don't see a use case for it. FOR YOU.

But don't disparage other people because it does do something for them. There is a long list of products that I will never buy due to their price but I never assume that someone else says good things about them simply because they want to believe they made a good purchase. Value is relative. To me, and Apex is extremely valuable. I won't recommend that someone else waste money just because I wasted money. And I don't think the vast majority of other people would either...

 

[Xandernfs]

My reason for getting it right from the get go is because I'm not sure if funds will be as plentiful as they are now since i'm building a house. I figured if I could get it now, then I wouldn't have to worry about it later since it's one less thing to worry about.

I also see some are telling me to look at pros and cons. I'm not 100% sure of what the Apex can do. I have a descent idea of how it can control pumps, lighting, and monitor things. I've watched quite a few videos about it. But basically I want to be able to monitor the basics and control, my Kessil lights, Tunze pumps, RO DC Pump, and heaters. I'm assuming my ATO can be on a separate outlet (Tunze ATO). I'm not sure what else I would want it to do, but then again, not sure what else it can do.

 

[Optionman]

My reason for getting it right from the get go is because I'm not sure if funds will be as plentiful as they are now since i'm building a house. I figured if I could get it now, then I wouldn't have to worry about it later since it's one less thing to worry about.

I also see some are telling me to look at pros and cons. I'm not 100% sure of what the Apex can do. I have a descent idea of how it can control pumps, lighting, and monitor things. I've watched quite a few videos about it. But basically I want to be able to monitor the basics and control, my Kessil lights, Tunze pumps, RO DC Pump, and heaters. I'm assuming my ATO can be on a separate outlet (Tunze ATO). I'm not sure what else I would want it to do, but then again, not sure what else it can do.

If you get seriously into this hobby you will eventually "want" and "need" a controller, so might as well get it day 1 if $ isn't prohibiting it. We all have significant investments in our set-ups and the controller makes life much easier. When i got started i was told "when you finally get an apex you won't believe how you lived without one!" Turned out to be 100% true.

Good luck

 

[Ron Reefman]

in my brief history of visiting this site i recognize this comment or something very similar to it from you a few times now. i suggest for 2017 you should make it a goal to either give that apex a solid try or gift it to someone that could use it.
depending on your personal tastes you might find it to be a lot better than you give it credit for, or possibly not but one thing is for certain... it definitely makes a better piece of tank equipment than it does a mess of wires stuffed in a box on your shelf

I own it and I get to decide if I want to use it or not. I didn't say it's awful or that I would never use one. I said I haven't found enough free time to set it up. I have other equipment in my possession that I don't use as well. Don't tell me what I should or shouldn't do.

And I feel that given the overwhelming number of owners who say they love their Apex, my opinion is just a small counter balance. No offence intended.

With all due respect, I see comments like this all the time on these boards when referring to just about anything that costs $. And, IMHO, it's BS. Great, you don't see a use case for it. FOR YOU.

But don't disparage other people because it does do something for them. There is a long list of products that I will never buy due to their price but I never assume that someone else says good things about them simply because they want to believe they made a good purchase. Value is relative. To me, and Apex is extremely valuable. I won't recommend that someone else waste money just because I wasted money. And I don't think the vast majority of other people would either...

It was not meant as a disparagement to other people. It's a proven fact that people buy something and then find ways to like it even more than they thought they would when they were considering buying it. And that the more expensive it is to their relative income, the better they think it is. It's a well understood fact related to sales and marketing. No personal disparagement intended toward anybody.

 

[rjjr1963]

My reason for getting it right from the get go is because I'm not sure if funds will be as plentiful as they are now since i'm building a house. I figured if I could get it now, then I wouldn't have to worry about it later since it's one less thing to worry about.

I also see some are telling me to look at pros and cons. I'm not 100% sure of what the Apex can do. I have a descent idea of how it can control pumps, lighting, and monitor things. I've watched quite a few videos about it. But basically I want to be able to monitor the basics and control, my Kessil lights, Tunze pumps, RO DC Pump, and heaters. I'm assuming my ATO can be on a separate outlet (Tunze ATO). I'm not sure what else I would want it to do, but then again, not sure what else it can do.

You can do some interesting things like set up float switches. I thought about using one in my ATO reservoir to tell me when it's low. You could use hi/low switches in your sump too. I've also read about people hooking up fans if temperatures get to hi. I work at home and I'm in my fish room 10x per day anyway so much of this stuff isn't useful to me right now. You just have to decide how much use you can get out of it and wether is worth $800 or not.

