Hydrored's 300 Glass Cages Build

[AbdominalSnowman]

I was worried about the lights shining out the front of my house and what the neighbors would think, but didn’t even think about the back of the house along the lake. It looks like a landing strip at night until 10 PM when the blues turn off

 

[m.kristoff]

I may have missed it, but what return pump are you going to use? I just picked up a Ecotech L2 DC pump and Im beginning to wonder if i really need a DC pump to run a return and a manifold that will have valves on it anyway

 

[Hydrored]

I may have missed it, but what return pump are you going to use? I just picked up a Ecotech L2 DC pump and Im beginning to wonder if i really need a DC pump to run a return and a manifold that will have valves on it anyway

Hi,

I’m using 2 Royal Exclusiv Red Devils

 

[m.kristoff]

Hi,

I’m using 2 Royal Exclusiv Red Devils

sorry, i remember reading that now! t

 

[Hydrored]

Hello and good morning,

The main reason of moving away for me is over there years I’ve had many critical failures as it relates to Apex, to the point where I kept a full new in box apex system as a spare along with many other Neptune spares. I travel about 50% of my working life currently so reliably is the most important to me personally. Most of the failures are items that sit in a dry cabinet not over the sump.

This build I’m going a different direction in that I will not be relying on controller power bars for most equipment including AWC and ATO.

I had 2 separate dedicated circuits ran, one on each side of the tank. 1 Royal exclusive return pump each will be on the 2 different circuits, same goes for my power heads along with the battery backups. The only critical items I’m planning for the power bars is a heat controller, 1 each on the 2 different circuits.


Another goal of mine is to not have one wire running from one side to the other in this build, I really want things to be easily accessible.


To sum it up I’m just not pleased with Neptune overall, I’m really only looking for a monitoring device this time around and to have the ability to shut heaters off in case.

Well I take back what I said and have to eat crow, I will be sticking with Apex for now. I just lost hours of my life trying to get anything to connect without crashing, freezing, following instructions manuals. I’m far from inept when it comes to these things but the GHL setup is pathetic. Also, you CAN NOT upgrade the firmware on anything unless you have a windows PC. From the moment I plugged in the P4 it never showed the local network to connect to and anytime it finally connected via USB it would lock up. I should have known when they included a usb cable used to connect a printer from the early 2000’s I was in trouble.

I’ll be returning everything to BRS and eating the restocking fees. Here is the post for anyone that cares-

Post in thread 'Apex conversion to GHL'
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/apex-conversion-to-ghl.837130/post-9544695

I respect @Billldg opinion, but, I believe all of the post about how poor the GHL equipment is to setup.

 

[m.kristoff]

Well I take back what I said and have to eat crow, I will be sticking with Apex for now. I just lost hours of my life trying to get anything to connect without crashing, freezing, following instructions manuals. I’m far from inept when it comes to these things but the GHL setup is pathetic. Also, you CAN NOT upgrade the firmware on anything unless you have a windows PC. From the moment I plugged in the P4 it never showed the local network to connect to and anytime it finally connected via USB it would lock up. I should have known when they included a usb cable used to connect a printer from the early 2000’s I was in trouble.

I’ll be returning everything to BRS and eating the restocking fees. Here is the post for anyone that cares-

Post in thread 'Apex conversion to GHL'
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/apex-conversion-to-ghl.837130/post-9544695

I respect @Billldg opinion, but, I believe all of the post about how poor the GHL equipment is to setup.

thanks- your experience saved me a ton of cash! I was considering getting it. To bad you have to eat the restocking fees

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Well I take back what I said and have to eat crow, I will be sticking with Apex for now. I just lost hours of my life trying to get anything to connect without crashing, freezing, following instructions manuals. I’m far from inept when it comes to these things but the GHL setup is pathetic. Also, you CAN NOT upgrade the firmware on anything unless you have a windows PC. From the moment I plugged in the P4 it never showed the local network to connect to and anytime it finally connected via USB it would lock up. I should have known when they included a usb cable used to connect a printer from the early 2000’s I was in trouble.

I’ll be returning everything to BRS and eating the restocking fees. Here is the post for anyone that cares-

Post in thread 'Apex conversion to GHL'
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/apex-conversion-to-ghl.837130/post-9544695

I respect @Billldg opinion, but, I believe all of the post about how poor the GHL equipment is to setup.

