APEX/TRIDENT/DOS Is it as magical as everyone says??

[reefin_with_the_fam]

So I'm about to take the plunge finally and get the apex/trident/dos combo and just want to make sure its worth it before I shell out all the coin for such a big purchase. I'm definitely going to get an apex just for the monitoring and control, but I'm really wondering about the trident and automated dosing.

Long story short, I love reefing, but have a VERY VERY busy life, and dont get to spend as much time keeping up with my tank as I'd like. I'm hoping this will allow me to enjoy the hobby even more, and allow me to get alllllll the corals lol. I just don't seem to have the time anymore to test all the time, water changes(will probably automate this as well) etc.

So your experience with it is much appreciated in helping me make a nice dent in my wallet haha

 

[Sthomp01]

We have the apex/trident/dos combo and love it. our parameters are so much more stable now and I can see the nightly rhythm of the tank.

 

[Octane13]

Recently made the purchase myself... Initial impressions are a YES. I have used auto dosing for alk but it didnt change my dosing much, strangely it started dosing more at night. Also Neptune suggests you do not "auto dose" for at least a couple weeks of running
Edit: the dos is WAY more accurate then my jebao

 

[rsumner]

I've done this in the past before switching from 2part to a Calcium reactor. My suggestion: get your 2part recipe fairly accurate to start with and then add-on the Trident controlled dosing. It's great for handing slight variations in uptake, but doesn't do the initial math for you.

 

[HuduVudu]

Never forgot where the failure points are and what will happen if they fail.

I love technology and the boon for me in this hobby has been the advent of automation. I try to automate everything. But warning from the ATO's of yesteryear, be very very careful what you rely on for automation and I am not just talking about brands because they are less important in the big scheme of things. Make sure you have redundancy and backup. Know the failure points and plan accordingly.

Money does bring kewl new toys for sure and I think that the automated feedback is very awesome, but just know you were warned.

 

[ca1ore]

British science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke famously said that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic ..... so, yes. I guess you're right, apex/trident/dos IS magic.

 

[walloutlet]

So I'm about to take the plunge finally and get the apex/trident/dos combo and just want to make sure its worth it before I shell out all the coin for such a big purchase. I'm definitely going to get an apex just for the monitoring and control, but I'm really wondering about the trident and automated dosing.

Long story short, I love reefing, but have a VERY VERY busy life, and dont get to spend as much time keeping up with my tank as I'd like. I'm hoping this will allow me to enjoy the hobby even more, and allow me to get alllllll the corals lol. I just don't seem to have the time anymore to test all the time, water changes(will probably automate this as well) etc.

So your experience with it is much appreciated in helping me make a nice dent in my wallet haha

Definitely worth it... as mentioned above, the alerting and monitoring alone make it worth it. I know shelling a grand or more seems like a crazy amount but if it protects from a massive leak or worse a fire, not to mention just knowing that you are able to monitor and precisely manage the water quality for your tank inhabitants (which also cost thousands of dollars) you are probably saving money in the long run.

I usually have buyers remorse when I buy anything for my tank, as I’m sure I could invest the money in something more profitable. However, when I put the Apex (and later the Trident) in and setup, the remorse instantly vanished when I saw what it could do for me. Especially, with a busy live; Sleep, Work, Hockey, Repeat

Hope my experience helps in your decision.

Happy Reefing!