I use a trident and Neptune Apex…mostly because there were no other options a few years ago.
I use a Hydros Wave Engine for my Grye XF350’s. I find the wave engine software to be buggy, unreliable, and it’s getting less confusing but the last major update bricked my device and I spent an hour resetting it and reconnecting it. I can’t recommend Coralvue at this time but obviously I only have experience with this one module. There is nothing worse than having palpitations everyone you load an aquarium app and aren’t sure it’s going to load correctly.
I use Mobius for my lights. I don’t play with my light settings daily so I have used the app a total of 3 times- once to program AB+, once to adjust PAR, once to acclimate. The app seems to have gotten more confusing since my G4’s. The fact that it still uses Bluetooth is pathetic. Having a dosing issue and being able to remotely see PH swings and things but have no control over your dosing pumps while on vacation is terrifying. The same with the return pump. I’m used to remote monitoring and tweaking and this doesn’t allow for that. My “Mobius” enabled return pump mixes saltwater now and was replaced by a Neptune COR (which is awesome).
I believe that as of today, the Neptune Apex system remains the most robust and refined. I keep hearing about GHL and I’m not knocking it. I’m a big fan of being a first adopter but at my age and with my life I can’t afford to be one right now. I would love more options and integration across systems but that’s obviously not happening. You have to decide between picking the horse that’s winning or picking the horse you think will win in the lingterm
When you have 5 or $10,000 wrapped up in something like this, it is difficult to switch and your decision is weighted heavily towards that brand. I’m obviously biased despite my efforts
My Neptune system has its foibles but it’s 99% uptime is important to me. Most of their equipment is a hit and very little has been garbage (the leak sensors sadly are garbage). They also have standard 24v outputs and 0-10v outputs and I’m not an engineer but can easily create little fun DIY projects.
Their DOS pumps are beasts. They look like a crappy kids toy but they just keep on ticking. I switched to Ecotech Versa’s briefly because of their footprint and noise level. Once again, I can’t have an AWC that’s not remote accessible if there’s a salinity swing or something. I waited for wifi access and it still hasn’t come. The pumps also have a design flaw in that the intake tube is INSANELY small so even with pre filters they would clog.
My Neptune Trident was just replaced after 2 years. I do not have time to test daily (let alone 4 times daily) and so it is invaluable to me. I can’t say it’s the most accurate thing on earth (can’t say it’s not) but in a world where stability is key, it keeps things stable. I use the auto dosing feature and aim for an ALK of 11. It fluctuates between 10.6-11.1. I replace the reagents at 30% as when they drop below 10-20% the readings start dropping. I have tried the little cones and they did nothing.
I need an automatic nitrate and phosphate test. I believe Neptune has one in testing phases. Obviously I’m not special or important and my question was met with a “we do not discuss future products with plebes such as yourself.” Even Samsung, google, and Apple will “leak” glimpses and info to make people hold out for a product. I’m seriously considering a reefbot or something similar to test nitrates and phosphates and I will be annoyed if I shell out $2500 to see a Neptune version released a few months later.
