Neptune Apex question

[BlazingOx]

I am looking to be getting Neptune apex and trident. I also am looking to get a doser as well. My space for all of this is quite limited as I have a fluval flex 32.5 gal stock cabinet. The Neptune doser is quite large and expensive for two heads when comparing to Red Sea dose4. I know the advantage of having the Neptune doser that it will automatically dose what is needed. But the Red Sea is a lot smaller and compact. Does anyone here have the same combination? Neptune apex systems and use a Red Sea doser? What is your experience?

 

[HuduVudu]

I am looking to be getting Neptune apex and trident. I also am looking to get a doser as well. My space for all of this is quite limited as I have a fluval flex 32.5 gal stock cabinet. The Neptune doser is quite large and expensive for two heads when comparing to Red Sea dose4. I know the advantage of having the Neptune doser that it will automatically dose what is needed. But the Red Sea is a lot smaller and compact. Does anyone here have the same combination? Neptune apex systems and use a Red Sea doser? What is your experience?

You don't need a controller to run the Red Sea doser. It and many other dosers like it are stand alone.

If you don't have the Apex I would put off the purchase of it until you can understand where it comes into play. Honestly there is little need for a controller as the equipment has become so connected. To be clear, controllers have their place, but you need to understand how they are useful before you buy one. Understanding controllers will help you make an informed decision as to which controller you actually need. This will save you time and frustration.

 

[BeMoto]

What are you planning to do with the neptune apex?

You might be better off looking into other dosers. What are you hoping to dose with dosers.

 

[BlazingOx]

What are you planning to do with the neptune apex?

You might be better off looking into other dosers. What are you hoping to dose with dosers.

Primarily getting the apex and trident as a monitoring system. I’m a bit of a micro manager but don’t have the time to constantly test parameters. I like to know what is going on at all times. I’m getting a doser mainly to dose the usual calcium, alk and magnesium.

 

[BeMoto]

Have you worked out a plan to install all the gear? I'm sure someone has done this on a smaller tank but haven't seen it done on a sumpless system. Not try to be negative about it I would love to see it done.

 

[BlazingOx]

Have you worked out a plan to install all the gear? I'm sure someone has done this on a smaller tank but haven't seen it done on a sumpless system. Not try to be negative about it I would love to see it done.

The only challenge is that I might have to build something to hang the gear inside the cabinet. Worse case there is also another cabinet next to the tank that I could possibly use. In respect to the probes there is space on the back that they can hang from as I don’t use the stock cover.

 

[FairbanksReefer]

I am noob in the hobby (even though I've had my biocube for 4 years) and I find this hobby to be info overload sometimes which makes it virtually impossible to make informed decisions. That being said I got a super cheap dosing pump from BRS and I made a program on the Apex to turn on the dose outlet for 2 minutes if my alk is below a certain point. It may not be the best way to do it but so far its working. I do manual tests weekly or so to make sure things dont drift.
This is my program for alk, Alkx5 is the trident

Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Alkx5 < 9.10 Then ON
If Alkx5 > 9.20 Then OFF
If Time 00:00 to 00:59 Then OFF
If Time 01:02 to 06:59 Then OFF
If Time 07:02 to 12:59 Then OFF
If Time 13:02 to 18:59 Then OFF
If Time 19:02 to 24:00 Then OFF

For now I dose calcuim manually but may set up another doser soon and will probable just use the alk to do that program too but set it to less time (the 2 part I use requires less calcium then alk) and offset the time a bit like have it dose calcium about 5 minutes earlier then alk.