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Thread: need help with CO2 injection program

  1. #1
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    need help with CO2 injection program

    Doing freshwater here, and need some help with my program.
    I want the CO2 to be on during light hours (14-22), but with some safety to not inject if pH goes so low to hit 6.2

    on the other hand, I also want the pH to be somewhat maintained to not go above 7.2 during the night/rest of day (lights off hours). I didn't want to just have it as "on" if pH >7.2 cause it would run all the way until it hit 6.2, so I would be happy maintaining something near 7ish during the night.

    So I made a virtual outlet

    [pH_night]
    Fallback OFF
    If Time 22:30 to 23:59 Then ON
    If Time 00:01 to 13:30 Then ON
    If pH > 7.20 Then ON
    Defer 005:00 Then ON
    If pH < 7.00 Then OFF
    Defer 005:00 Then OFF


    and then on the actual outlet controlling the CO2 injectors;

    [Co2 outlet]
    Fallback OFF
    Set OFF
    If Time 14:00 to 22:00 Then ON
    If pH < 6.20 Then OFF
    Defer 005:00 Then OFF
    If Output pH_night = ON Then ON
    If Output pH_night = OFF Then OFF


    when I look at the pH chart and overlay the virtual outlet [pH_night], it definitively kicked in when pH was rising during the night, but I don't understand why it did so before pH was above 7.2.

    Also, I want to make sure that the virtual outlet as no impact during normal light hours.

    thanks

    Screen Shot 2018-04-08 at 9.54.30 AM.jpg

  2. #2
    Frequent Contributor zombie's Avatar
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    You were on the right track, but the order needs to be adjusted a bit.

    [pH_night]
    Fallback OFF
    If pH > 7.20 Then ON
    If pH < 7.00 Then OFF
    If Time 13:30 to 22:29 Then OFF


    [Co2 outlet]
    Fallback OFF
    Set OFF
    If Time 14:00 to 22:00 Then ON
    If pH < 6.20 Then OFF
    If Output pH_night = ON Then ON
    Defer 005:00 Then ON
    Defer 005:00 Then OFF


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

  3. #3
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    thanks, just a quick clarification for learning purposes.

    when "If Output pH_night = ON Then ON" is triggered how does it know that it also needs to turn off when the VO goes off, without having to write "If Output pH_night = OFF Then OFF"

    is it simply assume that there is an equivalent "or else" baked in there?

  4. #4
    Frequent Contributor zombie's Avatar
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    The Set OFF statement takes care of that.

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

  5. #5
    Master Control Freak RussM's Avatar
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    need help with CO2 injection program

    The Apex evaluates programming from top to bottom. The last true statement determines the state if the output.

    A Set statement is always true. So whenever the If Outlet and If Time statements are both not true, the output will be off because the Set OFF will be the last true statement.

    Similarly, if the If Time 14:00 to 22:00 Then ON is true but the If pH statement is also true, the outlet will be off because the If pH line comes after the If Time ... Then ON line.
    Please do not send me PMs with technical questions or requesting assistance - use the forums for Apex help. PM me ONLY if the matter is of a private or personal nature. Thanks.

  6. #6
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    worked like a charm. Thanks everyone!

    Screen Shot 2018-04-09 at 6.46.29 PM.jpg

  7. #7
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    I have the new apex with 4 probs. I am using it on a 165g planted fresh water plant. I am looking for hardware recomendations on how to get my setup so I can pickup at the start of this thread. I am 1 year into apex and really new to planted tanks...
    Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

  8. #8
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    If you mean apex hardware, you don't need anything else. You simply need to plug your Co2 regulator into one of the EB bar Outlet. The program described above turn that outlet on or off depending on the pH probe mesurement.

    If you mean what hardware you need to inject Co2 into a tank, I suggest you visit plantedtank forum, but briefly you need;

    A Co2 tank
    A Co2 regulator
    A bubble counter
    A Co2 diffuser

    Hope this helps

  9. #9
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    CO2 error.JPGCO2.JPGThanks for getting back to me so quickly. I guess it is the virtual outlet part I do not understand. Sorry for being a novice at programming Apex but we learn from each others experience. I do not use the Apex default lighting circuits so I turned outlet number 1 into the CO2 outlet. See pictures of Errors I am getting. How can I fix this?

  10. #10
    Master Control Freak RussM's Avatar
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    [ph_night] is an example name. It is not part of the program.

    Don’t paste the line into the programming editor box. Put that (without the brackets) into the name field.
    Please do not send me PMs with technical questions or requesting assistance - use the forums for Apex help. PM me ONLY if the matter is of a private or personal nature. Thanks.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by RussM View Post
    [ph_night] is an example name. It is not part of the program.

    Don’t paste the line into the programming editor box. Put that (without the brackets) into the name field.
    In addition to deleting lines 1 through 8 on this outlet, he is also putting the VO code (2 through 5) in the eb832 outlet along with the outlet code. Do you have a sticky available to walk him through creating a VO in Apex 2016, I’m a classic user so I’m not familiar with the 2016 GUI.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  12. #12
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    I think I figured out the 2016 interface for making a Virtual Outlet.

    I created the Virtual Output: Night

    I named the physical outlet CO2_Control

    See programming below:

    Please let me know if I need to change anything?
    Attached Images Attached Images

  13. #13
    Frequent Contributor zombie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Allexx46 View Post
    I think I figured out the 2016 interface for making a Virtual Outlet.

    I created the Virtual Output: Night

    I named the physical outlet CO2_Control

    See programming below:

    Please let me know if I need to change anything?
    That will not work. See post 2 for an example of how this needs to be done.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

  14. #14
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    zombie

    I really appreciate you helping me out. I note you are one of the most active and respected people on this forum. I have updated my Night virtual outlet to be in line with your post 2. After reading Post 2 and reading the manual I guess I do not get why I need a virtual outlet.
    Maybe I am missing something critical to how the computer reads the code. I am assuming that it is reading from the top down and looping back to the top. If that is wrong then stop reading here and let me know if my settings in the images will work. If the program reads like I said then In the physical outlet CO2_2.1 program Set Off should set the outlet off. The Time line sets the active Time and turns it on if it is in the time range. The pH line turns off the outlet if pH is less than 6.5. Then the 2 defer lines tells the program to wait 5 min before checking again. Although removing line 5 as I am proposing, would make me switch the order of defer lines to properly reset starting status of lines they are pointing at.

    I attach 3 images.
    Your Post 2 showing how it reads.
    The Virtual outlet programmed like post 2
    The physical outlet Programmed the same as before because it is exactly like Post 2
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Allexx46; 03-01-2019 at 23:40. Reason: adding images

  15. #15
    Frequent Contributor zombie's Avatar
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    You want to change 6:29 to 7:29 in the night outlet.

    Yes. The apex evaluates top to bottom and the last true line wins. VOs are basically how you create conditions using AND logic (if this is true AND that is true, then do this).

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

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