Everything on Apex controller?

[carlsj2012]

I'm currently in the planning stages of my first reef tank, picking out my equipment and controller. You can find my first build post here:

Thread 'carlsj2012's Reefer 250 Build - New to Reefing' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/carlsj2012s-reefer-250-build-new-to-reefing.840397/

I was planning on using the Apex and apex dos for dosing Ca and Alk, and planned on just using the Apex to control everything else. Is this a bad idea, having everything on one controller, and if so, would it not be more efficient to just have an ADJ power strip and using the equipment's stock programming options? Or maybe a combination of both?

 

[T-J]

Welcome to reefing!!

I run an Apex on my 120g system. Currently, it controls the following: Skimmer pump, return pump, ATO, leak detector, fuge light.
Things controlled by themselves or phone app: Radion lights, Vortech pumps, doser, heater (Inkbird controller), UV pump, media reactor pump.

I think there is no "right" way. It's whatever works for you and your system. If my apex were to die, I could switch all of those items to just a regular outlet and would be able to function without any significant issues.

 

[Hallowhead]

I have the essentials on my apex.

On my display tank the only thing not on the apex to save outlets is the power to my kessils. My vdm can turn them off and on still which is cool

 

[PeterC99]

I have most everything on my Apex. Has saved me from major mistakes/problems on my aquarium multiple times.

 

[Siberwulf]

I wont lie...I went full Apex for everything, and it's been pretty good:

Modules:

• FMM
• VDM
• EB8 (x2)

Outlets:

• Return pump (COR20, though I might go a different direction if I have to replace it...maybe)
• Skimmer
• Hydros Gyre (x2) - Connected to the VDM for feeding times
• AI Prime 16 (x3)
• AI Fuge
• Couple of small powerheads in the sump to stir things up
• UV Sterilizer
• Tunze ATO

I like the setup. I've defined a couple custom power outlets...so when I clean the skimmer it turns that off and the ATO. And then when i turn things back on, it delays skimmer and ATO turn on, so they are at the right levels and don't overflow.

It goes without saying that you're gonna pay a price for this and it's not cheap. I knew this and still underestimated (Shocker!), but I'm in a good spot now.

 

[Jeffcb]

All eggs in one basket ? Idk.

I have wave and lights on Reef Beat app and every thing else on Apex. Feed Mode is nice as to were it shuts off skimmer, ato and takes main pumps to 10%

 

[Hallowhead]

To add.. yesterday after my reefapalooza pick ups I was floating my bags with ATO and skimmer off and a bag floated in front of my return nozzle while I was eating lunch and was squirting water out of the tank. My LDK turned the entire system right off and prevented not only losing gallons and gallons of water but also saving my floor.

 

[carlsj2012]

Welcome to reefing!!

I run an Apex on my 120g system. Currently, it controls the following: Skimmer pump, return pump, ATO, leak detector, fuge light.
Things controlled by themselves or phone app: Radion lights, Vortech pumps, doser, heater (Inkbird controller), UV pump, media reactor pump.

I think there is no "right" way. It's whatever works for you and your system. If my apex were to die, I could switch all of those items to just a regular outlet and would be able to function without any significant issues.

So are you running both the Apex power bar and a second power strip for everything else? Or is everything plugged into the Apex power bar and just some items not programmed to do anything but supply power?

Kind of sounds like 50/50 full apex vs mixed control. I will likely go mixed control to keep some things running if failure occurs.

 

[carlsj2012]

To add.. yesterday after my reefapalooza pick ups I was floating my bags with ATO and skimmer off and a bag floated in front of my return nozzle while I was eating lunch and was squirting water out of the tank. My LDK turned the entire system right off and prevented not only losing gallons and gallons of water but also saving my floor.

It sure sounds to me like mixing the control is good, and that ldk is pretty essential in keeping disaster at bay!

 

[carlsj2012]

All eggs in one basket ? Idk.

I have wave and lights on Reef Beat app and every thing else on Apex. Feed Mode is nice as to were it shuts off skimmer, ato and takes main pumps to 10%

That was my train of thought as well. Looking at the replies, sounds like it's 50/50 on that topic. I will likely have a mix of things.

