Virtual Outlets! Oh my!!

am3gross · Jan 7, 2021

1st, without the teachings of this awesome forum I would not have been able to do this!

So I am super excited! I was able to set up my 1st Virtual Outlet! And it worked as planned, but it does not come with out questions.

Some of you who have helped me in the past know that I am trying to set my tank up where the upkeep is as easy as possible for the wifey for the 5 to whoever knows how many months I will be away. With that being said I wanted a "Maintenance Outlet" so the wife could push 1 button and have everything go off, and then turn it back on and everything come on. Well it was a success. This is what happens.

Maintenance on the following goes off:
Return Pump
Skimmer
Both heaters
ATO

And the following comes On:
Fuge light
Stand light

Now my question is Do you use a Virtual Outlet like this and if so, what do you have come on and off? I know I know, its not the normal "help me I cant figure it out" question.. I am sure I will have lots more of those!!!

Thanks for any and all inputs! You all are the best!

homer1475 · Jan 7, 2021

I have feedc as my maintenance program. I turn off my skimmer, return pump, heater, reactor pump, UV pump, and turn on my WC pump.

I just reference feedc in my outlet programming. No virtual outlet needed.

vetteguy53081 · Jan 7, 2021

An outlet strip with timer would simplify the task

homer1475 · Jan 7, 2021

vetteguy53081 said:
An outlet strip with timer would simplify the task

Simplify, sure, but kind of negates the whole point of having an apex with controllable outlets.

TheHarold · Jan 7, 2021

am3gross said:
1st, without the teachings of this awesome forum I would not have been able to do this!

So I am super excited! I was able to set up my 1st Virtual Outlet! And it worked as planned, but it does not come with out questions.

Some of you who have helped me in the past know that I am trying to set my tank up where the upkeep is as easy as possible for the wifey for the 5 to whoever knows how many months I will be away. With that being said I wanted a "Maintenance Outlet" so the wife could push 1 button and have everything go off, and then turn it back on and everything come on. Well it was a success. This is what happens.

Maintenance on the following goes off:
Return Pump
Skimmer
Both heaters
ATO

And the following comes On:
Fuge light
Stand light

Now my question is Do you use a Virtual Outlet like this and if so, what do you have come on and off? I know I know, its not the normal "help me I cant figure it out" question.. I am sure I will have lots more of those!!!

Thanks for any and all inputs! You all are the best!

That sounds great! I never considered adding stand lights to maintenance mode, but that makes total sense.

You can also use buttons to trigger this maintenance mode without taking your phone out- much nicer. For example:

6 Way Switch Toggle Box for Apex Controller

The Adaptive Reef 6 Way Toggle Switch Box works directly with the Neptune Systems Apex Controllers to add on mechanical switches which can be used for numerous control functions in the aquarium. Mechanical toggle switches provide fast and convenient access to customizable functions such as...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

ca1ore · Jan 7, 2021

I don't use virtual outlets to switch groups of real outlets on/off; but I do use a number of them to display alerts on my fusion dashboard. Adaptive switch box does look pretty cool - had not seen that before.

HuduVudu · Jan 7, 2021

I use a maintenance virtual outlet.

I turn off the main pump and the heater. My heater is in my tank and I have no sump so I don't want it on. When I had my skimmer (HOB) I turned that off too.

am3gross · Jan 7, 2021

homer1475 said:
I have feedc as my maintenance program. I turn off my skimmer, return pump, heater, reactor pump, UV pump, and turn on my WC pump.

I just reference feedc in my outlet programming. No virtual outlet needed.

That's a great idea, my thinking is that the wifey is already busy and I imagine already a little stressed, the less she has to "remember" the less she will worry about it. I am not saying she wont remember what feed to use, but if I have a outlet that says "maintenance" the less likely she is that she will forget.

vetteguy53081 said:
An outlet strip with timer would simplify the task

I am not sure how I could use an outlet timer to make this any easier.

The reason for me trying to make this easier on the wifey is because I leave a lot with my job. At this point in my career I was not supposed to be going out as much, but "business" is picking up. The last time I had a tank it was thriving, then I had to leave for 9 months. Came home to a wife that was worried that I was going to kill her because most everything was not alive in the tank. She felt horrible, no matter how much I told her it was ok. So when I found out that I would be leaving which was shortly after I placed the order for the tank, I vowed to her that I would make it as easy as possible for her to take care of. It will also become a family thing as my son is also learning the ropes as we go. And as a back up to the back up, I have a friend that owns a Fish Store and he has offered to help out if I ever need anything.

This forum is the absolute best at helping people out, no matter what there goals are. I look forward to helping others out as well.

Mike

homer1475 · Jan 7, 2021

Do you have the "new" apex, or the classic? Either one can use the display module, and you just push a button for a feed mode.

If you don't want the display module, then a break out box module, and a simple on/off button can also trigger a feed mode, or maintenance mode. Like how I turn on my cabinet lights on with simple security switches(like you see on windows) when you open the doors.

vetteguy53081 · Jan 7, 2021

am3gross said:
That's a great idea, my thinking is that the wifey is already busy and I imagine already a little stressed, the less she has to "remember" the less she will worry about it. I am not saying she wont remember what feed to use, but if I have a outlet that says "maintenance" the less likely she is that she will forget.

I am not sure how I could use an outlet timer to make this any easier.

The reason for me trying to make this easier on the wifey is because I leave a lot with my job. At this point in my career I was not supposed to be going out as much, but "business" is picking up. The last time I had a tank it was thriving, then I had to leave for 9 months. Came home to a wife that was worried that I was going to kill her because most everything was not alive in the tank. She felt horrible, no matter how much I told her it was ok. So when I found out that I would be leaving which was shortly after I placed the order for the tank, I vowed to her that I would make it as easy as possible for her to take care of. It will also become a family thing as my son is also learning the ropes as we go. And as a back up to the back up, I have a friend that owns a Fish Store and he has offered to help out if I ever need anything.

This forum is the absolute best at helping people out, no matter what there goals are. I look forward to helping others out as well.

Mike

Zoo med and Coralife has them out specifically for aquariums