 

[ryeguyy84]

The Apex can be used as an ATO with a breakout box. It's cheaper than the tunze. I use mine to control my radions, vortech pumps, heaters, ATO, dosing pumps pretty much everything. It even tells me when to fill my top off reserve in the basement so I don't have to go down and check every few days. I'd vote to get one and return the Tunze ATO while your there

 

[dutch27]

I've been running an old reefkeeper lite for years, and wouldn't have a tank without at least a basic controller. It turns my ATO on for a limited time to avoid overflows if a float breaks, controls the heaters to prevent issues with broken thermostats, and gives me good control on my lights. I do keep my display power heads on a separate outlet for ease of turning them all off without messing with menus.

An Apex is great if you plan on having dosing pumps, LED ramp up/down schedules, cooling fans, delayed starts for a skimmer, wavemakers, etc etc. If you intend your system to be complex, then start saving for it and make it your next investment in the tank. You likely won't realize how great a controller is, until you've used it for awhile.

 

[JohnnyHildo]

I own it and I get to decide if I want to use it or not. I didn't say it's awful or that I would never use one. I said I haven't found enough free time to set it up. I have other equipment in my possession that I don't use as well. Don't tell me what I should or shouldn't do.

relax buddy.
all i was suggesting is that you try it. here's a bonus... once it's installed it can be a great time saver if you are in fact as busy as you say you are.

 

[ALLIDOISREEF]

Just ordered mine, I'll let you know

 

[radecatur]

For me personally,
Like others i had tanks back in the early 90's and of course it wasn't an option then.
Now that I'm older, i went with the mindset that i didn't want to DIY or piece meal the system together, and i was going to "Spare no expense" (within my means of course)
Bottom line, i love it. The nail in the coffin for me is the DOS setup for AWC. I mix up FSW once a month, and it does the rest for me. I've got 2 hip replacements and lugging water for me is painful.
As Ron said, list it out for yourself and see.
But in all honesty, i didn't even think of the awc until about 6 months into the tank being setup, and it is the one thing that takes the whole system over the top for me.

I will say from my personal experience, their tech support leaves alot to be desired. When you can actually get past the support brick wall and talk to someone in person, its fine. But getting there sucks.
The user to user support is good though.

 

[gone fishin]

I have considered getting one a few times and for me it does not make sense for me to purchase one. Ultimately it is your decision, if after purchasing one and you do not like it then you can always sell it. They seem to sell pretty quick. Good luck

 

[surferarnie]

I was in the not sure i need one camp.
I just suffered a heater failure last weekend.Luckily i caught it in time. Temp had dropped,to 71. I have a couple of acros that are not looking so good since.
I am now defiantly going to get the new apex. Would have been great to know when the temp started to drop.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[JohnnyHildo]

I was in the not sure i need one camp.
I just suffered a heater failure last weekend.Luckily i caught it in time. Temp had dropped,to 71. I have a couple of acros that are not looking so good since.
I am now defiantly going to get the new apex. Would have been great to know when the temp started to drop.

exactly how i see it.
nobody needs insurance until something goes wrong and then you wished you had bought more of it.

 

[scuzy]

exactly how i see it.

nobody needs insurance until something goes wrong and then you wished you had bought more of it.

Love that analogy no one needs insurance but when **** hits the fan you sure wish you did.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jml1149]

I've had GFO clog and go nuclear while away, to come home and find an odor like no other. I installed the FMM module and just last night, the flow dropped and I had to unclog the reactor. Don't know why it clogged, but I was able to detect and fix it before the stink bomb goes off again.

Wife was not happy with the sulfur smell. Apex increases wife acceptance rating by at least 13 points.

 

[mlew]

The alerting feature is worth it to me alone. I'm not always home and to have certain events I care about trigger an email or text is amazing.

I do wish there was better documentation showing what is all possible with the Apex (or other controllers) and what modules are needed. I feel like if I think of something I want it to do (other than the basic stuff), I have to do a ton of research on what extra module I need to buy and exactly how it works. Or maybe I'm just real dumb.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[CHizer]

If you consider it takes the place of timers, ato, & temp control it helps swallow the cost. My favorite part is the tracking of parameters. I like to look back at trends and compare.