I am a Neptune fan and will stay that way for the forseable future. Like Richard said too, their customer service is great. Curt is a good guy over there and solved an issue I had right away.
I like the APEX better, its more of what I was looking for in a controller, user interface, and design elements.
From my take on it - its like the Ford/Chevy thing. They both are a lot alike, with strong feelings about both.
I personally like more of the features on the Neptune.
Its a lot of personal preference. I also went with APEX since its display was half as thick and looked pretty slick.
I'd say look at the different feature sets and decide which ones works better for your application.
Or you can do what I did - I was happy with my ACIII since it had been around quite a while, with little problems, and great customer service - so I moved on to their latest product once I saw the feature set that I liked.
Here are some of the features on it.
Neptune APEX
Connectivity
- Ethernet Interface
- Embedded Web Server
- Only controller with web browser Monitoring, Control & Configuration.
- Email Alarms
Expandability
- Most expandable Controller.
Up to 240 modules, hundreds of probes, and thousands of controlled outlets.
- Simple menu driven Configuration
No program language knowledge required.
Robust Timers
- Simulates Sunrise/sunset
- Simulates moon cycle
- Wave Maker and Random timed cycles
- Built-in Variable speed pump control
- Still water feed mode (multiple modes)
Ultimate Control
- Monitor/Control Temperature, pH, and ORP
- Digital Calibration on all probes
- Seasonal temp & lighting control
- Flexible Control Options
