Gilroy 425g Build Thread (All Apex, all the time)

[Fin]

Are you still using the Sea Swirls also? If so, are you liking them ok? I got a pair after I saw yours and how they fit on the euro-braced tank. Of course, I still don't have my tank yet. :-(

 

[Terence]

I see in one of your other pictures you have an ozone generator. Assuming you have it going to your skimmer, have you seen any ill effects with the neck cleaner? I have the same neck cleaner and it says that it isn't ozone safe. Not sure why it isn't but it has drove me away from running ozone since adding the neck cleaner.

I did not read that part - oops!

Well, so far I have not seen any issue. The wipers are silicone so I think they might be fine but I guess I will find out.

I do know that the skimmer body discolored a bit from the Ozone.

 

[Terence]

Are you still using the Sea Swirls also? If so, are you liking them ok? I got a pair after I saw yours and how they fit on the euro-braced tank. Of course, I still don't have my tank yet. :-(

Yes, they are still working great. I need to put some nozzles of some sort on them. I got the 3/4 locline ones but I still need to get a reducer bushing to use them.

 

[psirex]

Any video of your setup?

 

[Terence]

Yes, it is in this video I just released today:

 

[psirex]

I was like "No he stuck the stickie on the glass!" But i assume its was just for the video.....

 

[Terence]

Yes it was just for the video. Those will certainly not be permanent for the obvious reason shown in the video. You are required to put the sticky and the zip tie on the QD per ETM or the pump magnets may disengage unexpectedly and the pump could fall to the ground and be damaged.

 

[psirex]

Just checked the entry pricing for someone like me...... OUCH!

 

[Terence]

Entry pricing of what?

 

[psirex]

Just a base unit apex and the pumps. Looking into a controller to go on my 300......

 

[nervousmonkey]

Actually not that expensive if you look at everything all together. I'm helping my brother set up a tank for my 13 year old niece (Red Sea Max 500) and in talking to a Neptune rep (Paul Jansen, ask for him, he's awesome), I actually saved my brother about $1500 by buying different modules. Funny that it saves money to go bigger with Apex but it does. If anyone wants, I'll share the spreadsheet that I originally had with just Apex base compared to the final after talking to Paul with add-ons, and it saved a ton of money. And it's just better overall; niece doesn't have to do water changes, DOS is doing a continuous WC for her. Auto-feeding, programmed to shut off pumps, etc., WAV starter kit that can be put on the back wall and hide cords, saved a bunch of money compared to Vortechs (I love Ecotech, but money is money). All in all, Apex just makes sense economically. My time, brothers time, total cost of owning a bunch of stuff you don't need, etc., when it can all be put into one ecosystem where I don't have to worry about what's happening in the tank, just monitor the whole system. If you actually take the time to sit down and calculate the time involved in tank maintenance vs. having Apex do it for you, I think anyone would agree that strictly speaking financially, Apex makes better sense. I'm not a part of Apex, nor do I care who buys what product, just like saving money.

 

[-Logzor]

Yes, it is in this video I just released today:

The Ecotech QD has the motor outside of the aquarium, so it inherently has a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to sound. I'm curious how the WAV compares to Tunze pumps which have the motor block inside the aquarium.

The sound generated at 100% constant is often very different from a pulse mode setting in most powerheads. For example, before the Gyre introduced their new mounting bracket, the pump was incredibly loud on pulse mode. Another example, Tunze are dead silent at 100% but sometimes generate a little more noise (maybe some clicking) when pulsing. Similar stories for MP QD's (noisy pulse pre-QD).

How does the WAV compare on pulse settings?

I have a full Apex system and Tunze pumps currently. I plan to use the Apex connectors so I can control them.

 

[Terence]

Well this is not the best place to discuss the back and forth on pumps. That said, what I simply wanted to do with the video is start the conversation in a short, easy to understand video. In the closing of the video I in fact encouraged people like you as well as reef clubs to do this kind of testing yourselves both because it is somewhat fun and interesting and it also helps direct the buying decision for a myriad of different aquariums and hobbyists.

Pulse mode on any pump is inherently "noisy". It most cases really is not any more noisy though, it is just your ear can pick up on it more.

With the WAV, if you have it in Pulse mode there is no real sound level penalty in terms of dB. And it creates a lot of water movement. In Pipeline mode there is a definite slight tick of the pump as it is accelerated and decelerated extremely fast so that you can get crazy standing waves in the tank if that is what you desire.

 

[Terence]

Just checked the entry pricing for someone like me...... OUCH!

Just a base unit apex and the pumps. Looking into a controller to go on my 300......

Aside for the replacement of so many discrete items as mentioned above. I would look at it this way. For a tank of that size that is intended to be a reef tank, these days one would not argue that long term success would require a skimmer. Likewise, the probability of having a long term successful reef tank goes way up when you have a monitoring and control system on it. Why? Because the longer you have the tank, the closer you are to having a tank-wipeout-catastrophe that either you could have been been alerted to before it was so dire or that the Apex could have prevented altogether.

Bake a system like the Apex into your tank budget. If your budget is too large, shrink the tank.

 

[psirex]

No prob...

 

[adroc718]

I was doing some sound, flow, and power testing this weekend with our WAV and the MP40. I really do not get the whole "no wires" thing. Maybe on an in-wall tank, or with a back wall or side wall (where there is no viewing) it makes sense, but in situations where you want to look at your aquarium from the side (like mine) it just ain't right.

I don't understand the ecotech bashing? The no wires thing has to do with not having wires inside the tank. Also having the motor on the outside generates no heat. Now with the quiet drive controllers they are also dead silent. Game changer in my opinion.
You guys (Neptune Apex) were all about the ecotech pumps before you made the Wav Pumps....which honestly I just don't get...they are big, expensive, not at all silent and have a form factor from the 1990's
How did those comparison tests work out? You guys think the next couple generations down the road the Wav will come close to what ecotech has in the MP line? Few years maybe?

 

[Terence]

I don't think it is bashing at all. I love the EcoTech pumps in certain situations like in-wall or back-wall applications. I like Gyres in others. I am not here to say one is better than another across the board and I do not think anyone else should either as there are different tanks, different uses and different preferences for everyone.

The point with the wires is simply point to people that say they do not like wires in the tank, that a "wireless" solution is not wireless and you will have to see the wires somewhere. It is just up to each individual where they prefer to see their wires.

For their volume, the WAV produce as much if not more flow than any other pump out there today. As far as in-tank pumps are concerned, they are not big at all - they are very compact.

There are plenty of things to go back and forth with from one solution to another. But most of these are subjective. On the other hand, there are a few things that are not subjective such as sound level and power usage. So here is a video for that. Please continue the discussion there if you like so we can keep my build thread on track.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/v...and-energy-use-of-the-wav-measures-up.237774/

 

[Terence]

To get the thread back on track, here is a snapshot of my Calcium Reactor pH and dosing schedule and how it is going. Measured kH and Ca this morning and they were low so I need to lower the pH a tiny bit on the reactor and up the flow.

 

[cypherljk]

What are you using for your cameras?

 

[Turbonut]

Bake a system like the Apex into your tank budget. If your budget is too large, shrink the tank.

Lol