**** DO NOT BUY AN APEX****

[Bacon505]

Surely you mean this is a part of what the hobby is all about helping each other out whenever we can.


I must say that I wouldn't have an apex not even if given to me I believe that they are a great contribution to the hobbyist that works away for days/weeks at a time but for anyone home everyday then no there is no need for one especially if you are wanting to do the hobby and it's not just about having that show piece tank but getting into the system and checking it all yourself. But then that's my 2 cents worth

Reef techs are luxury options for your inhabitants. Its a want and not necessary a need. But it does make reefing a bit easier so you dont become a slave to your reef and take time to enjoy it. Use if you can afford it but dont %100 reliant on it. Tech tend to failed but so does everything else.

 

[ccombs]

I will also add this in, I am sort of a tech nerd and love messing with the programming on my APEX. It is a fun extension of the hobby for me.

 

[MnFish1]

I will also add this in, I am sort of a tech nerd and love messing with the programming on my APEX. It is a fun extension of the hobby for me.

I used to do computer programming - was a computer science major at one point - The nice thing about apex - is that in reality - you dont have to do any programming - unless you want to. I.e. choose 'heater' - and whatever 'temp' you want - and the rest is done. etc etc.

The apex language seems to me to be very easy to use - there was talk earlier on the thread that programming causes most of the problems with apex - I just dont see it. Though I have seen people writing 'code' that seems logical - but when closely read - its doing 2 opposite things. With the Apex and programming my motto was//is always 'keep it simple'

 

[ccombs]

I used to do computer programming - was a computer science major at one point - The nice thing about apex - is that in reality - you dont have to do any programming - unless you want to. I.e. choose 'heater' - and whatever 'temp' you want - and the rest is done. etc etc.

The apex language seems to me to be very easy to use - there was talk earlier on the thread that programming causes most of the problems with apex - I just dont see it. Though I have seen people writing 'code' that seems logical - but when closely read - its doing 2 opposite things. With the Apex and programming my motto was//is always 'keep it simple'

Oh yeah, the wizard to write to code is great. I just have fun tinkering with the code after using the wizard lol.

 

[MnFish1]

PS - one 'problem' I see with apex is 'documentation'. as of the last time I checked - there was still no 'manual' for the Apex 2016 - and maybe they are going for a different way of doing it (i.e. the tours, etc) - but if you go to the website - the manual is still from 2014 - and does not apply to the 2016 model. I know they have upgraded the installati0on instructions - but my issue was always - when things go wrong - there troubleshooting documentation seemed to be lacking. I know - though that they are working on it

 

[Mical]

As I've stated in numerous threads, BRS, Apex or somebody has to do a "real time" Apex basic set up. The bezillion videos and info out there is so abbreviated that it is confusing to someone considering purchasing an Apex. A basic step by step unbox and set up to a tank video. Apex would eliminate alot of their bad feedback because IMO most errors are installation and mis-information by users. SuncrestReef here on R2R is a ball of knowledge and his threads are extremely helpful, but potential users are blasted with bits here, bits there and assumptions by the presenter that they know what they're talking about. That would be like me (an audio engineer) describing gain structure to "Joe home stereo freak"

Apex is a consumer product, and as all consumer products they have their failures. We always hear of the failures and very few of the working as planned or better stories.

I hope the OP and GlassMunkey have figured out the issue. The poor guy was frustrated and vented here - let's support the guy, he's a fellow reefer.

 

[ccombs]

As I've stated in numerous threads, BRS, Apex or somebody has to do a "real time" Apex basic set up. The bezillion videos and info out there is so abbreviated that it is confusing to someone considering purchasing an Apex. A basic step by step unbox and set up to a tank video. Apex would eliminate alot of their bad feedback because IMO most errors are installation and mis-information by users. SuncrestReef here on R2R is a ball of knowledge and his threads are extremely helpful, but potential users are blasted with bits here, bits there and assumptions by the presenter that they know what they're talking about. That would be like me (an audio engineer) describing gain structure to "Joe home stereo freak"

Apex is a consumer product, and as all consumer products they have their failures. We always hear of the failures and very few of the working as planned or better stories.

I hope the OP and GlassMunkey have figured out the issue. The poor guy was frustrated and vented here - let's support the guy, he's a fellow reefer.

Hmmmm, I am doing a video for my new build, I am covering everything from the custom stand build, to drilling the tank, to tank transfer. Maybe I should clear my APEX file and do a real time set up video....

 

[Mical]

Hmmmm, I am doing a video for my new build, I am covering everything from the custom stand build, to drilling the tank, to tank transfer. Maybe I should clear my APEX file and do a real time set up video....

That would be awesome, just send the bill to Apex & BRS because their sales will skyrocket.

 

[Maddlesrain]

I enjoy my Apex unit. I do think the energy bars suck butt though. Mine failed, another local member’s failed right after mine too. My energy bar also failed while I was on vacation and my tank was without heat or lighting for a week. The worst part is that it “silently failed,” meaning I didn’t have any idea what was going on besides getting temperature alerts. I keep really hardy corals so everything was fine, but it still completely sucked. I did not invest in a new one LOL

That being said, I like the functionality of the unit itself and don’t really need a new energy bar for my purposes. I kept the head unit and run my lights off of it still and keep the probes and what not. I think it’s a great unit, but you do have to take precautions regardless!

 

[ZaneGreay]

Everything I’ve had on my Apex has failed with the exception of my probes. I’ve finally come to realize that the only thing I should be using it for is monitoring those probes. I’ve sent my head unit back a couple times, my EB832 a couple times, WAV’s, WXM, 1LINK, DOS, DDR, and lets not even go about mentioning those PMUP’s, or AFS. Not worth what you’re paying for it. I’m an engineer by trade and I would never put my name behind something that will only last 3 months to a year. My Apex Gold Classic worked like a champ for years. Was so stoked about the 2016, that I have only become more and more frustrated.

