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- Oct 7, 2019
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Hi everyone,
I have a tank to setup at some point. I’m uk based so some options might not be available here.
I have an alkatronic to run it and would like to have a controller.
I don’t want to spend loads of money initially though on this tank as I’m going to set it up from scratch again with dry rock etc so it won’t have any sps in for a while.
I like the look of hydros controllers but can’t see them coming to the uk for a while and not sure if their as programmable as the apex?
The next best option that could be picked up easily used to start me off would be an apex but I’m not sure which type would be best for me.
All I initially want It to do is turn a skimmer of and on in respect to ph level, alert of some issues like temperature and give me a ph reading and take alk readings from the alkatronic.
Is there an older apex that I can use for this and then upgrade to a newer version after a couple of years. What are the last 3 - 4 models of apex that have been released and if I went for an older model how long could I exspect it to be supported for and also what’s some common issues with the older/newer models as I heard of an issue with the power bars but can’t remember if it was an older power bar or newer model?
Future possibilities would be automatic water changes, using it to run a calcium reactor in respect to ph and adding other alert features to alert for leaks and flow etc.
The main features I’m after is the ph monitoring and turning skimmer on and off in respect to ph and then taking my all readings from the alkatronic.
I know it’s quite a debatable subject but I will be dosing kalkwasser and balancing my ph which is why I want to have a controller to make this easier.
I don’t like the look of Ghl because it seems to be about the same cost used as a used apex. I like the look of apex for being able to write my own code similar to an arduino as I will likely find this easier to be honest and just feel like their is more control.
But do I need the newest apex or even any of the higher end controllers to do what I want?
I’m not sure which apex is which and what is the difference with the older style energy bars compared to new?
Would I have issues just turning a skimmer on and off with the older energy bar? Could it be trusted to turn a manual dosing pump on and off for a calcium reactor?
If I go for apex what apex would be best/cheapest that I could use for a few years and then swap it all out for a newer model without having support issues?
I do use smart sockets on my current tank and like to use Alexa to turn my pumps off when I feed the tank so will keep doing that out of convinience unless I can somehow connect Alexa to apex or another controller.
I dont think I want the hassle of building my own controller with a raspberry pie or even using reef pi and wouldn’t like to wire any relays etc due to the fire/insurance risk so if I did use a diy raspberry pi option would prefer to use off the shelf smart plugs/sockets.
What’s everyone’s opinions on what would be the best fit and if their are other options I might not have looked into?
Thanks in advance
I have a tank to setup at some point. I’m uk based so some options might not be available here.
I have an alkatronic to run it and would like to have a controller.
I don’t want to spend loads of money initially though on this tank as I’m going to set it up from scratch again with dry rock etc so it won’t have any sps in for a while.
I like the look of hydros controllers but can’t see them coming to the uk for a while and not sure if their as programmable as the apex?
The next best option that could be picked up easily used to start me off would be an apex but I’m not sure which type would be best for me.
All I initially want It to do is turn a skimmer of and on in respect to ph level, alert of some issues like temperature and give me a ph reading and take alk readings from the alkatronic.
Is there an older apex that I can use for this and then upgrade to a newer version after a couple of years. What are the last 3 - 4 models of apex that have been released and if I went for an older model how long could I exspect it to be supported for and also what’s some common issues with the older/newer models as I heard of an issue with the power bars but can’t remember if it was an older power bar or newer model?
Future possibilities would be automatic water changes, using it to run a calcium reactor in respect to ph and adding other alert features to alert for leaks and flow etc.
The main features I’m after is the ph monitoring and turning skimmer on and off in respect to ph and then taking my all readings from the alkatronic.
I know it’s quite a debatable subject but I will be dosing kalkwasser and balancing my ph which is why I want to have a controller to make this easier.
I don’t like the look of Ghl because it seems to be about the same cost used as a used apex. I like the look of apex for being able to write my own code similar to an arduino as I will likely find this easier to be honest and just feel like their is more control.
But do I need the newest apex or even any of the higher end controllers to do what I want?
I’m not sure which apex is which and what is the difference with the older style energy bars compared to new?
Would I have issues just turning a skimmer on and off with the older energy bar? Could it be trusted to turn a manual dosing pump on and off for a calcium reactor?
If I go for apex what apex would be best/cheapest that I could use for a few years and then swap it all out for a newer model without having support issues?
I do use smart sockets on my current tank and like to use Alexa to turn my pumps off when I feed the tank so will keep doing that out of convinience unless I can somehow connect Alexa to apex or another controller.
I dont think I want the hassle of building my own controller with a raspberry pie or even using reef pi and wouldn’t like to wire any relays etc due to the fire/insurance risk so if I did use a diy raspberry pi option would prefer to use off the shelf smart plugs/sockets.
What’s everyone’s opinions on what would be the best fit and if their are other options I might not have looked into?
Thanks in advance