Back to Hanna... so fed up with APEX

[Dolphins18]

Hello
I bought the whole apex system a few months ago with all the bells and whistles. It has been a major struggle for me, I am trying so hard to make it work as I really want it to work because hands free testing is awesome, but i've spent more time trying to get this thing to work than I would have testing with Hannas once a day. This morning the unit showed my alk flying high, and calcium rapidly dropping. I ran a few more tests and the results were much of the same, the trident sits outside of the tank on a white rug, and a few minutes ago I found purple stains all over the rug. The solutions have been coming out of the system and getting all into the wiring and finally all over the carpet.
I spent so much and have invested so much time into this unit and it has been nothing but frustration. All the reagents were used as the unit just kept testing I guess. So frustrating... and Ill continue trying to make it work because what else can I do...
attached are photos..

Also my salinity I guess was 1.035 for a few days. This doesn't really bother me as I am usually here, but i'd probably freak a little if it happened while on vacation.

If anyone has had similar problems and knows how to fix it please! I need all the help I can get with this thing. Maybe its a way of telling me I need to get back to the old school methods. I don't know

 

[Dolphins18]

Fiddled with this thing all night, still the same crap. Reagents and water leaking out of every part of the unit. Waste of freaking time. unit is a few months old. Beyond frustrated, emailed and called support yesterday during business hours, nothing.

 

[blaxsun]

I haven't necessarily had the exact same problems, but I did get an uncooperative Trident working, have gone through a few calibrations (3 sets now) and did find a somewhat outside-the-sandbox way to get the test results to more closely match the separate digital and titration tests I run about once a week.

Is this an Apex or Apex EL, and how did you calibrate the probes? (this can have an effect on testing) Also, did you follow the installation steps to a tee for the Trident when setting it up, ie: both with the sample (black) and waste (clear) lines being primed and everything through the Fusion interface?

 

[Olefreebe]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I dont really have any advice but I do believe you should have some support from the company with those kind of issues.

 

[blaxsun]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I dont really have any advice but I do believe you should have some support from the company with those kind of issues.

I put in a online ticket to Neptune and they got back to me within 24 hours to setup a support call, whereby they were able to help me resolve the issue.

 

[Dolphins18]

I haven't necessarily had the exact same problems, but I did get an uncooperative Trident working, have gone through a few calibrations (3 sets now) and did find a somewhat outside-the-sandbox way to get the test results to more closely match the separate digital and titration tests I run about once a week.

Is this an Apex or Apex EL, and how did you calibrate the probes? (this can have an effect on testing) Also, did you follow the installation steps to a tee for the Trident when setting it up, ie: both with the sample (black) and waste (clear) lines being primed and everything through the Fusion interface?

It's the Apex, the one with 4 probes. The probes work well for the most part, I have to calibrate the SG often for it to work. I followed all the directions in the trident installation, Even built a platform for it to allow it to sit as instructed. It worked great for about 2 months while the tank was cycling, not that I really needed it then. Now its just spits the water and reagents out of the inside of the unit. Neither line is clogged, all the lines inside the unit are connected. It just comes right out, I tried with it for about 7 hours after this post until 2 am, and finally just cut the thing off as it is leaking all over the place. There is wiring inside the trident, and its all soaked with purple reagent lol, no clue if that is causing problems as well.
I purchased the ATK, dosing machine, and the trident with the Apex. Not overly impressed with any of it.

 

[blaxsun]

When you next calibrate your probes, let the calibration packets float in the tank for a while so they adjust to the temperature. Then calibrate after that. I'm not sure I can offer any suggestions about the reagent leaking inside the trident, only that I know the waste is purple - so I'm assuming there's a leak somewhere.

This will all be under warranty - have you filled out a Neptune support ticket?

 

[Dolphins18]

When you next calibrate your probes, let the calibration packets float in the tank for a while so they adjust to the temperature. Then calibrate after that. I'm not sure I can offer any suggestions about the reagent leaking inside the trident, only that I know the waste is purple - so I'm assuming there's a leak somewhere.

This will all be under warranty - have you filled out a Neptune support ticket?

I have, the last time something stopped working, I was without parts of the system for a month. I do not want to go thru that again, I am hoping they will send me a new one without their lengthy repair process. If I cant be provided with a replacement or a fix that I can complete here, I am done with the whole system.

 

[blaxsun]

I have, the last time something stopped working, I was without parts of the system for a month. I do not want to go thru that again, I am hoping they will send me a new one without their lengthy repair process. If I cant be provided with a replacement or a fix that I can complete here, I am done with the whole system.

When I spoke to Neptune a few weeks back they were prepared to send me a new Trident, which they offered - but a bit of tinkering and a reboot fixed the issue. That's honestly the only hardware issue I've had with the Neptune stuff, and it's made my life a lot easier (once I got everything figured out and configured). There is a bit of a learning curve, but once you get past that...

 

[BanjoBandito]

I test the old fashioned way....2 hanna checkers and a couple titration tests. It takes me all of 10-15 minutes and it's probably the best "slow down and relax" moment I have during the day.

 

[BanjoBandito]

...AND SOME DAYS, I DON'T EVEN TEST.

 

[blaxsun]

...AND SOME DAYS, I DON'T EVEN TEST.

With the Trident system, there are weeks where I don't test... (when I do test, it's to keep the Trident "honest").

 

[BanjoBandito]

With the Trident system, there are weeks where I don't test... (when I do test, it's to keep the Trident "honest").

Unless you are trying to "monitor" something, it's fine not to test. YES I SAID IT. Sometimes testing makes it worse. lol.

 

[NatureHold]

Where is the trident unit sitting in relation to your sump and the waste reservoir? Sounds like it may be sitting lower than where it is pulling test water and pumping the waste water out, causing siphons back into the unit.

 

[Dolphins18]

I test the old fashioned way....2 hanna checkers and a couple titration tests. It takes me all of 10-15 minutes and it's probably the best "slow down and relax" moment I have during the day.

I can't tell you how much I miss this right now. At a certain point on mature tanks I would test once every couple weeks and went with the results assuming nothing was out of line.

 

[Dolphins18]

Where is the trident unit sitting in relation to your sump and the waste reservoir? Sounds like it may be sitting lower than where it is pulling test water and pumping the waste water out, causing siphons back into the unit.

I built a platform outside of the stand allowing the trident to sit higher than the supply and waste line, I worried about this when i first got the unit as well. It probably sits about 16" higher than both.

 

[BanjoBandito]

I can't tell you how much I miss this right now. At a certain point on mature tanks I would test once every couple weeks and went with the results assuming nothing was out of line.

Ignorance is bliss my friend! Sometimes you gotta trust mother nature.

 

[Stain]

I built a platform outside of the stand allowing the trident to sit higher than the supply and waste line, I worried about this when i first got the unit as well. It probably sits about 16" higher than both.

.... much of the same, the trident sits outside of the tank on a white rug, and a few minutes ago I found purple stains all over the rug. The solutions have been coming out of the system and getting all into the wiring and finally all over the carpet.

Your posts are very contradictory.
Sounds like you were pulling a siphon, or have damaged the waste line tube.

 

[Dolphins18]

Your posts are very contradictory.
Sounds like you were pulling a siphon, or have damaged the waste line tube.

What? The platform is built outside of the stand and sits on a white rug?
It has been set up like this since day 1.
Both tubes are fine, I can suck water thru them.
Dont sit here and tell me this **** is my fault when I followed everything to T.

 

[Stain]

do rational thoughts run thru your mind, or just angry ones?