Disconnected Apex Fusion - need help ASAP! PLEASE!!!

[Eddie2ooo]

Hi all, I have an issue with my existing Apex Fusion. I had a brief power outage and apex would not log back in automatically. I’ve manually reset it, and was able to log in. The issue is that this created a new version of my Apex, meaning my original Apex shows as disconnected and the new one is all wrong, meaning all of the outlet names are now something different, not mine! Example, the first outlet (on my original apex) was Left AI Prime light, but it was a virtual outlet, apex just controlled the scheduling and the light intensity. Now it is called Light1 and I see it as Auto (on), but my lights are off, I keeping turning it on and off and nothing happens, apparently the outlet it named Lights1 turned out to control my heater, so for the last 4 hours my heater was on and my lights were off. Also one of my sensors are showing, so I don’t see pH, I don’t see Salinity, the Temperature and ORP. I tried deleting this new aquarium, it deletes it but I still cannot connect it to my original aquarium. I’ve spend the last 4 hours removing, resetting, hard resetting, delinking using link tokens, nothing delinks it to my original apex. It shows 2 Apex aquariums (controllers) with the same Serial Number! what the heck?!
Please any help???? Feel free to call
Me at 347-556-2784.
I am dying here. And I cannot wait for Fusion Tech support as I am leaving for a 3 week vacation tomorrow morning!!!

 

[Eddie2ooo]

Perhaps there is a way to download my original configuration and upload it to the new?

 

[ZombieEngineer]

It sounds like either you inadvertently factory reset it trying to get it reconnected to fusion or the power surge wiped your config (I have only seen this happen if the apex is not on a surge protector and typically other electronics in that person's house were also damaged).

If you go into your "old" apex, and gp to the summary page, it might show your old config and if it does you can use that to help rebuild the config. Otherwise you gotta rebuild your config from scratch.

 

[Eddie2ooo]

Thank you, I was able to access the old configuration summary and like you said it was all there. Spent like 2 hours copying and pasting. It is just so inefficient. I found that there is a download/upload configuration, however it didn’t give me an option to download it, as I understand it is only available through local access. And my current access only shows me the current confirmation. Maybe there was a way that I didn’t find. I feel like I am back in the era when we were doing windows updates and had to rebuild everything from notes. At this time I was able to name the outlets and set their parameters. Didn’t get to the programming or the virtual outlets. It also seems that I will need to recalibrate all of the probes and I am Not sure if I have all of the solutions to do that. So I did postpone my trip by a day so I will call Neptune Fusion team for help today. I will post my outcome, so others who read this will not have to go through the same nightmare…

 

[gbru316]

FYI - you can download and save your configuration so if you need to reset in the future you just have to upload the config file:

Save your Configuration

Last night while performing a large water change, I lost all of my outlets on Apex Fusion. All of the modules maintained the original addressing. However, I lost all of my programming. This was not a pleasant experience and one that will take me several additional hours this weekend to restore...

www.reef2reef.com

It's a good idea to do this whenever you make changes.

 

[GarrettT]

Sorry for your troubles. I personally have two underpowered heaters, each running separately on their own Rancho controller. I’d be nervous using just an apex to control all my heaters. Also keep multiple “cheap” time controllers on hand, just in case.

 

[Eddie2ooo]

FYI - you can download and save your configuration so if you need to reset in the future you just have to upload the config file:

Save your Configuration

Last night while performing a large water change, I lost all of my outlets on Apex Fusion. All of the modules maintained the original addressing. However, I lost all of my programming. This was not a pleasant experience and one that will take me several additional hours this weekend to restore...

www.reef2reef.com

It's a good idea to do this whenever you make changes.

Yep, I found it after the fact too. The problem is that the back up is always needed after something bad happens, and there is no way to retrieve it. Backing up is something that definitely needs to happen automatically, especially since getting to this save configuration page it is not common knowledge. It just kills me that this configuration is only saved on the unit itself and not in the cloud along with our profiles with Neptune.

 

[Eddie2ooo]

Sorry for your troubles. I personally have two underpowered heaters, each running separately on their own Rancho controller. I’d be nervous using just an apex to control all my heaters. Also keep multiple “cheap” time controllers on hand, just in case.

While I also have 2 heaters, they are both running through the apex. I did this for 3 reasons, one is that apex will tell you once the heater stopped working (it would show to electricity being used), 2 the higher quality temperature probe gives me access to precise information, and lastly I can control them remotely. Obviously all of this fell out of the window now..

 

[gbru316]

While I also have 2 heaters, they are both running through the apex. I did this for 3 reasons, one is that apex will tell you once the heater stopped working (it would show to electricity being used), 2 the higher quality temperature probe gives me access to precise information, and lastly I can control them remotely. Obviously all of this fell out of the window now..

