What’s next from Apex? (After Trident)

[GK3]

I am curious to hear what everyone would like to see from Apex after they release the Trident (automated calc and alk testing). What features, modules, capability etc. would you like to see?

Personally:
1). Nitrate probe (I’ve seen this on another system)
2.) Phosphate Probe (never have seen this)
3.) More customization capability on the UI (change color scheme, change what position a sensor causes open/closed on indicator, etc.)

What about you all?

 

[hijinks7]

A better UI. For a company just south of San Jose, I'm shocked they can't find at least one good UI person. Fusion was a big step up from their original UI but its still bad.

 

[grassy_noel]

I’d like to see a dedicated battery backup module. It would take any generic battery (say a car battery) as an input, and would power the Apex "brain" and run routines for outlets specific to a power outage. I think this could manage limited battery backup power much better than existing systems that power just one dedicated piece of equipment, like a pump. For instance, I'd like to:

1. Turn the lights, dosing pumps, reactors, etc. off (can live without them for 2-3 days).

2. Keep the return pump at low speed for say 3-5 turnovers per hour (assuming DC controllable). This will keep the heater and probes supplied with tank water as well.

3. Keep one heater running as normal. Surely this would be the biggest power draw.

4. Run wavemakers only when the heater isn't running (limit peak draw), and at only 10%.

5. When remaining battery charge drops to 10%, turn everything off and turn on an airstone that is always installed in the main tank.

I could imagine with a system like this you might get 24-48 hours of quality life support (depending on how cold it is outside), and maybe another 48 hours of emergency life support (air stone only) off a car battery.

This module could also have a cellular device built in (for a monthly fee, I'm sure) that could continue to give you notifications and updates even when the power was out.

sigh...dreaming...

 

[Mrx7899]

I would like to see more control of the dos. Like to be able to dose on certain days of the week. The ability to reverse lines after dosing. I think there is alot more they could do with it.

 

[djbetterly]

1. I’d love to see the ability to better customize the notifications.

2. The UI is pretty good but could some improvements.

3. I wish they’d bring a better doser to the table...I personally built one better than the DOS so it can’t be that difficult for them.

4. The salinity probes are still a pain, why can’t they come up with a better probe, maybe using shielded cables? Anything..the probes are notoriously hard to get accurate.

 

[doughboy]

A better UI. For a company just south of San Jose, I'm shocked they can't find at least one good UI person. Fusion was a big step up from their original UI but its still bad.

for a long time when neptune systems was new, they had the ugliest website, very unprofessional imho. I think the owner ran a one man show and too cheap to hire someone. now they are running a big business, there should be no excuse.

 

[GK3]

I’d like to see a dedicated battery backup module. It would take any generic battery (say a car battery) as an input, and would power the Apex "brain" and run routines for outlets specific to a power outage. I think this could manage limited battery backup power much better than existing systems that power just one dedicated piece of equipment, like a pump. For instance, I'd like to:

1. Turn the lights, dosing pumps, reactors, etc. off (can live without them for 2-3 days).

2. Keep the return pump at low speed for say 3-5 turnovers per hour (assuming DC controllable). This will keep the heater and probes supplied with tank water as well.

3. Keep one heater running as normal. Surely this would be the biggest power draw.

4. Run wavemakers only when the heater isn't running (limit peak draw), and at only 10%.

5. When remaining battery charge drops to 10%, turn everything off and turn on an airstone that is always installed in the main tank.

I could imagine with a system like this you might get 24-48 hours of quality life support (depending on how cold it is outside), and maybe another 48 hours of emergency life support (air stone only) off a car battery.

This module could also have a cellular device built in (for a monthly fee, I'm sure) that could continue to give you notifications and updates even when the power was out.

sigh...dreaming...

I think you are asking for waaaay too much from a car battery. I’d be happy with a module that would let me specify which things turn on during a power outage. I’ve never seen a DC heater and honestly, you’d loose a lot in the DC to AC conversion to run it. Right now my tank runs for 48hrs with no power and all I keep running is an MP10. Most things are going to make it without the heater for a good amount of time. Apex heart beat tells you when power is out so i don’t see the need for cellular.

 

[GK3]

1. I’d love to see the ability to better customize the notifications.

2. The UI is pretty good but could some improvements.

3. I wish they’d bring a better doser to the table...I personally built one better than the DOS so it can’t be that difficult for them.

4. The salinity probes are still a pain, why can’t they come up with a better probe, maybe using shielded cables? Anything..the probes are notoriously hard to get accurate.

+1 for 1 and 2.

For 3, DOS is expensive for what it is. Wish they would do a compact 4 head dozer at lower price point.

 

[CMO]

Nitrate and Phosphate testing or probes!

I happen to love the UI in fusion. What specific ways might it be improved by those that don't like it?

 

[grassy_noel]

I think you are asking for waaaay too much from a car battery. I’d be happy with a module that would let me specify which things turn on during a power outage. I’ve never seen a DC heater and honestly, you’d loose a lot in the DC to AC conversion to run it. Right now my tank runs for 48hrs with no power and all I keep running is an MP10. Most things are going to make it without the heater for a good amount of time. Apex heart beat tells you when power is out so i don’t see the need for cellular.

