Apex... Cerebra...

[Steve Tobias]

If this should be somewhere else please move it, but it is time for a controller and I am torn between these two options... Where can I go or who can provide me any subjective/objective arguments for either?

$ vs functionality vs ease of use vs... whatever comes next...

There are a lot of things I like about the Cerebra, but I have felt the same about APEX forever.

I am very conflicted by this and ready to take the plunge... any thoughts are incredibly appreciated.

 

[MaddyP]

Apex is true and tested. It has abilities and options the other does not. However, I think with time having an open-source platform like Cerebra could be amazing. But if trust is important, Cerebra has yet to earn any.

Apex has my vote. (Apex runs every aspect of my tank including auto water changes, RODI storage, monitoring, and controlling everything electrical.)

 

[Steve Tobias]

Exactly... I don't really think $ comes into play here because even after you grab the open beta and add the probes that come with the Apex Gold it is a wash... I want functionality, but don't want to be locked into coding and when you are on Android everybody is going to add an app. Neptune has earned their salt! Thanks for the feedback!

 

[MaddyP]

If you end up going with Apex and have programming questions, feel free to drop me a line.

 

[psirex]

Don't they both require some 'coding'?

 

[Meldrath]

If this should be somewhere else please move it, but it is time for a controller and I am torn between these two options... Where can I go or who can provide me any subjective/objective arguments for either?

$ vs functionality vs ease of use vs... whatever comes next...

There are a lot of things I like about the Cerebra, but I have felt the same about APEX forever.

I am very conflicted by this and ready to take the plunge... any thoughts are incredibly appreciated.

This is very well said. I like the idea of the Cerebra, but at the moment it's untested comparatively speaking with the Apex. That said, I'd go with the apex classic (you can find a stupid good deal on a used one atm) as it's probably the longest lasting and most stable aquarium controller out there. I don't harbor ill feelings towards the new apex, but I am leery after recent events with the launch.

 

[MaddyP]

This is very well said. I like the idea of the Cerebra, but at the moment it's untested comparatively speaking with the Apex. That said, I'd go with the apex classic (you can find a stupid good deal on a used one atm) as it's probably the longest lasting and most stable aquarium controller out there. I don't harbor ill feelings towards the new apex, but I am leery after recent events with the launch.

Completely agree.

 

[psirex]

What happened with the launch?

 

[psirex]

I'm still contemplating one myself

 

[Salty1962]

The add ons, how much? When will they be available? How do they function? If I had allot of $$ in livestock I would have more than doubts in my mind. Not saying that it won't be good but I don't see anything about their modules. APEX is tried and true and you know exactly what you're getting. Just my .02

 

[Meldrath]

What happened with the launch?

If you look at the forums for Neptune Systems on here, you will see they had a hiccup with the wireless. The only way to find out if you were one of the affected was to brick your system by running an update. While I agree with finding the affected systems, the way it was handled was probably not the best for such a sensitive piece of equipment to our environments. Losing your controller for several days can be quite catastrophic.

I was not one of these people, nor do I have the new system. However, I have the apex gold (classic now) and thoroughly appreciate it. Fusion is a godsend for controllers and this is coming from a career computer programmer.

 

[psirex]

That sucks

 

[blkhwkz]

I have the new Apex and have had absolutely no issues with it for the few weeks I have had it running. When my LFS ordered it, I did have to wait a few weeks since that was during the time they were checking for bad sd cards and had halted all shipments. I debated between both controllers. In the end I felt more comfortable going with the Apex since Neptune has been doing controllers for a long time. I hope the Cerebra does well though, the competition would make Neptune step their game up more.

 

[psirex]

Have you considered RA? Don't ♨ me.....

 

[Mortie31]

What about GHL Profilux? Probably the most reliable of all controllers with arguably more functions

 

[Steve Tobias]

I looked at the RA and it was in the running, but the remote access did not seem to stack up with the Apex. Other than that I found RA to be great, but I want remote controllability.

 

[Steve Tobias]

The add ons, how much? When will they be available? How do they function? If I had allot of $$ in livestock I would have more than doubts in my mind. Not saying that it won't be good but I don't see anything about their modules. APEX is tried and true and you know exactly what you're getting. Just my .02

When I compared the APEX Classic to the Gold and the Cerebra here is what I noticed from an investment standpoint:
The Cerebra has 6 power outlets and only includes the temp probe
The Classic has 8 power outlets and comes with the pH and temp probe.
The Gold same 8 power outlets and includes the temp/pH/ORP/Conductivity probes and PM2 Salintity Module.

It looks like the initial financial investment is really a wash. It almost appears that the Gold is the best value because when you add the additional probes the price of the Classic and Cerebra roughly the same as the Gold at $799. It seems easier to pay $375 or $530 for the first two, but I am ultimately going to want everything included in the Gold. I am leaning towards the Gold, but I want to look at the Profilux I do not know much about that unit.

Thanks for the feedback please continue.

 

[psirex]

I am doing the same with the GHL - knowledge is power....

 

[Nibejeebies]

Following along. I'm considering the apex, rke, or cerebra.

 

[dragon99]

For me the new Apex is leading and will probably be under my tank soon. The new powerbar functionality, built-in wifi, and proven history are all wins.

I almost bought the Cerebra, but ultimately didn't because :
a) Old version of Android, I HATE running outdated software connected to the Internet that has known vulnerabilities. Not to say the Apex doesn't have them, but Android has LOTS. The fact that they have been unable to upgrade to even last year's version of Android is not a good sign for the future.
b) The physical size, it's huge. The power bar literally will not fit in my cabinet they way I would like. It would have to be angled in. The display is gigantic for something that should be the size of a tablet.
c) It's beta. You never know what you're going to get. May be great or it might be a dead product in 2 years.

Like others, I really want Cerebra to work. But it's a beta product and I'm not willing to spend the time to help them refine it.