Apex Differences

[ndz98]

I am looking to get a used apex some time soon but I am not sure the difference between the black label and orange label that I see people put all the time. Thanks for the help!

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

I am looking to get a used apex some time soon but I am not sure the difference between the black label and orange label that I see people put all the time. Thanks for the help!

The orange label is newer. Not sure what other differences there might be.

 

[Bob Escher]

There are differences. But yes the orange is the newest, the black is now called Classic
The big differences are that "brain" is slimmer, has several functions built in that were not before ( wireless is one) the EB8's which are your outlets can now tell you ( I believe) what each individual outlet is using in Amps or maybe even wattage.
I guess it depends how in depth do you want to get.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Also, (as I understand it) all of the orange components are backwards compatible (meaning the orange brain can control the black accessories), but the black brain is not necessarily able to control the orange components (some yes, but some no). Right?

 

[Bob Escher]

Yes I believe so but the back brain cannot control any of the Orange except maybe a module I would call Neptune to make sure

 

[MTWiley]

The "classic" term applies to both the old black label classic and the orange label classic. The 2016 is the newest version and has salinity and wifi built in and also is compatible with the new EB832. As of right now all of the modules except the new EB832 are compatible with both the classic and 2016, the only exception is the EB832 which offers per socket power consumption monitoring vs the original EB8s which only offered combined power monitoring for all the outlets on that EB8.

 

[ndz98]

Okay it's all so much clearer now! Thanks for the help!

 

[ndz98]

One more question, in the first link, do you need to buy the apex base unit controller sepearate or will it work without? In the second link I see they include it but I'm not sure what it does exactly.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/apex-jr-controller-neptune-systems.html

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/apex-controller-with-lab-probe-neptune-systems.html

 

[Drauka99]

In the first link the "brain" is in the 4 plug outlet box. That is the JR. It is limited in the number of addons/modules that can be used at one time. Otherwise it is the same as a Classic. The Jr. is mostly for people who want to control a few heaters and maybe a fan with their Apex.

The second link is what most call the "Full Apex" and "Classic Apex" it has 97% of the features of the newest released Apex only limited by the features mentioned in MTWiley's post

 

[ndz98]

In the first link the "brain" is in the 4 plug outlet box. That is the JR. It is limited in the number of addons/modules that can be used at one time. Otherwise it is the same as a Classic. The Jr. is mostly for people who want to control a few heaters and maybe a fan with their Apex.

The second link is what most call the "Full Apex" and "Classic Apex" it has 97% of the features of the newest released Apex only limited by the features mentioned in MTWiley's post

So if I wanted to hook up a heater, skimmer, and two circulation pumps to the jr, it could handle that. But what if I wanted to add on some other things, could I buy an eb8 to add to the available controllable outlets? Also if I got two hydra 26, would I just plug them in and then connect them wirelessly to the jr or do I need an add on pure to hook them up wirelessly?

 

[Drauka99]

yes you could add another EB8. For the Hydras you would need another module as well for them to be controlled through the Apex (this would be the same with any of the 3 options). Also to be remembered the Apex Jr and Apex Classic do not have a wireless chip so for you to use Fusion or access the Apex through the network you will need to either run a Ethernet cable to the unit or add on a wireless gaming adapter (the Ethernet cable is preferred)

Once you start wanting to control everything through the Apex you will quickly find yourself limitted by the JR. if you are sure what you have listed is all you want to control then the JR is a good buy for you.

On the flip side my tank has 3 eb8s, and a few more modules running it and I keep thinking about adding more.

 

[Breadman03]

I would avoid the Jr. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, but it is missing what I consider a key feature: the ability to use a breakout box. That is what allows us to set up a topoff with the Apex.

 

[ndz98]

I would avoid the Jr. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, but it is missing what I consider a key feature: the ability to use a breakout box. That is what allows us to set up a topoff with the Apex.

I didn't even think of my ato. So I couldn't use my ato in conjunction with the jr?

 

[Breadman03]

I didn't even think of my ato. So I couldn't use my ato in conjunction with the jr?

Well, you couldn't control the ATO with the Apex other than powering it in or off.

The breakout box is an interface that allows he Apex to monitor whether or not a circuit is open or closed, and that is how people control their topoff. They use a pair (or more) of float switches so that one can control the operating level and another acts as an emergency shutoff. One can also use switches on cabinet doors or floats in skimmer cups to prevent skimmer overflow.