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Thread: New setup, looking for Apex advise

  1. #1
    New User jcl123's Avatar
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    New setup, looking for Apex advise

    Hello all, I am a veteran freshwater aquarist, mostly African Cichlids and such. This will be my first foray into salt water beyond just fish, and I am looking for some help with the types of Apex equipment I would need.

    Thank you very much.

    -JCL


    Here is what I have so far:
    - 135G Oceanic tank / built-in overflows
    - Lifereef sump
    - Iwaki main pump
    - Lifegard mechanical, chemical, and 25W UV modules
    - Lifereef protein skimmer
    - Pan World / Blue-Line pump for skimmer
    - Going to purchase ozone generator, haven’t decided which one yet
    - Two ecotech vortech MP40 power heads
    - Four Kessil A160WE Tuna Blue LED’s
    - Blue Line 500W titanium heater
    - Titanium grounding probes for sump and tank
    - I am getting an RO/DI setup to produce water for water changes and top-off
    - The cabinet has a tub in it to catch spills and splashes, and can hold about 30 gallons of a flood before overflowing
    - On order is 135lbs of live sand, and 135lbs of live rock


    Here is what I think I might need so far:
    - Apex model 2016 kit
    - Automatic top-off kit
    - Automatic feeder + food
    - Leak detection + modules
    - Modules to control Vortech and Kessil?

    Here are some specific things I would like to do:
    - Flood sensors in the cabinet and on the floor
    - Detect the level in the aquarium and shut off main pump if it is too high, such as if the returns clogged
    - Detect the level in the sump, and if it is too high shut off the protein skimmer / ozoner / air pump
    - I see there is a flow sensor, but not a pressure sensor, wondering if I could setup something to tell me when it is time to change / clean the micron and carbon
    - Monitor the number of hours the UV is on so I know when to change the bulb


    Here are my main questions:
    - What Apex equipment would I need to control all of this, there seems to be a bit of redundancy in some modules
    - Any suggestions? (in general)
    - Best place to buy from?
    - Location of equipment – there is no way everything is going to fit in the stand, or at least if I tried it would look like Darth Vader’s bathroom or something, and I don’t want all the salt spray over everything really either. Has anyone come up with a good setup with some kind of cabinet next to the aquarium, to have a space for all of this, and for food and test kits and stuff? I suppose I could make a small cabinet or something.


    Some other questions:
    - Is there an electronic way to measure nitrate? And if not, what tests kits do you all have to supplement the Apex, I am assuming you have some to also periodically check the accuracy of the Apex probes, yes?
    - Does the Apex power strip have a grounding screw?
    - I am assuming I would plug the heater directly into the power strip, and I will not use the controller it came with?
    - Is there a manual entry mode to record manual tests, or other information you want to record?
    - How long do the pH / ORP and other probes last? Should I get more calibration solution off the bat?
    - Do you actually get enough outlets for everything, or use adapters to say, plug all the lights into one outlet, and maybe the power heads into another outlet, that sort of thing?

  2. #2
    Frequent Contributor zombie's Avatar
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    You need a WXM to control the vortechs and a kessil-apex cable to control the kessils.

    You will also want an ORP probe for the ozone generator (though the 2016 might come with one. I don't remember).

    You might be an engineer if...You have no life and can prove it mathematically.

  3. #3
    Frequent Contributor zombie's Avatar
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    Here are my main questions:
    - What Apex equipment would I need to control all of this, there seems to be a bit of redundancy in some modules

    See my post above. You may want to consider a second eb832 or eb8 classic in case a circuit trips or the internal fuse trips for redundancy.

    - Any suggestions? (in general)
    - Best place to buy from?

    Either local, BRS, or saltwateraquarium.com

    - Location of equipment – there is no way everything is going to fit in the stand, or at least if I tried it would look like Darth Vader’s bathroom or something, and I don’t want all the salt spray over everything really either. Has anyone come up with a good setup with some kind of cabinet next to the aquarium, to have a space for all of this, and for food and test kits and stuff? I suppose I could make a small cabinet or something.

    Anywhere that water won't leak onto.

    Some other questions:
    - Is there an electronic way to measure nitrate? And if not, what tests kits do you all have to supplement the Apex, I am assuming you have some to also periodically check the accuracy of the Apex probes, yes?

    Doesn't exist yet.

    - Does the Apex power strip have a grounding screw?

    No. The energy bar is grounded from the outlet itself.

    - I am assuming I would plug the heater directly into the power strips. , and I will not use the controller it came with?

    Use both. Have the apex control the heater and set the controller that comes with the heater a couple degrees higher as a failsafe in case the outlet ever sticks on.

    - Is there a manual entry mode to record manual tests, or other information you want to record?

    Yes. There are detailed logs in fusion for tracking anything you want.

    - How long do the pH / ORP and other probes last? Should I get more calibration solution off the bat?

    ORP doesn't need to be calibrated and probes last about 3 years. pH probes last about 2 and need to be calibrated monthly so you will need extra packets.

    - Do you actually get enough outlets for everything, or use adapters to say, plug all the lights into one outlet, and maybe the power heads into another outlet, that sort of thing?

    Vortechs and kessils can be plugged into a dumb power strip and the apex will change the mode they operate in. You can get by with one energy bar with the equipment you listed, but you might want two for heater redundancy and any additional equipment you will likely want/need including cabinet lights, refugium lights, calcium reactor, etc.

    You might be an engineer if...You have no life and can prove it mathematically.

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