To Apex or Not Apex?

[CODE3EMT]

Hello fellow reefers, I have a Reefer 450 and I'm not very computer savvy. I am a Mac user and my internet is through U-Verse.

Question 1) I don't plan on chasing Ph or ORP so am I buying a $500 thermometer.
Question 2) I read it's very difficult to set up. Is it?
Question 3) power goes out..... Will everything simply kick back on as before.
Question 4) can I use the system with Fusion, but completely omit emails and text messages and leave networking out of the game?
Question 5) I dont quite grasp the programming area. for example if blank <> then off or on. If > 80 then off Yadira yards yadda and fallback on fallback off. Etc. etc. etc.

I really want to make a smart decision and I am very confused and to be honest debating if I should just slap everything on a Kill-A-Watt power bar and call it a day. My plan waste go for the Apex Jr. with the Apex WAV, and leak detection.

No Ph,ORP, WXM, Salinity, or lighting as I have the Kessil AP700 which does not work with Apex.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks guys.

 

[joshbrookkate]

I am slowly learning with mine. I am not computer savy, although I am not afraid to try new things. So I explore and ask questions. No regrets buying it. Everything I get hooked up is easier to manage with the Apex.
Do it. Take your time and only set up one thing at a time.
My 2 cents.

 

[stevem650]

I have the reefer 450 with apex. I am also a mac user. I was hesitant about getting the apex and I would not spent $500($500 must be a type error) on a thermometer. That is almost the price of the apex with lab grade PH probe, which is the one I purchased. I had a friend help me with setup and after reading and using the controller, I can't do without it. Fusion works with a Mac and iPhone/ipad.

 

[CODE3EMT]

Thanks good to know. Have you experienced any power outages or internet failure with your Apex? If so how did the equipment respond when you regained power. I'm more afraid of the "Code Setup" I've read and watched YouTube and I just don't grasp it. I'd hate to go with 2 MP40's and regret not going with the WAV.

 

[stevem650]

I have had my internet service go down with no problems after. Never had a power issue and think the apex will hold its program. I'm using 2 Tunze 6095 with 7095 controller and very happy with them. I could have used the apex for the 6095's but wanted to run them separate.

 

[Coelli]

Thanks good to know. Have you experienced any power outages or internet failure with your Apex? If so how did the equipment respond when you regained power. I'm more afraid of the "Code Setup" I've read and watched YouTube and I just don't grasp it. I'd hate to go with 2 MP40's and regret not going with the WAV.

Everything is saved. If the power goes out, everything will be just as it was when it comes back on.

If the internet goes out, the only thing it impacts is whether you can control the tank with your phone/computer and you won't be able to change any of the programming until it's restored. You can still connect directly with a network cable if necessary.

The Apex is way more than a $500 thermometer. It has saved my tank(s) 4 times in the past year:

- Fan connector on the BioCube hood got disconnected and the LED retro started to overheat the tank. When the temp hit 82 the Apex turned the lights off and sent text message alerts (my boyfriend and I both have alerts set up)
- Skimmer started to overflow into the collection container, causing the ATO to kick on and start dumping too much kalk into the tank. When the pH spiked, the Apex shut down the ATO and alerted us
- ATO output was slightly below the waterline in the reservoir, causing a slow siphon and fast drip of kalk. pH spiked, ATO was shut off, alerts were sent
- Bulkhead on the display fuge started leaking. The leak detection module sensed the moisture, shut down the return, and sent an alert. Shutting the return off wouldn't have helped in this case but it's there in case one of the tanks is overflowing

The programming can be a little weird at first if you've never done any coding, but you learn it pretty quickly and there are always examples and pre-written code out there. The Neptune forums are very helpful.

I LOVE my Apex. Being able to control everything in the tank from my phone is totally worth it. No more plugging and unplugging things, if I forget to turn something back on and remember when I'm away from the tank I can do it from anywhere, knowing that my phone and my boyfriend's will start getting messages if there's a problem - if my Apex broke today I would waste no time in replacing it.