So what would you recommend? I'm new to the hobby and don't have an Apex yet but everyone acts like it's the gold standard, but I see so many people having issues. Is there something better if so what is it? Is it a combo of things? Please help a newb lol

 

[DSC reef]

So what would you recommend? I'm new to the hobby and don't have an Apex yet but everyone acts like it's the gold standard, but I see so many people having issues. Is there something better if so what is it? Is it a combo of things? Please help a newb lol

I would question if your tank really needs one or the reason to own one. Some of the nicest tanks I've seen do not run any controllers. I've always pondered the idea of owning a doser or controller but from reading threads over the years I just can't justify the purchase. I would be too paranoid.

 

[ZaneGreay]

I would question if your tank really needs one or the reason to own one. Some of the nicest tanks I've seen do not run any controllers. I've always pondered the idea of owning a doser or controller but from reading threads over the years I just can't justify the purchase. I would be too paranoid.

That's how I feel and I actually enjoy the daily maintenance for my tanks. I did a lot of daily dosing for my planted tanks and got it down to where it only took maybe 30min for my 3 tanks to test and dose every other day

 

[DSC reef]

That's how I feel and I actually enjoy the daily maintenance for my tanks. I did a lot of daily dosing for my planted tanks and got it down to where it only took maybe 30min for my 3 tanks to test and dose every other day

My thoughts exactly!

 

[TheOne]

So what would you recommend? I'm new to the hobby and don't have an Apex yet but everyone acts like it's the gold standard, but I see so many people having issues. Is there something better if so what is it? Is it a combo of things? Please help a newb lol

I only own one because of travel. Unless you have a few grand to waste then don't even consider it. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up with the Joneses. There is a small learning curve and all electronics can\will fail.

Also there is a HUGE difference between keeping 10k in a tank and a few hundred. Think of it as your own insurance policy. Even millionaires have a budget.

If you just want to do a few simple things like monitoring your temp or be alerted in case of a power outage then you could pick up an older apex jr for cheap. Some of us like tech and some don't. That's what's great about having choices.

 

[DarthSimon]

You may have a bad EB8. I had a similar senario a few months ago where one of my EB8's went bad, and shorted out my 2016 Base Unit, and everything else. Once the EB8 was taken out of the chain, all went back to normal....

As far as other opinions, we will debate these issues from now until the end of time if Apex is worth it or not.

Happy Holiday's and Happy New Year to all....

 

[Mical]

So what would you recommend? I'm new to the hobby and don't have an Apex yet but everyone acts like it's the gold standard, but I see so many people having issues. Is there something better if so what is it? Is it a combo of things? Please help a newb lol

Personally, I would recommend you getting used to your tank.Get to know the quirks, the needs and a rhythm of maintenance. Once you've got these down you can then decide if you want/need a controller. As mentioned, if you travel alot, automating your system is a blessing and Yes an Apex should be considered. An Apex is more of a luxury, but it can free up alot of your time. It's nice to have Ph at a glance, temp at a glance, setting a lighting schedule or limiting heaters via a webpage. An Apex is nice, but it's a tool that makes things a little easier to monitor and adjust things on your tank. Is it a "must have" = no. It's made my life easier and on the same hand a little more complicated.

 

[robbyg]

Sadly due to Neptune horror stories people now have low expectations when it comes to controller reliability. They believe that there is no such thing as a complex controller that can work 100% reliably for a decade or longer. The truth is there are controllers that don't have inherent problems and are pretty much bullet proof.

 

[Sleepydoc]

I used to do computer programming - was a computer science major at one point - The nice thing about apex - is that in reality - you dont have to do any programming - unless you want to. I.e. choose 'heater' - and whatever 'temp' you want - and the rest is done. etc etc.

The apex language seems to me to be very easy to use - there was talk earlier on the thread that programming causes most of the problems with apex - I just dont see it. Though I have seen people writing 'code' that seems logical - but when closely read - its doing 2 opposite things. With the Apex and programming my motto was//is always 'keep it simple'

PS - one 'problem' I see with apex is 'documentation'. as of the last time I checked - there was still no 'manual' for the Apex 2016 - and maybe they are going for a different way of doing it (i.e. the tours, etc) - but if you go to the website - the manual is still from 2014 - and does not apply to the 2016 model. I know they have upgraded the installati0on instructions - but my issue was always - when things go wrong - there troubleshooting documentation seemed to be lacking. I know - though that they are working on it

The Apex programming language is not difficult, but there are a few quirks, and you have to remember that you're viewing it through the eye of a programmer. People with no programming experience think differently. If you go on the apex support forum you'll see a lot of people with programming questions.

I agree with your comment about he manual, though. Most of it is the same, but a lot is different. Neptune decided to have their documentation online, but they really didn't do the best job of it. I actually started to write a function reference at one point, as much for my own benefit as anything. It's about ¾ done on my hard drive right now...

 

[HuneyBear]

Sadly due to Neptune horror stories people now have low expectations when it comes to controller reliability. They believe that there is no such thing as a complex controller that can work 100% reliably for a decade or longer. The truth is there are controllers that don't have inherent problems and are pretty much bullet proof.

No ones allowed to mention the others. Shhh. Just kidding.

So what would you recommend? I'm new to the hobby and don't have an Apex yet but everyone acts like it's the gold standard, but I see so many people having issues. Is there something better if so what is it? Is it a combo of things? Please help a newb lol

There are other quality controllers out there. Some are made to an industrial standard so they are more expensive. And there Is a new one out that could be promising. There’s a more diy option if your technical. But they aren’t required for a tank to thrive. If you feel you have to have one then spend the time on the controller forum researching.