Your opinion on some equipment.

[Sharkz]

So my Birthday is next week and my wife and daughters decided to purchase something for my tank. I have a Red Sea Reefer 450. My 2 choices are below,

1) The new Apex Controller. Never had one, never used one. Don't know much about them at all.

2) New plumbing to make a custom manifold with 2 AquaMaxx BioMaxx reactors in it and a new Vectra L1 return pump.

What choice would you pick and why?
Thanks!

 

[jkapit]

I never had an Apex before and reset up my tank recently and just so impressed with it. I control all the aspects of my tank with it.

I bought a lot of the accessories and think it's my favorite piece of equipment.

 

[Darrell Brady]

I would go controller but go ghl

 

[jenkinscrew2578]

Apex Controller, you will love the visibility and so much control.

 

[RobertP]

Had my apex a couple months and dont know how I ever got along without it!

 

[donnievaz]

I'd go Apex, plumbing is boring

 

[bif24701]

Is this a serious question! ? The APEX [emoji23]

 

[hybridazn]

Apex, nuff said... lol

 

[Sharkz]

Ok seems like the Apex wins. Never owned a controller so we'll see what the hoopla is all about. My reasoning behind the choice for the plumbing was so I could kill some GHA i'm fighting at the moment with reactors and get rid of the constant tweaking of Red Sea's dial in the sump. Thanks for the replies off to learn all about the Apex.

 

[jenkinscrew2578]

Get a bottle Phosphate Rx and follow this to get rid of your GHA. Cheaper and less equipment/plumbing work. [emoji16]

http://melevsreef.com/node/700

 

[mtraylor]

The controller is a great product to gain stability in the aquarium. What actions will you automate if you get one? How will you use it? These are some of the questions you need to ask yourself before you dive in.
You can plan for any additional equipment you need and buy all at once. My advice if you are getting the controller is get the full blown version.

 

[BoomCorals]

Apex all the way. I keep finding more and more it can do that I didn't even know.

 

[AquaART]

Congrats on the new tank, I'm in the process of a 450 build myself! I personally have the Apex and the controllability is actually somewhat daughting. It's not very intuitive to program, but after a few hours of research you'll get it. I don't quite understand why Neptune did not invest more into making the Fusion software easier to program, it that's beside the point.

I am also going with AquaMaxx reactors, so I don't see an issue there, they are quality units, I would skip the Vectra L1 and get a Jebao Sine series. You're going to be surprised at how much more water the Jebao moves along with it's nearly undetectable running noise at 50% or below. The head pressure on them is much better thatn the Vectra's too something to consider if you're going to run Reactor's off of your return pump. I actually think the the Jebao is a reverse engenneried Vectra built to nearly the same standards. You're just paying 4 times as much for the blue fish sticker and a different body.