Apex On the fence is it worth it

Yates273 · Jun 23, 2020

((FORDTECH)) said:
Yes I have 3 aswell 1 jr that I should have never bought upgraded that to classic then bought the new one so now use classic and new one with jr collecting dust just like an EL would be

Not sure why the El will collect dust. It has the same capabilities as the regular one except it’s not all there. I would just have to order extra modules other than that the brain is the same as the el

((FORDTECH)) · Jun 23, 2020

Jason Yahr said:
Not sure why the El will collect dust. It has the same capabilities as the regular one except it’s not all there. I would just have to order extra modules other than that the brain is the same as the el

Yes that’s exactly it more clutter. As ph2cho stated above means more wires and modules for same thing

Yates273 · Jun 23, 2020

Yeah I understand the clutter but I try to make it as neat as possible. Just wasn’t in my budget to spend the full amount. I guess over time I will spend what I see fits. I totally understand your thought process and usually I’m the same way but couldn’t justify it this time.

Perthegallon · Jun 23, 2020

((FORDTECH)) said:
In what way tho? Do you have a small tank with not a lot of corals?

It is a lot of work to set up the support is lacking and even the trident isnt that good it feels like a 600 pice of bad plastic and the regents stop working at 10% even if you add the guide needles in. I dont want to fully bash apex but for the price of the unit and everything else it isnt what you pay for.

LittleMaui · Jun 23, 2020

GabeM said:
I got the apex during COVID19 because the tank is in the office and I was not seeing it every day. I had a timer failure that kept my BRS doser on and spilled 1L of calcium and alkalinity in the tank and I did not find out until 3 days later.

I could have lost everything. I have a few thousand dollars worth of coral in this tank and even though it is just a 50 gallon it is cheaper than the tank crashing. That being daid the apex is only as smart as you make it. You have to make it work for you.

Things that have worked well:

Trident

Camera integration

pH and temp monitoring

Power monitoring

ATO

Leak detectors

Alarms via push notifications and texts.

The only thing I have an issue with is the salinity probe which you don't have to worry about on the EL.

What type/model camera have you been able to connect?

GabeM · Jun 24, 2020

shaywood said:
What type/model camera have you been able to connect?

I am using https://titathink.com/tt522pw-spy-ip-camera/ encased in epoxy

steve meyers · Jun 24, 2020

I got the apex for the monitoring capabilities because I travel. While not as tech savvy as I used to be I struggle a bit, and still leaning the system and what all it can do in addition to its ability to monitor basic functions. As I become more familiar with it I find it can do a ton of things for you. Only time and money determines what you can do with it. So far I’m impressed. Well not a necessity to run your system it sure can help make it easier.

Yates273 · Jun 24, 2020

Pretty excited according to tracking # its loaded and out for delivery. Just another reason to play with my phone. Lol. I’ll never put this thing down now.

Zastron · Jun 25, 2020

b1llvance said:
I have an apex and am considering switching to a reefpi setup. It probably takes more work upfront although you can now buy complete setups through guys at a very reasonable price. The biggest problem with the apex for me is every add on seems to cost me $300. I can buy the whole reefpi system for that and its an open source community so great new things come out all the ti.e and it may cost as little as $10 to implement something new. You are however on the bleeding edge of development so that part can have some growing pains.

Where can I find someone selling a complete ReefPI setup?

weamdog · Jun 25, 2020

IMO, if you're gonna spend thousands on corals and livestock, then this is a no brainer. Of course none of us "plan" to spend that much, but let's face the facts. The piece of mind us wirth it. Imagine just getting to work and getting a msg your return pump isn't working or better yet, your power is out at your house.

I run the EL on my 125 although not necessary as it only has 2 tiny fish but it was my seahorse tank at one time. My 220 mixed reef (in progress) is a different story. The apex controls just about everything but the ato. If that tank didn't have an apex i would not have time for my other tanks.

Yates273 · Jun 25, 2020

Well after a hiccup with Ups not delivering yesterday it came today. Can’t wait to install it, just waiting on a probe holder which comes tomorrow . While waiting and researching I found an Amazon Fire tablet that I am gonna use for the display by the tank. Built a frame and hooked it up to make it look like a picture frame on the wall.

Eye H8 Empty V · Jun 25, 2020

I’m holding out for the release of the CoralVue Control4. It looks to be more versatile than both the apex and GHL units. I also like how easily it pairs with the WaveEngine which can drive 4 pumps on 1 power supply. For an A/V guy this is a dream as it’s less power suppliesto cable manage and trouble shoot. 1 throat to choke is my motto. Plus the support from CoralVue is nothing less than outstanding. I’ve reached out to them with product related questions, not even support, and received quick responses late at night on the weekends even. This is huge for me.

Eye H8 Empty V · Jun 25, 2020

Jason Yahr said:
Well after a hiccup with Ups not delivering yesterday it came today. Can’t wait to install it, just waiting on a probe holder which comes tomorrow . While waiting and researching I found an Amazon Fire tablet that I am gonna use for the display by the tank. Built a frame and hooked it up to make it look like a picture frame on the wall.

I skipped to the end of the thread and missed that you already purchased. Congrats I’m sure it’s awesome!

2BeAlive · Jun 26, 2020

I lost my (treasured) 130l (35G) tank because a chiller pump failed while I was on holiday (with a quick swap out spare in the cupboard). My housekeeper only noticed it later in the day and with my MH lights coming on, it was to late.

My son also once dumped 1000s of liters of water in my house while doing a water change, while I was away, with my manual, quick, easy, valve based water change system, plugged into the main water supply. Lucky it was my freshwater tank, so damage was "limited" to the carpets, furniture, electronics, etc.

Starting a new tank (after 7 years), will design it around the controller(s). Need to decide between GHL and Apex. Prefer Apex, but its lack of 220V support for monitoring will probably make me go with GHL.

Will also setup video monitoring as a backup to monitor the tank remotely and to just watch it.

Dana Riddle · Jun 26, 2020

The Apex/Trident has saved me many hours in the lab. Since I'm old and don't have that many hours left, this setup is totally worth it.

Cabinetman · Jun 26, 2020

When I see people have crashes because a heater stuck on or the power went out while away or something stupid and they loose all their livestock I realize just how valuable a monitoring system like Apex is. You can program it to send you a text the moment anything goes wrong...and trust me it will go wrong at some point.

Saltandfresh · Nov 22, 2021

GabeM said:
I am using https://titathink.com/tt522pw-spy-ip-camera/ encased in epoxy

You don’t need an underwater camera. Glass is clear. I got a nest camera on Amazon for $100. I highly recommend it. I’m out of town now and I get serious peace of mind being able to check in on the tank and make sure everything looks good. You can even place a camera in your sump. Lots of people do.