It's best to set your heaters up to rely on their internal thermostats for control and use the Apex for failover and/or emergency power shutoff. This also gives you some redundancy and saves wear and tear on (what I assume are) mechanical relays.

I've configured my heater outlets to default to On, with On and Off points slightly outside the heater thermostat settings. I've also enabled an alarm on the outlet so I know if the Apex has started controlling the heaters. If the heater thermostat fails and the heater sticks on, I'll get an alert that the heater outlet has turned off which is my cue to replace the heater. Until I do that, the heater outlet controls the stuck heater.

 

[GarrettT]

one is that apex will tell you once the heater stopped working (it would show to electricity being used), 2 the higher quality temperature probe gives me access to precise information, and lastly I can control them remotely. Obviously all of this fell out of the window now..

1. I use the temperature as an alert instead, as I run an apex too. I just don't use it control my heaters. Even with only one heater on, I'm able to operate the tank safely, just not optimally. So if one fails, on or off, no biggie.

2. Rancho is much higher quality than Apex. Apex isn't bad or anything, but I have seen it fluctuate much more.

3. I use fans as a safe guard as well. My fans will overpower my heaters easily, in case the temperature ever rises. However in order for that to happen, both controllers would need to fail, which is very unlikely. This is why I recommend two controllers over one.

Hope you are able to sort this out. In an emergency, you can always get a coral life controller at Pet Smart to control your lights and use Eheim heaters to control your temperature.

 

[OfficeReefer]

Perhaps there is a way to download my original configuration and upload it to the new?

Yes, there is! Sort of from what I read here.

How to get your Apex Configuration Summary (Disconnected from Fusion)

If the Apex is disconnected from Fusion left click on the red ! Icon on the Apex List page and then choose Summary under Configuration Then click on the print button once the Configuration Summary is generated Then you need t...

support.neptunesystems.com

You can also add a replacement and do the task to replace in Fusion.

 

[Eddie2ooo]

Yes, there is! Sort of from what I read here.

How to get your Apex Configuration Summary (Disconnected from Fusion)

If the Apex is disconnected from Fusion left click on the red ! Icon on the Apex List page and then choose Summary under Configuration Then click on the print button once the Configuration Summary is generated Then you need t...

support.neptunesystems.com

You can also add a replacement and do the task to replace in Fusion.

1. I use the temperature as an alert instead, as I run an apex too. I just don't use it control my heaters. Even with only one heater on, I'm able to operate the tank safely, just not optimally. So if one fails, on or off, no biggie.

2. Rancho is much higher quality than Apex. Apex isn't bad or anything, but I have seen it fluctuate much more.

3. I use fans as a safe guard as well. My fans will overpower my heaters easily, in case the temperature ever rises. However in order for that to happen, both controllers would need to fail, which is very unlikely. This is why I recommend two controllers over one.

Hope you are able to sort this out. In an emergency, you can always get a coral life controller at Pet Smart to control your lights and use Eheim heaters to control your temperature.

Thank you both very much, I will definitely look into improving my system, i also have the fans, but they are currently struggling with existing heat, so I have my AC running 24 hours a day, so kicking a heater on, up to (internal shut off of 80) was deadly but not ideal. My lights are AI Prime so I would be able to control them using their own system, I don’t recall which spectrum and intensified was previously using. I was able to get that info from the configuration summary. I just need to iron out the conflict between apex controlling them and the AI Prime controlling them.

 

[Eddie2ooo]

Yes, there is! Sort of from what I read here.

How to get your Apex Configuration Summary (Disconnected from Fusion)

If the Apex is disconnected from Fusion left click on the red ! Icon on the Apex List page and then choose Summary under Configuration Then click on the print button once the Configuration Summary is generated Then you need t...

support.neptunesystems.com

You can also add a replacement and do the task to replace in Fusion.

Yep, after hours of digging I was able to get to configuration summary last night and was copying and pasting info, it again, it’s not a file you’d download and then upload to the new configuration, you still have to do each parameter manually. And as the systems get more complicated the longer and more tedious the process of manual entering is. And it leaving so much room for errors, especially when I don’t have a luxury of time testing..

 

[GarrettT]

i also have the fans, but they are currently struggling with existing heat, so I have my AC running 24 hours a day, so kicking a heater on, up to (internal shut off of 80) was deadly but not ideal.

My AC running 24/7 too. Texas heat is no joke.

Having enough power and proper fan placement is key - Pointing them across and at the water surface helps A LOT.

Simple cooling for tank

It's amazing what you can accomplish with an inexpensive fan. I took advantage of a column next to the tank to mount an inexpensive 6" fan to move air across the top of the tank. I could have it on a timer to run when the lights are on, but I took advantage of an open outlet on my Apex. The fan...

www.reef2reef.com