Neptune apex question

British malcolm · Jul 23, 2016

Hello, I'm moving house in the next few months and I've been given permission of the better half to install a 500 uk gallon aquarium. I want a computer / controller to help manage the system easier. We are fairly restricted in the UK on options do I'm looking at a Neptune apex. I'm assuming that skimmers heater etc etc will need to be Apex compatible but I can't find out what are and what aren't. I'm at pretty early stages at the mo so just trying to price up costs. Can anybody point me in the right direction please

Joeganja · Jul 24, 2016

Apex doesn't control skimmers it'll just control to turn them on or off. Now heaters for example on my apex I have a temperature probe that the apex comes with I have it set up if it gets too cold it'll turn on my heater or if it gets too hot it'll turn it off and turn of a little fan I have over the tank to cool it off. It all depends what you want to do with it and what you need it to do

British malcolm · Jul 24, 2016

Ok that's great thanks for your responses. Looking in u tube people have set up for it to do there led's and wave makers etc. is it just a case of you set your led's up the programs that you would want them and then the apex merely turns the led on and off as apossed to actually controlling them. If that's the case what are the benefits of having a controller ?

p7willm · Jul 24, 2016

There are 2 levels of integration with Apex.

At one level for any device the Apex can turn on and off the power outlet. This is really all you need for some items, like turn the skimmer off when feeding, manage the ATO, stopping it and telling you if it runs for 5 minutes and apparently does not fill the tank or stopping if the PH gets too high if using kalk, Turn on lights in the cabinet when you open the door (it is one of those features you scoff at when you read about it but it turns out to be a feature you use constantly).

A second level is greater control than simple ON/OFF. It was once great to have your lights come on in the morning and go off at night. Now it is nice for the light go gradually come on in the morning, reach maximum around noon and dim to off at night, all the while changing the color temperature. The Apex has the ability to send out 0-10 volt control voltages and some equipment will use this voltage to control level and color of light, I have Kessil lights that do that so my light levels change over the day and go from blueish to white. Any power head you use for water motion can be switched on and off but some use the voltage to control speed so you can have different wave patterns, Tunze. Some go beyond that and allow for complex programs to simulate various types of environments, Neputne Wave, and there is a wireless module to control Vortech pumps.

One thing the Apex brings is backup and notification of problems that can crash a tank. For example my ATO power is shut off if the pH rises too high. That will stop a problem with an ATO float not registering and dumping my entire fresh water, with kalk. I get an email when the ATO water or water change water gets low. If a heater were to stick on power is cut and an email is sent when the temp gets too high. If the temp falls too low I get an email, even if it is at night and I would never see the problem. I monitor ORP and if it falls I get an email so I can look into why it fell. The new power bar will monitor power used by the return pump and, hopefully, the current draw for the return pump will increase as it starts to fail.

Yeah, I can look at most of that stuff myself but the Apex does not forget or get a little lazy and in some cases it can do something even if I am out of the house. It also watches stuff 24/7.

British malcolm · Jul 24, 2016

Thanks p7willm. I was looking for a controller that will keep an eye on things if I'm away overnight with work or like you say if I forget to check. I like all the charts and graphs on the apex and the fact I can operate on my iPhone when out. Is it just Kesslir ant tunze I can use? I'm not good with technical stuff but how do these 0 - 10 volt control work?

p7willm · Jul 24, 2016

Besides Kessil there are other lights that support levels and colors, I think AI and I am not sure who else but most that do mention it in their advertising. As far as the pumps go Neptune, the maker of Apex, makes one and the Vortech pumps are also supported.

The Apex has dome ports that put out 0-10 volt control signals, they are not high enough amps to run anything, and some aquarium stuff can be controlled by a 0-10 volt signal. It lets Apex be a hero cause it puts it out and other manufacturers can make their stuff respond to it. I think other controllers also can do the 0-10 thing so if a pump works with it then it supports Apex and other controllers. Some stuff also has their own controllers that use the 0-10 thing so you can use the stuff with or without a general controller.

British malcolm · Jul 25, 2016

So the 0-10 amp thing is basically a type of wifi that talk to the equipment. So when I look I'm looking at products that can run through a 0-10 amp. The choice of equipment we have in the uk isn't as vast as over there so getting good quality products isn't as easy as you would think.