 

[daquan44]

I agree with the above post. Do not be intimidated by the Apex. It is much more user friendly then it was at it's inception. Fusion make programming much more simple. A few clicks of a mouse, enter some numbers and it's set. Since I learned the programming language of the Apex, I like to still do it old school. The Apex is hands down the best purchase I have made for my tank. I am in the Navy and deployed recently for 3 months. The Apex kept my tank alive while I was away. It did my auto water changes, auto feeding, dosing, auto top off, you name it.

 

[CODE3EMT]

Thanks for the great info folks. I appreciate it! I was told to never have your return pump plugged into the Apex..... all other equipment should be under Apex control, why is that?

 

[Coelli]

Thanks for the great info folks. I appreciate it! I was told to never have your return pump plugged into the Apex..... all other equipment should be under Apex control, why is that?

No idea, I have never heard that!

 

[stevem650]

Thanks for the great info folks. I appreciate it! I was told to never have your return pump plugged into the Apex..... all other equipment should be under Apex control, why is that?

That's false. I have my return pump running on apex. When I feed, my return pump shuts off, skimmer and reactors and after 10 minutes the pump comes back and a few minutes later the skimmer and reactors.

 

[kyle.nagel13]

I don't own an apex, but maybe a reef keeper would be a better fit if you don't want the alerts and whatnot. When I compare them, that seems to be the big distinguishing factor.

 

[CODE3EMT]

Cool good to know. I hope the 2 WAV pumps will suffice on a 450. I think I'm going to give them a try over 2 Vortechs MP40's. I like the controllability and I've grown tired of my MP10 hanging on the side of my Fusion 40. I think it will be a nice change.

 

[CODE3EMT]

Ya I thought about that, but sadly the 100's of negative post about the DA Reef Keepers have really pushed me toward the APEX. I've even looked at the ARCHON, but I still come back to APEX.

 

[kurt_n]

The comment about not hooking up your return to it is probably just personal preference of someone. There's many folks that have an Apex, but don't use it to control their heaters - they have a separate heater controller for that and use the Apex for temperature alarms. It's the "don't put all your eggs in one basket" theory for failure mitigation. (Personally... I have everything going through my Apex, but I can understand the thinking. It all depends on the complexity of your system and your personal experiences.)

 

[clittrell]

I have had one for years. Would never setup a tank without one now. They have just saved me too many times. Like others said above when you realize what they can do you will see the benefits and the apex will grow to do much more than just temperature. Also the apex forums are great both here and at Neptune systems. People are always willing to help.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[ghornet]

I just set up my tank and had debated this very same question. I ended up getting the gold system. I thought if it can make my life easier then it was worth it. Haven't regretted the decision. I'm by no means an expert and actually haven't even tried to set up everything yet. What I have set up has been pretty easy so far.

My biggest problem was connecting to the internet. I got the Netgear adapter that a lot of people recommended but would have connection issues every two days. In the end I pulled out an old powerline adapter and that has worked beautifully - not one connection issue since.

The other problem I had was all the wires. My under tank cabinet wasn't big enough to put the Apex in so I ended up mounting everything on the back of a cabinet I got from Ikea. The cabinet isn't too tall so I just reach over it and pull off the component if I need it (used velcro). Velcro worked for everything except the EB8 which actually fell off the cabinet and almost pulled my Kessil down into the tank. Now I just have the EB8 sitting inside the cabinet and wires going through the back. There is still a mess of wires but I can't see it much from the front.

 

[oldimpala]

Couldn't live without a controller.

I've owned a few companies/brands (an original ReefKeeper, and Aquatronica, and this); the Apex is great. Neptune is solid with support, firmware updates, and the ability to speak to a human if there actually it a problem (I had a module that refused to take an update, and bricked. They recovered it by remote log-in.)

Programming language is bulky; but it works well, and it's well documented. Get "The Unofficial Guide"; Google it. It's fantastic when you're just getting your feet wet.

Internet connectivity is relatively easy, if you have a basic knowledge of computing/networking. I can't stress enough though, learn to cable a *wired* ethernet cable to the device. It makes all the difference; and the unit is unbelievably stable with that. Wireless, in general, is susceptible to issues. Something that can literally be life/death to my inhabitants is worth the effort to cable, if you can (I cable everything that doesn't move; I hate wireless. Really.)

Plus, here's the other great thing. If you have issues, questions, or curiosity, this board is a fantastic resource. Use it, and you won't get stuck, promise.