Yeah, I definitely wasn’t thinking about heaters (and frankly everything plugged into the Apex 120v outlets) being AC and losing a lot to the conversion. Especially since all of the DC devices would just be converting it right back to DC.

If it was all DC then an 80 amp-hour marine battery would provide about 1,000 watt hours and if I figure my 100 watt heater runs a total of maybe 4-6 hours a day, that’s where I was starting. But you have a good point and now I see why most of the battery backup pumps are direct DC into the controller and bypass the wall plug altogether.

Does heartbeat work with an Apex Jr or only the newer Apex?

 

[GK3]

Nitrate and Phosphate testing or probes!

I happen to love the UI in fusion. What specific ways might it be improved by those that don't like it?

I’ve seen a nitrate probe, so I’d rather that as long term it would be less expensive. Phosphate I have never seen.

I just don’t like the lack of customization. I.e colors, background etc. but also if i have a switch like a float switch and want it to say open in one state and closed in another, I am at the mercy of what is high and what is low on the input. Fusion doesn’t give me the option to switch. It would be also be cool if i could change from “open” and “closed” to other things like “empty” and “full”. They also Miss little things like on my pump it will say 100% 50% etc. however on my lights run through the 0-10, it just says TBL. Overall great product but minor details I’d like to change.

 

[GK3]

Yeah, I definitely wasn’t thinking about heaters (and frankly everything plugged into the Apex 120v outlets) being AC and losing a lot to the conversion. Especially since all of the DC devices would just be converting it right back to DC.

If it was all DC then an 80 amp-hour marine battery would provide about 1,000 watt hours and if I figure my 100 watt heater runs a total of maybe 4-6 hours a day, that’s where I was starting. But you have a good point and now I see why most of the battery backup pumps are direct DC into the controller and bypass the wall plug altogether.

Does heartbeat work with an Apex Jr or only the newer Apex?

Not to get off topic - but it should work as long as you have fusion. https://forum.neptunesystems.com/showthread.php?17602-How-to-activate-Heartbeat-in-APEX-Fusion

 

[CMO]

I’ve seen a nitrate probe, so I’d rather that as long term it would be less expensive. Phosphate I have never seen.

I just don’t like the lack of customization. I.e colors, background etc. but also if i have a switch like a float switch and want it to say open in one state and closed in another, I am at the mercy of what is high and what is low on the input. Fusion doesn’t give me the option to switch. It would be also if i could change from “open” and “closed” to other things like “empty” and “full”. They also Miss little things like on my pump it will say 100% 50% etc. however on my lights run through the 0-10, it just says TBL. Over all great product but minor details I’d like to change.

Gotcha. Yeah I guess I'd like that too.

 

[Mrx7899]

Automatic frozen food feeder that would hold like a week's worth of food

 

[Cabinetman]

I’d really like to see more probes to monitor my tanks parameters and see them improve the salinity probe and... get me my trident! Lol

 

[Devaji]

personally...a totally new color scheme I was so mad at the release of the plastic orange and gray box I said I was not gonna buy ended up doing it tho but still hate the color looks SO CHEAP IMHO for the price we pay it should look and feel llike a professional piece of industrial equipment.

i now that is asking way to much but I can dream eh?

~yes a frozen feeder would be amazing!
~new probes heck yeah
~how about a reboot of the wav pumps smaller more features and that work more than a year!
~ water lever sensor 0-100%

 

[Member No 1]

I’d like to see a dedicated battery backup module. It would take any generic battery (say a car battery) as an input, and would power the Apex "brain" and run routines for outlets specific to a power outage. I think this could manage limited battery backup power much better than existing systems that power just one dedicated piece of equipment, like a pump. For instance, I'd like to:

1. Turn the lights, dosing pumps, reactors, etc. off (can live without them for 2-3 days).

2. Keep the return pump at low speed for say 3-5 turnovers per hour (assuming DC controllable). This will keep the heater and probes supplied with tank water as well.

3. Keep one heater running as normal. Surely this would be the biggest power draw.

4. Run wavemakers only when the heater isn't running (limit peak draw), and at only 10%.

5. When remaining battery charge drops to 10%, turn everything off and turn on an airstone that is always installed in the main tank.

I could imagine with a system like this you might get 24-48 hours of quality life support (depending on how cold it is outside), and maybe another 48 hours of emergency life support (air stone only) off a car battery.

This module could also have a cellular device built in (for a monthly fee, I'm sure) that could continue to give you notifications and updates even when the power was out.

sigh...dreaming...

Most of this can be done now. I have my system set up on a UPS and it shuts down non essential devices, while at the same time reducing the return pump speed along with the MP-40's

 

[Member No 1]

I would like to see more control of the dos. Like to be able to dose on certain days of the week. The ability to reverse lines after dosing. I think there is alot more they could do with it.

Both are possible now.

 

[gcarroll]

I think the natural next product for them is a light. I just can't see why they wouldn't. They certainly have the engineers on staff to develop it.

 

[CMO]

Automatic frozen food feeder that would hold like a week's worth of food

IMO, this would be the next holy grail advancement after auto alk testing / management. Feeding frozen thawed is the last thing preventing my tank from being truly self sustaining for long vacations. Boy would that be nice. Seems very doable too.