Apex and AI Prime HDs

Bill_Moorman · Jul 5, 2018

Hello friends!

I am setting up my new apex and am about to move my lights to the EB. Since they are not able to be controlled by the apex, I am thinking that I can just set the control type to always so that they can run their own schedule.

How can I write the code to allow the controller to shut them down if temp gets too high?

Would this work:

Fallback OFF
Set Off
If Time 00:00 to 24:00 Then ON
If Tmp > 81.0 Then Off
Min Time 005:00 Then On (will this give the LEDs a five minute cool down period before turning back on?)

Thanks in advance!

Flexin · Jul 5, 2018

I would not use the Apex to turn them on and off. If you can, kindly let me know the following:

Is your tank running hot already?
What temp do you keep the room at?
What other equipment do you have in the sump?
What types of power heads and how many?
Is the return pump not DC?
Do you have a UV light, that adds heat also.

I would turn some of these other items off first before turning the lights off.

Bill_Moorman · Jul 5, 2018

Flexin said:
I would not use the Apex to turn them on and off. If you can, kindly let me know the following:

Is your tank running hot already? Not at all. Very stable.

What temp do you keep the room at? 77 on the thermostat with AC, all day and night.

What other equipment do you have in the sump? Sicce synchro 3 return pump, AquaC Urchin Skimmer

What types of power heads and how many? Tunze Turbelle and Koralia 240 (one of each)

Is the return pump not DC? Not sure.

Do you have a UV light, that adds heat also. No UV sterilizer.

I would turn some of these other items off first before turning the lights off.

See above! Thanks for replying! In short, I have zero temp problems. Just want to keep it that way.

I am also adding a fan that I’ll have turn on at 80 degrees and set the heater to 78, controlled by the apex.

I am in the process of moving things to the Apex, so I am sure I’ll have more questions.

Flexin · Jul 5, 2018

Consider not using your plugs on the apex for the AI Primes. Just use their software and app. This will also free up two plugs to allow more stuff

If you have a heat problem, consider a solution at that time, but the lights would be the last thing I would set to turn off (being LED). You can also raise them, if possible, from the water level.

If the return pump is adjustable via a control, it may be DC. If it's not adjustable (excluding a ball valve) then it's most likely not. They can run a bit warmer than a DC pump. If you have a refugium, I would have that light turn off first. For this light (and any others if connected) the easy programming allows a shut off value so it writes the code for you if you select LIGHT. The code should look like this if you select advanced :

Fallback ON
Set ON
If Tmp > 81.0 Then OFF

Bill_Moorman · Jul 5, 2018

Since the low potential of the lights warming the tank, I think you’re right; I’ll keep them off the apex and let them control themselves.

Thanks for the quick reply!

tiggs · Jul 5, 2018

Just to add-on to this, Apex is actually beta testing native AI wifi connectivity as we speak. So in the near future, you'll be able to wirelessly control your lights with your Apex without any additional modules. This is for the regular AI Prime and all HD series AI lights.

Bill_Moorman · Jul 5, 2018

tiggs said:
Just to add-on to this, Apex is actually beta testing native AI wifi connectivity as we speak. So in the near future, you'll be able to wirelessly control your lights with your Apex without any additional modules. This is for the regular AI Prime and all HD series AI lights.

Oh man this is wonderful news! I am excited for that day!

One more question:

Fallback is the failsafe, as in if the EB and the brain don’t talk, whatever you have as the fallback is what happens.

Set is ? I have read a ton and don’t understand what set is for.

tiggs · Jul 5, 2018

set = the default state of the outlet
fallback = the state of the outlet for emergency situations where EB can't talk to brain

Bill_Moorman · Jul 5, 2018

So for my return pump, I want it on 24/7, except when feeding. In that case I want it to automatically turn back on in 20 minutes Therefore:

Fallback On
If FeedA 020 Then Off

Is that right?

tiggs · Jul 5, 2018

Set On
Fallback On
If FeedA 020 Then Off

Keep in mind, this 20 minutes is in addition to your feed A time. So if you left feed A at the default of 5 minutes, this would keep the return pump off for a total of 25 minutes.

Bill_Moorman · Jul 6, 2018

Thanks so much for the help. Now here is the big one:

Will you please let me know if this is good to go:

Tunze- Outlet 1
Fallback ON
Set ON
If FeedA 015 Then OFF
If FeedB 015 Then OFF

This is a powerhead. I want it on 24/7, unless either feed modes are engaged. I want the pump to shut of in those cases for 20 minutes, and then turn back on.

Koralia-Outlet 2
Same as above.

Return Pump- Outlet 3
Fallback ON
Set ON
If FeedA 015 Then OFF
If FeedB 015 Then OFF

This is my sump return pump. I want it on 24/7, unless either feed modes are engaged. I want the pump to shut off in those cases for 20 minutes, and then turn back on.

Heater- Outlet 4
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Tmp < 77.1 Then ON
If Tmp > 77.9 Then OFF
If Tmp < 75.0 Then OFF

I want it to be off if the head unit isn't connected to the energy bar, to turn on at 77, off at 78. The last line is my failsafe, should the probe stop working, I want the temp off.

Skimmer- Outlet 5
Fallback ON
Set ON
If FeedB 015 Then OFF

I want it on 24/7, unless feed mode b is engaged. Then I want it to turn back on 20 minutes later.

Refuge Light-Outlet 7
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Time 21:00 to 08:00 Then ON
If Tmp > 80.0 Then OFF

I want the light to be off if the head unit is disconnected, and to only come on between 9pm and 8am. If the temp gets above 80, I want it to turn off, and then back on if it goes below 80.

Fan- Outlet 8
Fallback OFF
If Tmp > 80.0 Then ON
If Tmp < 79.0 Then OFF

I want the fan to be off if the head unit is disconnected, and I want the fan to turn on in the sump if temp gets to 80, and off at 79.

I think I got it right, but I am not sure yet.

Thanks again @tiggs!

Bill_Moorman · Jul 6, 2018

tiggs · Jul 6, 2018

Outlets 1, 2, 3, and 5 are correct. For outlet 7, I believe Apex code has a hard time continuing through midnight. For example, I'm pretty sure you have to do something like this..

Refuge Light-Outlet 7
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Time 21:00 to 23:59 Then ON
If Time 00:00 to 08:00 Then ON
If Tmp > 80.0 Then OFF

I'm not 100% sure on this, but many of the pre-canned Apex templates split it up this way, so I've always followed the same pattern.

For Outlet 8, I'd add a set command. So..

Fan- Outlet 8
Set OFF
Fallback OFF
If Tmp > 80.0 Then ON
If Tmp < 79.0 Then OFF

For outlet 4, that should be fine, assuming either your Apex temperature probe is calibrated exactly with your heater's probe or if you're simply turning the heater temperature all the way up and letting the Apex handle temperature control. Personally, I do my heater control a bit different and primarily use my heater's probe to determine when to heat the water, so my Apex is only used for redundancy in my case. So my outlet code looks like this..

Tiggs_Heater
Fallback ON
Set ON
If Tmp > 78.5 Then OFF
If Tmp < 75.5 Then OFF

And my heater is set to 78 degrees and maintains 77.9 - 78.2 throughout the day, so my Apex is only acting as a fail safe in my use. As they say, more than one way to skin a cat. Yours is fine though.