I received a PM from an Apex owner, asking my thoughts on using the Apex to control dosing pumps (such as the popular BRS 1.1ml/min pumps) vs. using a standalone dosing system (such as the Bubble Magnus BM-T01). I opted to write this post instead of replying privately - hopefully this will help others in addition to the person who PM'd me. My thoughts will be focused on the two solutions I identified, but most points are fairly generic and are applicable to other dosing systems or discrete dosing pumps from Vertex, GHL, Elos, AquaMedic, Cole-Parmer, Alita, MarineMagic, etc.
I don't really have a strong opinion either way, but I can bring out some good points to ponder.
- The standalone systems are compact. Separate pumps can take up more space, which is often at a premium.
- Relatively inexpensive pumps like the BRS dosers are fixed speed/rate. Many of the standalone dosing systems are variable rate. For people who have larger systems and dose greater quantities of additives, the higher dosing rate available in a standalone system may be desirable.
- Standalone dosing systems have one power cord. Multiple independent pumps will each have a power cord.
- Standalone system do not need to be plugged into an EnergyBar - they can be plugged straight into a normal wall outlet or power strip if desired. BRS-like pumps do need to have their power controlled by the Apex, requiring an EB outlet for each pump. If a standalone dosing system is plugged into an EnergyBar, any outlet may be used.
- Multiple BRS pumps (or similar) each require a dedicated EnergyBar outlet. For people with EnergyBar8s, only outlets 4 & 8 can be used with small dosing pumps like the BRS. So, two or three BRS (or similar) pumps might actually necessitate the purchase of either another EB8 or an EB4.
- Most of the standalone systems come equipped with 3 or 4 pumps; many people only want or need two, so 2 single pumps will likely be more cost-effective.
- Standalone dosing systems may seem more expensive at first - about $299 for the BM-T01 (with 3 pumps) vs. $240 (3x $79.99). But, if another EnergyBar is needed, the dosing system is more cost effective assuming 3 pumps are desired.
- Standalone dosing systems seem to be simpler to configure for the desired daily dosing amount of each additive. In contrast, programming the Apex can be quite challenging for some users. On the flip side, there is plenty of help available here for those having trouble developing the necessary programming based around the OSC statement, plus there is the Reeftronics OSC Calculator spreadsheet to help make the task simpler.
- Standalone dosing systems may not have the flexibility to achieve the dosing regimen some people desire. The Apex offers very flexible and powerful control over dosing when using BRS-type independent pumps.
- Many people like to use high pH cutoffs when dosing kalk and/or calcium supplements. If using standalone dosing system, that will require an EB outlet. The big drawback to this is that if pH goes high and the Apex shuts off the dosing system outlet, ALL dosing stops. This may be a big factor if one of the integrated pumps is used for ATO or AWC or similar purposes.
- Lastly, using the Apex to control your dosing pumps is way more cool . No self-respecting Control Freak would do otherwise.
I'm sure I missed some valid comparative points - please chime in if you have anything to add!
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