Show Me Your Control board for your Apex Display!

[Bob Escher]

Here is mine had it made sits beside my tank

 

[Clayton Jessup]

Here is mine still in the works .. waiting on my GHL P4 to come in from Black Friday Sales...

 

[Lilmatty5dimes]

@Vwfan - This is what my Apex panel currently is looking like! Are your referring to the Raceway ducks that are gray or the computer grommets?

Which tunze powerheads do you have?

 

[samnaz]

Lol super jealous of everyone on here. I have limited space, no option for a cabinet, and honestly hate the look of the new APEX (so no mounting next to the tank out in the open). So here is my current work in progress for mounting in my stand. I got it today and don't plan on sleeping tonight

Here is the beginning stage of mine.

would love to see the progress and/or the finished product

 

[AdamNC]

Thinking about picking this up to mount my gear. Any thoughts?

https://www.marinedepot.com/Standar...ccessories-Marine_Depot-MD7116-FIAQAA-vi.html

 

[samnaz]

Thinking about picking this up to mount my gear. Any thoughts?

https://www.marinedepot.com/Standar...ccessories-Marine_Depot-MD7116-FIAQAA-vi.html

I think their pre-made board is great for those who want to pay 8x more than they could to make a board themselves (that would be perfectly fit for their needs)... OR for busy / lazy / non-DIYer folks with cash to burn.

I'm just finishing my equipment cabinet and I have to say not only does it perfectly suit my needs, it cost WAY less, was fun to build, and looks way better, tbh ;Shy ;Smug

 

[Acronuts]

Thinking about picking this up to mount my gear. Any thoughts?

https://www.marinedepot.com/Standar...ccessories-Marine_Depot-MD7116-FIAQAA-vi.html

I was thinking the same thing but decided I wanted to build my own. Actually i found a great TV cabinet on wheels for only $17 at Aldi’s! Plan on making some additions and adjustments for my Apex, modules, energy bar and mp40’s. Will throw some LED’s that I can voice control and bam should have a great aquarium controller cabinet that looks worthy in the living room. Will post pics when done.

 

[samnaz]

I was thinking the same thing but decided I wanted to build my own. Actually i found a great TV cabinet on wheels for only $17 at Aldi’s! Plan on making some additions and adjustments for my Apex, modules, energy bar and mp40’s. Will throw some LED’s that I can voice control and bam should have a great aquarium controller cabinet that looks worthy in the living room. Will post pics when done.

Looking forward to seeing the finished product

 

[Steve1310]

 

[UABsleeper]

Nothing to fancy with mine.. I would like to eventually and something taller so I can fit all my pump controls on it..

 

[vetteguy53081]

GHL and Ecotech components here but same basic thing.
I decided to run the electrical raceway around the perimeter of the mounting board.

VERY CLEAN LAYOUT

 

[vetteguy53081]

Some. . . . FANTASTIC WORK DISPLAYED !!! I AM CONSIDERING THE NEW BOARDS AVAILABLE VIA MARINEDEPOT. THEY ARE STURDY AND WELL STRUCTURED FOR VARIOUS COMPONENTS

 

[WallyB]

Some great setups posted above.
Many of these kinds of neat arrangements is what inspired me when I was redoing my sump room.
I kind of wish I saw some for the Large Hole Cover-plate ideas.

What I learned over time and on my previous attempts is make your wiring flexible for expansion and maintenance.
Also design your wiring PORT HOLES and Conduits OVERSIZED to be able to easy remove your heater, pump cord etc for repetitive maintenance.
Nothings is worse the perfect wiring that you have to rip apart every time you need to clean a pump. Nothing is worse than wire overlaps, and tight tie wrapped bundles that look great to start, but nightmare to remove one wire.

Here is what I did this time. DUal Tank, Dual Sump Equipment Closet/room.
It's not a cabinet tight PANEL layout like you are planning, but I did designed for distance, easy wire pulls, and easy remove-and-replace.
There are (HIDDEN) removable/hinged panels below, above and beside easy WHite Plate for wire access. (HAND SIZE)
THE VERTICLE SQUARE (Hollow Fence Posts) are large CONDIUTS for both Wire and Pumbling runs.
The rest of wiring runs are behind drywall.

All the best with your project.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Some great setups posted above.
Many of these kinds of neat arrangements is what inspired me when I was redoing my sump room.
I kind of wish I saw some for the Large Hole Cover-plate ideas.

What I learned over time and on my previous attempts is make your wiring flexible for expansion and maintenance.
Also design your wiring PORT HOLES and Conduits OVERSIZED to be able to easy remove your heater, pump cord etc for repetitive maintenance.
Nothings is worse the perfect wiring that you have to rip apart every time you need to clean a pump. Nothing is worse than wire overlaps, and tight tie wrapped bundles that look great to start, but nightmare to remove one wire.

Here is what I did this time. DUal Tank, Dual Sump Equipment Closet/room.
It's not a cabinet tight PANEL layout like you are planning, but I did designed for distance, easy wire pulls, and easy remove-and-replace.
There are (HIDDEN) removable/hinged panels below, above and beside easy WHite Plate for wire access. (HAND SIZE)
THE VERTICLE SQUARE (Hollow Fence Posts) are large CONDIUTS for both Wire and Pumbling runs.
The rest of wiring runs are behind drywall.

All the best with your project.

M60
This is not a room- it's a lab !!
IMPRESSIVE IT IS!

 

[WallyB]

M60
This is not a room- it's a lab !!
IMPRESSIVE IT IS!

Thanks.
But this was the LAB look, during the rebuild since I had to keep two tanks running the whole time.
Yes, before anyone says, it was a short-term fire hazard that luckily never happened.

 

[Solis Reef]

Nice

 

[Carl Salamone]

The front of these control panels all look great! What I'd really like to see though is the wire management on the back side that is not normally visible!

 

[WallyB]

The front of these control panels all look great! What I'd really like to see though is the wire management on the back side that is not normally visible!

Here is a Video that shows (step by step) Time Lapse Photos of my Panel Installation, Larger Holes behind Panels, with wire space areas behind. (1/3 of the way into the video). It kind of shows how I added some extra holes, access ports.
I wouldn't call it wire management since I just run and tuck wires behind the drywall hollow space. However I did add some wire tray conduits for exterior wire runs.

I did have to drill holes into the Verticle Studs to run horizontally behind wall.
It all generally worked out since the Extra-Access-Holes are all sized to fit my hand/arm into the wall or the Rectancular White Tube. Some runs I needed a stiff wire to run wires horizontally (to deal with Gravity and drooping cords)


One thing I did that also worked out, was using SPLIT-Wire Loom to NEATLY bundle my 6 wires going to T5 Pairs to appear as single CORD.. It's shown in the video.

Again, this isn't tight cabinet work like displayed in many examples above.

I highly appreciate how some of these cabinet layouts are done so tidy and nice.
Some really slick looking and very clean layouts.

 

[xaflatoonx]

Still a work in progress. I dont have as much going on as you do so I was able to get away with a smaller design and incorporate it into one of my side cabinets. I made a tilt down door/board and chose to mount the EB8 on the back because I hate looking at everything plugged into it.

Thank you for this idea.

Can you please help me understand it a bit more.

How do you make it stay straight up?
and does the tilt offer a better access than say - swivel? If you were to make it go back like a door?

thoughts?

 

[Rich1987]

I know this is old but can you tell me where you bought that wiring hiding Channel its nice anecdote looks sturdy.