Well that sucks. I was hoping for the best. One day, someone will get it right and then take my money for 7 complete setups lol. Apex has it right now, but agree with you and would love something else.

 

[ScottB]

Well that sucks. I was hoping for the best. One day, someone will get it right and then take my money for 7 complete setups lol. Apex has it right now, but agree with you and would love something else.

Yeah I am pretty deep in the APEX food web by now with only 3 systems. Hate the hardware; luv Fusion.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Yeah I am pretty deep in the APEX food web by now with only 3 systems. Hate the hardware; luv Fusion.

Good point on Fusion. The interface is great. The fact that I have had to repair all of my power bars, not so much. Not even near the tanks or heavily loaded with wattage and they all died at one point. Hopefully done with that for a while, as the replacements were not the 1.50 cent ones lol.

 

[ScottB]

Good point on Fusion. The interface is great. The fact that I have had to repair all of my power bars, not so much. Not even near the tanks or heavily loaded with wattage and they all died at one point. Hopefully done with that for a while, as the replacements were not the 1.50 cent ones lol.

Was that you that documented the capacitor replacement process? I was trying to find that again. Like all long term APEX folks, I have a dead one laying somewhere. And of course one BNIB energy bar as backup.

 

[mattgsa]

Loving the build so far, I'm sorry the new controller didn't work out. I love your new light rack.

 

[Hydrored]

Loving the build so far, I'm sorry the new controller didn't work out. I love your new light rack.

Thank you! The controller is a major disappointment, oh well, live and learn. Some of the best lessons learned are the most expensive ones.

 

[mattgsa]

Thank you! The controller is a major disappointment, oh well, live and learn. Some of the best lessons learned are the most expensive ones.

Yea, I too am learning that lesson with an AE ACR. Fifteen hundred dollars I will never see again.

 

[Hydrored]

Yea, I too am learning that lesson with an AE ACR. Fifteen hundred dollars I will never see again.

Calcium reactors are an odd one for me, I ran a Geo for a while and the tank just never looked "right". I will probably have to revisit one after the 300 grows out, for now sticking with good ol' fashioned ESV B-Ionic. My 210 is soaking up 187 ml a day with small colonies and a ton of frags growing. I've had zero time to spend on the 210, I actually feel bad as it's just turned into a huge frag tank.

 

[ScottB]

Calcium reactors are an odd one for me, I ran a Geo for a while and the tank just never looked "right". I will probably have to revisit one after the 300 grows out, for now sticking with good ol' fashioned ESV B-Ionic. My 210 is soaking up 187 ml a day with small colonies and a ton of frags growing. I've had zero time to spend on the 210, I actually feel bad as it's just turned into a huge frag tank.

I meant to ask about that -- how you were going to keep up on consumption.

I too went the AE route for a while as I got sick of mixing and refilling ESV all the time. After the AE, back to ESV but added a Kalk Stirrer. Got much better pH mgmt and as a bonus cut my ESV down to 250ml per day

 

[Hydrored]

I meant to ask about that -- how you were going to keep up on consumption.

I too went the AE route for a while as I got sick of mixing and refilling ESV all the time. After the AE, back to ESV but added a Kalk Stirrer. Got much better pH mgmt and as a bonus cut my ESV down to 250ml per day

Kalk is probably in my future, for now I'll just keep burning through ESV until ICP says otherwise

 

[Hydrored]

Does anybody have any thoughts on Hydros X4? Looking at it overall may serve my needs perfect?

 

[ScottB]

Kalk is probably in my future, for now I'll just keep burning through ESV until ICP says otherwise

Burn baby burn. I am fan of ESV too.

 

[Hydrored]

Ordered the last few items today-

Royal Exclusiv Deluxe 200 skimmer
Royal Exclusiv 12L Dreambox triple dosing reservoir
2 MP40's
1 MP10
More salt

Now just waiting to see if my tank from @Joe Glass Cages delivers next week.

 

[m.kristoff]

Ordered the last few items today-

Royal Exclusiv Deluxe 200 skimmer
Royal Exclusiv 12L Dreambox triple dosing reservoir
2 MP40's
1 MP10
More salt

Now just waiting to see if my tank from @Joe Glass Cages delivers next week.

Cant go wrong with Bubble King