Neptune apex flow monitoring kit (fmm)

[chucklez]

As some of you know I was selected into Neptune's nsi group to beta test some of their new devices. Below is a review I just finally submitted on their forums:

Alright. After having several issues with firmware requiring neptune to dial in 2x then replacing my head unit I can finally put together a short review of the install and thoughts in my FMM.

I purchased an additional 2" sensors for my main return which is an ecotech vectra L1. Originally my return was done in 1.5" sch40 pvc so I had to add a couple of reducers to get it to 2". Installation was fairly straight forward with the provided 2" unions. I did/currently am experiencing a slow drip from the sensor unit. I slathered the rector seal 5 on it, but it's still slowly dripping. I should have used Teflon as well. This weekend I plan to remove it and take it to my work shop to remove and repeat the sensor. It's stuck on pretty good right now.

I hooked up the FMM and set up the 2" sensors. Was surprised to find running my vectra at 70% I was getting around 936gph. Loss of flow is probably due to the 1.5" connecting to a sweep t with a reducing bushing on each one to reduce it to .75" returns to the tanks. 2 per tank. This is plumbed using sch40 pvc then a barb fitting to pex to make a sweeping bend up. So the reducing bushings are what is bottle necking it. You can only go as fast as your slowest point. I am a firm believer in slower flow through the sump equals better filtration so I may ramp my vectra down to 60%.

Just today I finally hooked up my 1" sensor. This went on my BRS jumbo reactor running bioballs. It and my frag tank is powered by a jebao dct8000. Jumbo is ran off of a manifold. Using the stock tubing that came with it produced absolutely no tumble. So I put 1" elbows and vinyl tubing on it. Provides a great tumble now. I couldn't find local or online British threaded barbs. So I used good Ole 'Merican ingenuity. Teflon tape the crap out of it then slather it in rector seal 5 then screw them on as far as I can. So far so good. I'm getting a great tumble also. Surprised it is taking 200gph to achieve it tho.

Finally my wiring. After seeing some of yours on here wiring I am in awe. So I cleaned mine up a bit and added wiring channel.

Sor far I only have the 2 sensors hooked up. I plan to run to town tomorrow at lunch and pick up two more barb fittings to hook the .5" sensor up to my GFO. As I don't need to tumble I am getting with the 1" on the bio pellets, I think .5" will do.

So onto my quick thoughts. I enjoy the ability to see what kind of flow my system is putting requiring. It allows me to adjust rates as I see fit. As I have a bigger system, the .5" sensors are kind of useless. I am hoping I can push enough flow through it to tumble the GFO. We shall see tomorrow. The other .5" sensor I'm not sure yet. When filling out the application I had an idea of use but with further review it won't really work. My suggestion may be to make it an ala-carte option perhaps. More than likely I will pick up another 1". Also I understand the idea behind the British threading thing, and I appreciate adding in slip adapters for it, but i had to search high and low for a british threaded barb and never did find it.

All in all I like the system. As stated before i had numerous firmware issues to start which was rectified by purchasing a new head unit. An unexpected expense there. Curious to see if once neptune receives the old unit if the problem can be duplicated.

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[bhofosho]

Cool! I would have plumbed everything the same if I couldn't find anything here. Do you think it is worth it to really know your flow in your reactors since you kind of change the dc pump to visual tumble? I'm just wondering for me what the benefit of knowing flow at all times is and if it's worth it to use the fmm.


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[Tigé21v]

Thanks for the review. Very cool that you are part of their testing program.
I did not fully read up on the ins and outs of the testing. Did they provide you with the equipment to test, or did you have to purchase the sensors?
Odd that you had the issues with your head unit. I hope if the issues are found to be related to a bug with the new equipment, they take care of you.
How often are they recommending to clean the sensors? And what all is involved in cleaning them?
I think their design itself is going to have a negative impact on any user's plumbing flow. The barb fittings are going to be a flow restriction point. The I.D. of the barbs is going to be considerably less than the tubing they are shoved into. I think Neptune should do their users the service by doing it right. They should provide fittings similar to the Shark Bite push connect fittings with their sensors. Ideally, offer (or include) a couple of different connection choices when you purchase the sensors (threaded, push connect, etc). People who are going to be forking out the cash for these are not going to shy away if they have to pay a few bucks more if they were to include the fittings. At the least, include the British-to-US adapters.
I wish these were made in such a way that they did not have to be a permanent installation. I know that the majority of users of these sensors would want them hooked up all the time and would monitor the flow daily, my attention span is not that long. I'd just want to know the "somewhere around" flow. When I first heard they were developing these, I was hoping that they would be made in such a way that they would not need to be permanently plumbed "inline". Instead, if they were made so they were inserted and screwed into a Tee fitting plumbed into the system. One would have the option of leaving it there on a permanent basis, or we could get a measure of the flow, then remove it and screw a cap into the Tee.

 

[chucklez]

Actually the sensors do not come with barb fittings. The 1" comes with two British pipe threaded 1" sch80 union. In my application i didnt want to have nylon tubing->barb->union->sensor->union->barb->nylon tubing. It would have made it big and heavy. Last thing I wanted hanging off a vinyl tue with no support. My solution was to look for the BPT barbs and shorten and lighten the entire rig. In the US those pieces are difficult if not impossible to find. Several beta testers have had issues and have had to rig up a solution using multiple adapters and pieces. The good news is the other end of the union is slip, so no problems there. fitting it into an existing system.

The 1/2 sensors come with two screw on adapters. The other end of those are slip as well. Since when they are that small the thread spacing is the same, you can use readily available 1/2 threaded barbs on the 1/2". The 1" you can only get approximately 1/2 way on.

As far as cleaning or maintenance, not sure on that. I have posted a question on their forums. Lets see what they say. And as far as the head unit, lets see what they say. It worked fine on the current public release version of the firmware. Both beta releases caused issues. Sometimes they worked for a few days after flashing, sometimes they didnt. But it eventually went unresponsive. Had to flash back to last stable public build to get control and reporgram it again. Engineers think it is an issue with the unit itself, hence the replacement which i had to pay for. Lets see what they find in their shop. On top of that I had to pay for the FMK pieces as well, but at a discounted rate.

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