 

[carlsj2012]

I wont lie...I went full Apex for everything, and it's been pretty good:

Modules:

• FMM
• VDM
• EB8 (x2)

Outlets:

• Return pump (COR20, though I might go a different direction if I have to replace it...maybe)
• Skimmer
• Hydros Gyre (x2) - Connected to the VDM for feeding times
• AI Prime 16 (x3)
• AI Fuge
• Couple of small powerheads in the sump to stir things up
• UV Sterilizer
• Tunze ATO

I like the setup. I've defined a couple custom power outlets...so when I clean the skimmer it turns that off and the ATO. And then when i turn things back on, it delays skimmer and ATO turn on, so they are at the right levels and don't overflow.

It goes without saying that you're gonna pay a price for this and it's not cheap. I knew this and still underestimated (Shocker!), but I'm in a good spot now.

Sounds pretty handy to have. If the Apex were to fail, is there an alarm sent to you? Just wondering what the repercussions of such a failure would be. I do like everything conveniently in one. Kind of why I picked out a reefer, hahaha! I just worry about losing everything because one controller failed.

 

[srobertb]

I'm currently in the planning stages of my first reef tank, picking out my equipment and controller. You can find my first build post here:

Thread 'carlsj2012's Reefer 250 Build - New to Reefing' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/carlsj2012s-reefer-250-build-new-to-reefing.840397/

I was planning on using the Apex and apex dos for dosing Ca and Alk, and planned on just using the Apex to control everything else. Is this a bad idea, having everything on one controller, and if so, would it not be more efficient to just have an ADJ power strip and using the equipment's stock programming options? Or maybe a combination of both?

I ditched the DJ strip(s) for Apex and am happy. You may still want a way to “hard” turn off your lights or something. I think 4-5 Radion XR30’s would be taxing and a waste of ports on an Apex energy bar.

I have the Mobius app for my lights and the Hydros app for my wave makers but everything else is Apex. Their feeders, ATO, return, refugium light, etc plug directly into ports meaning I have very few powerbricks to deal with.

 

[jassermd]

I wont lie...I went full Apex for everything, and it's been pretty good:

Modules:

• FMM
• VDM
• EB8 (x2)

Outlets:

• Return pump (COR20, though I might go a different direction if I have to replace it...maybe)
• Skimmer
• Hydros Gyre (x2) - Connected to the VDM for feeding times
• AI Prime 16 (x3)
• AI Fuge
• Couple of small powerheads in the sump to stir things up
• UV Sterilizer
• Tunze ATO

I like the setup. I've defined a couple custom power outlets...so when I clean the skimmer it turns that off and the ATO. And then when i turn things back on, it delays skimmer and ATO turn on, so they are at the right levels and don't overflow.

It goes without saying that you're gonna pay a price for this and it's not cheap. I knew this and still underestimated (Shocker!), but I'm in a good spot now.

I too went with Apex for everything.
3 FMM modules, 2 EB32, COR20&15, 2 ASM, LSM, 3x DOS, 3x DDS, Trident, ATO, 2x WAV, AFS, 2x breakout box

Love the automation and the peace of mind that everything gets along, and I don't have to deal with multiple apps, etc.

 

[Stain]

I have return pump, dosing pump, ato, skimmer and heater on my apex. Wave and lights are on their own controllers.

 

[srobertb]

Sounds pretty handy to have. If the Apex were to fail, is there an alarm sent to you? Just wondering what the repercussions of such a failure would be. I do like everything conveniently in one. Kind of why I picked out a reefer, hahaha! I just worry about losing everything because one controller failed.

You needs Apex monitors and sensors too.

Flow meters for things, water sensors, etc. I have a flow sensor if my sump area gets too full or the water level drops too much. I can automate it to shutdown the ATO irYou can easily put one on your skimmer cup too. A PAR meter to alert you if your lights aren’t working. A flow sensor on my ATO so I can see irregularities in ATO use, The COR pump will alert you if it’s getting too hot or not running. Etc.

Everything has worked well without a hitch except for the flood sensors which are garbage. We use another brand of z wave flood sensors and so I just use those instead.

You also don’t need to be technically inclined to easily wire in a few buttons if you need to “click” something on or off.

