New Product - Apex Par Meter

[South City]

Just when I thought I was done with equipment purchases for my 180 gallon build! Apex is coming out with a meter that hides inside a fake rock that provides constant par data and integrates it with other Apex functionality. It costs $299 but I'm probably going to pick it up.

It's sort of funny that I buy generic cola at the grocery store because I don't want to pay $1.80 for a two liter of Diet Pepsi but I'll spend $300 without hardly even thinking about for my reef. :hmm5:

https://www.neptunesystems.com/pmk/
Link to the Announcement

 

[Lance A. Lot]

I saw this on FB this week. What are the benefits of measuring par values in one specific spot of a tank? If you have LED lighting does the Par value fluctuate that much in the same spot from day to day? Is this something more for MH and t-5 users so they know when to change bulbs?

 

[chadfarmer]

why do u need a rock and a par meter to use all the time, plan on cleaning a lot also a scratch on it will change amounts of light

 

[Tradewinds]

All good points, I would've rather seen them come out with a LED lighting system, although Neptune does a wonderful job of controlling most of the lights on the market or so it appears.

 

[South City]

I saw this on FB this week. What are the benefits of measuring par values in one specific spot of a tank? If you have LED lighting does the Par value fluctuate that much in the same spot from day to day? Is this something more for MH and t-5 users so they know when to change bulbs?

You could move the meter around to different spots in the tank to measure the values from top to bottom and then leave it a location where you'd want the values tracked by Apex around the clock.(like perhaps the spot/level in your tank where most of your corals are)

why do u need a rock and a par meter to use all the time, plan on cleaning a lot also a scratch on it will change amounts of light

Have you priced par meters in general? Even stand alone units are fairly expensive and don't give you the benefit of tracking and analyzing the values with all the other parameters measured by Apex. If I owned a meter I'd want to use it fairly regularly. Every time I adjusted my lights(intensity or location), my rock work, or had a coral that wasn't doing well, I'd want to know the values. As for cleaning and maintenance, its really no different than any other sensor or piece of equipment in the tank. Everything in our tank requires regular maintenance to continue to function properly in a marine environment.

 

[South City]

All good points, I would've rather seen them come out with a LED lighting system, although Neptune does a wonderful job of controlling most of the lights on the market or so it appears.

They seem to be coming out with a lot of new products lately. The doser's and storage canisters that were just released, the par meter, their own powerhead which is supposed to be releasing soon. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't come out with their own lights soon enough.

 

[chadfarmer]

i guess you dont know who i am? i have a par meter havent used it in years.. wait i loaned it out and forgot who has it. my ogles scope that i payed 400 for and havent used in years its just another piece of equipment that isnt needed but a few times a year if that. u can get a senosr and a voltage meter and have the same thing cheaper. they were asking how many people would buy this on the GHL forum a few years ago and not to many people were interested in it. so they never made it for it. i use to be like u had to have the newest best thing.


no hard feeling just being honest but this is the reason i dont answer questions anymore.

been doing this a couple weeks now

 

[South City]

No, I do not know who you are. I am sorry.

So you are saying that since you don't find a par meter useful that no one else should either?

i guess you dont know who i am? i have a par meter havent used it in years.. wait i loaned it out and forgot who has it. my ogles scope that i payed 400 for and havent used in years its just another piece of equipment that isnt needed but a few times a year if that. u can get a senosr and a voltage meter and have the same thing cheaper. they were asking how many people would buy this on the GHL forum a few years ago and not to many people were interested in it. so they never made it for it. i use to be like u had to have the newest best thing.


no hard feeling just being honest but this is the reason i dont answer questions anymore.

been doing this a couple weeks now

 

[Mr D smack]

No, I do not know who you are. I am sorry.

So you are saying that since you don't find a par meter useful that no one else should either?

No he didn't say a par meter is useless.

 

[Mr D smack]

i guess you dont know who i am?

been doing this a couple weeks now

 

[chadfarmer]

what im trying to tell u is that the sensor will degrade over time. they are supposed to be stored in the dark. the meters need recalibrated to the probe over time


im done
enjoy

 

[mpcart]

I'm in the camp of not seeing the use in this. I run MH and maybe it would be nice to see when they need changing but I just change at regular intervals. In fact ice never measured par in my tank. On any case, if you get it let us know how you end up using it.

-Mike

 

[Lance A. Lot]

On any case, if you get it let us know how you end up using it.

-Mike

Yes, keep us posted on what you do with it and how you find it helpful. I just don't think I would want to integrate the sensor hiding rock in my scape only to constantly move it around.

 

[Reeferhead]

Unless I'm missing something and Neptune has developed someway to re-calibrate the sensor from home on a regular basis (doubt it) I'm with Farmer on this one. Continuous use in a reef tank isn't a reliable application of the technology. If you were planning on getting a PAR meter anyway than I imagine paying a few extra bones might be worth it to play around with the data log functions but I don't buy most of the benefits Neptune is hyping.

BTW, I also have my own PAR meter and use it perhaps 2-3 times a year. I do find it handy but more for determining coral placement more than anything else. My eyes have a hard time deciphering bright and dim spots.

 

[SnowManSnow]

I don't see why it isn't as useful as any other par meter. Maybe clubs would find it useful to pass around? If it is good quality the price is right

 

[reefer roman]

We have a few par meters that our club passes around in different regions of our club but the only problem is they don't get used a whole lot and then when someone needs to use it they have to hunt it down through who checked it out last and that person has a wholley s*** moment of I seen that a couple of months ago now where did I put it. I believe they are very useful but if your like me I like to set it and forget it.

 

[Reeferhead]

I don't see why it isn't as useful as any other par meter. Maybe clubs would find it useful to pass around? If it is good quality the price is right

Perhaps because you need an Apex to use it.

We have a few par meters that our club passes around in different regions of our club but the only problem is they don't get used a whole lot and then when someone needs to use it they have to hunt it down through who checked it out last and that person has a wholley s*** moment of I seen that a couple of months ago now where did I put it. I believe they are very useful but if your like me I like to set it and forget it.

SLASH has two PAR meters that are loaned out as part of our Helpful Equipment Loan Program (HELP)

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2161956