My favorite is the suicide slider. Basically a siphons with 2 solenoids (redundancy) that will drain the tank in about 3 minutes if a water leak is detected. Ok…not really…but I have thought about it.

 

[jassermd]

Sounds pretty handy to have. If the Apex were to fail, is there an alarm sent to you? Just wondering what the repercussions of such a failure would be. I do like everything conveniently in one. Kind of why I picked out a reefer, hahaha! I just worry about losing everything because one controller failed.

Yes. You can set alarms for any fail points, ranges, etc; even can have the Apex alarm you if the power goes out and you can have it turn off specific outlets if you're running on battery power. Extremely versatile!

 

[Siberwulf]

Sounds pretty handy to have. If the Apex were to fail, is there an alarm sent to you? Just wondering what the repercussions of such a failure would be. I do like everything conveniently in one. Kind of why I picked out a reefer, hahaha! I just worry about losing everything because one controller failed.

So if the entire system were to fail all at once..yeah that would be bad.

I do have lights and heaters split between the two EB8s in case of EB8 failure. The COR20 is powered independently of the APEX, so that wouldn't be an issue. And the Gyres have a notification setup independently if they lose power.

I can actually remove the controller from the system and things still work (it's just going off default modes, not intelligent modes) to which most are defaulted to ON

 

[Siberwulf]

You needs Apex monitors and sensors too.

Flow meters for things, water sensors, etc. I have a flow sensor if my sump area gets too full or the water level drops too much. I can automate it to shutdown the ATO irYou can easily put one on your skimmer cup too. A PAR meter to alert you if your lights aren’t working. A flow sensor on my ATO so I can see irregularities in ATO use, The COR pump will alert you if it’s getting too hot or not running. Etc.

Everything has worked well without a hitch except for the flood sensors which are garbage. We use another brand of z wave flood sensors and so I just use those instead.

You also don’t need to be technically inclined to easily wire in a few buttons if you need to “click” something on or off.

My favorite is the suicide slider. Basically a siphons with 2 solenoids (redundancy) that will drain the tank in about 3 minutes if a water leak is detected. Ok…not really…but I have thought about it.

My worries (and mitigation are as follows)

• DT Overflow - I'm using a Herbie Style so if the backup drain is used, I can hear about it.
• Sump Overflow - The Tunze has a float and optical, so it's not going to overfill. Plus it has an audible alarm. On top of that, I have a sensor that if the level goes up too high, I get a push notification.
• Sump Low - I have another sensor in place that when the sump gets 1" below the ATO level (ATO resevoir is empty, or clogged), then I get a push notification. It would take a while to get down to the return inlet, but I don't want to risk a salinity swing.
• Water on Floor - This is a LDK (Leak Detection Kit) and while not perfect, has been tested (manually) to ensure it's working as intended.
• Overheating - I split my heater load into two heaters, in case one get's stuck on. Also, when a temp level is hit, the light outlets are killed, giving a great visual indicator... Plus the temp probe will kill my heaters if it gets above a certain temp.
• Overcooling - Again, split the heaters into two, in case one fails. Temp out of bounds (both high and low) trigger a push notification.
• Power Failure - If Hydros doesn't hear from their gyres in X Minutes, I get a note in my email. I've got a backup generator in the garage that can easily run all the things I need to run.

I think I've accounted for everything and I inspect things weekly to ensure that everything is working. Is there such a thing as a 100% guarantee that nothing will go wrong? Hardly. This is just hedging bets as best you can with the technology that's available.

 

[Jeffcb]

One more thought. The Cor 20s can run stand alone with their own controller if the Apex failed or was down for any reason. Cor 15s can not.

 

[Flameback Pair]

I have been with Apex controllers for 9 years and can say I’ve seen so many improvements and innovations in Neptune Systems products. I started before there was the Fusion user software and internet connectivity had some hiccups. It took my reefing experience to a sky rocket high. I consider myself an advanced user, have around 23 modules my last count, and have never ever been bored by the system. However I say it’s a big step to take since the complexities can overwhelm if you don’t take it slow at first and use simplicities like the Task Functions that walk you step by step in setting up output control.