Basic Tunze ORCA Programming

[areefer01]

The Tunze app is complete junk. Such a frustrating experience.

It is not user friendly, that is for sure. I would encourage you to send feedback via Tunze web portal. I have reached out a couple of times now even though I get a common response of a single developer and huge backlog. I get it, I do, but at some point a company needs to add to that team for no other reason than managing RL emergencies. Backups play a larger role than just spreading out work.

 

[Reef Jedi]

Sorry to hear. I’ve had great results with it and find it quite easy to use

I was super impressed how well they made the app for the type of control this has.

 

[Davileet]

You guys must not have had to add additional pumps to more than one system. Any ideas on how to reset a pump that the app has lost sight of? Pump is running on stored memory and I can’t get the app to find it.

 

[areefer01]

You guys must not have had to add additional pumps to more than one system. Any ideas on how to reset a pump that the app has lost sight of? Pump is running on stored memory and I can’t get the app to find it.

Turn it off or unplug it.

 

[Davileet]

Turn it off or unplug it.

Nope, unplugged for an hour and it just started right up with saved settings. App isn’t picking it up when I go to add new device.

 

[Nor'easter Reefer]

Sorry to hear. I’ve had great results with it and find it quite easy to use

Ditto. Mines got different sectors with speed adjustments, several pauses, and plenty of flow adjustments. Hasn't skipped a beat once. My only gripe is i imported an icp result and they didnt test a couple parameters so they went in as a zero and my score dropped into the 50th percentile and now I feel like a loser lol

 

[Rocks reef]

Sorry to hijack this thread

@rvitko or anybody… any idea as to why my two Orcas randomly lose WiFi connection?

 

[exnisstech]

Sorry to hijack this thread

@rvitko or anybody… any idea as to why my two Orcas randomly lose WiFi connection?

No help on why but my two do it some times. Today I had the connection going in and out while I was in the app. I was making an adjustment then a message popped up saying lost connection then it disappeared and starting allowing adjustments again without existing the app. Sometimes the app won't open correctly and I'll have to try it several times before it will open. Maybe it's just me being old but I think there is way too much going on in the app and I'd love to have something nice and simple just to set the powerheads. But such is life today, everyone wants everything on one app because it's more conveinet untill the app doesn't work properly and then nothing can be controlled. I currently use 13 apps across all tanks and don't find it to be a problem as long as each does what it should but then again I'm not so pressed for time an extra 60 seconds wasted out of my day matters

 

[Rocks reef]

No help on why but my two do it some times. Today I had the connection going in and out while I was in the app. I was making an adjustment then a message popped up saying lost connection then it disappeared and starting allowing adjustments again without existing the app. Sometimes the app won't open correctly and I'll have to try it several times before it will open. Maybe it's just me being old but I think there is way too much going on in the app and I'd love to have something nice and simple just to set the powerheads. But such is life today, everyone wants everything on one app because it's more conveinet untill the app doesn't work properly and then nothing can be controlled. I currently use 13 apps across all tanks and don't find it to be a problem as long as each does what it should but then again I'm not so pressed for time an extra 60 seconds wasted out of my day matters

You’re not old my friend and I agree the app is not easy to work with.

 

[DmitryB]

Thanks that seemed to work when I went back to live view but then when I exit the app and come back it returns to occilate at a fixed 20% so the settings are not being stored. I appreciate your efforts but I really wish tunze had spent a little more time testing the app in the US market before releasing these units.

Yeah I've been trying to get my two Orcas set up with very mixed results. Trying to set up specific flow speeds in some sections and it's not sticking. Also have Chaos for daytime but want something calmer during off hours and it's not letting me program a second preset for more than one hour. The schedule is wide open but it says hours can't be assigned. That blue - can only be programmed for one hour. Makes no sense.

 

[exnisstech]

Yeah I've been trying to get my two Orcas set up with very mixed results. Trying to set up specific flow speeds in some sections and it's not sticking. Also have Chaos for daytime but want something calmer during off hours and it's not letting me program a second preset for more than one hour. The schedule is wide open but it says hours can't be assigned. That blue - can only be programmed for one hour. Makes no sense.

I tried to add some schedules yesterday and can only get one to stick. I love the pumps and oscillation but the app is making me feel like a moron. I mean I probably am but I don't like to have it rubbed in lol.

This is all I can come up with. When I try to add a program to the area that is oscillator it acts like it is accepting it but doesn't add it after I select the to apply and then exit.

I'm trying to add a chaotic cycle
PS. I have two orcas and both behave the same.

Roger @rvitko do you have any ideas. I know your not on vacation

 

[Nor'easter Reefer]

I tried to add some schedules yesterday and can only get one to stick. I love the pumps and oscillation but the app is making me feel like a moron. I mean I probably am but I don't like to have it rubbed in lol.

This is all I can come up with. When I try to add a program to the area that is oscillator it acts like it is accepting it but doesn't add it after I select the to apply and then exit.

I'm trying to add a chaotic cycle
PS. I have two orcas and both behave the same.

Roger @rvitko do you have any ideas. I know your not on vacation

I would be very interested in some clarification as I literally ordered a second one 30 minutes ago lol

 

[DmitryB]

Yeah I've been trying to get my two Orcas set up with very mixed results. Trying to set up specific flow speeds in some sections and it's not sticking. Also have Chaos for daytime but want something calmer during off hours and it's not letting me program a second preset for more than one hour. The schedule is wide open but it says hours can't be assigned. That blue - can only be programmed for one hour. Makes no sense.

I tried to add some schedules yesterday and can only get one to stick. I love the pumps and oscillation but the app is making me feel like a moron. I mean I probably am but I don't like to have it rubbed in lol.

This is all I can come up with. When I try to add a program to the area that is oscillator it acts like it is accepting it but doesn't add it after I select the to apply and then exit.

I'm trying to add a chaotic cycle
PS. I have two orcas and both behave the same.

Roger @rvitko do you have any ideas. I know your not on vacation

This is exactly what's happening to me. I can only add one program successfully. Otherwise it just oscillates.

 

[exnisstech]

I would be very interested in some clarification as I literally ordered a second one 30 minutes ago lol

I'm sure Roger will stop by when he has time. I was a bit of an early adopter and he has never failed to provide assistance.

 

[areefer01]

I tried to add some schedules yesterday and can only get one to stick. I love the pumps and oscillation but the app is making me feel like a moron. I mean I probably am but I don't like to have it rubbed in lol.

This is all I can come up with. When I try to add a program to the area that is oscillator it acts like it is accepting it but doesn't add it after I select the to apply and then exit.

I'm trying to add a chaotic cycle
PS. I have two orcas and both behave the same.

Roger @rvitko do you have any ideas. I know your not on vacation

It is a bit confusing in my opinion. I found that the Time control setting pane leads you to believe that it is Mother or the master scheduler but I don't think it is. I think the ORCA settings pane with Basics and Additional settings is Mother or the master scheduler.

Time control has a UI spot for the time window to run but often times when you click the green check mark up top it will throw an error to say there is a conflict or won't save and tell you why. There is no indicator that I've seen. I ran into a similar issue that you describe trying to utilize the various flow patterns throughout the day but never really got it to work.

I have 3 time allocations set now but they are all using Flow but with different speeds. Every time I try to add a different flow pattern it will save then nuke one of the previous saved. I then have to delete everything and start over. I've tried Chaotic, Turbulent, no dice. Save happens but it usually isn't there or deletes one of the previous ones. I do not have any ORCA sectors set.

I believe the Tunze ORCA app is wonky but will take some ownership that it is based on how I feel it should work vs how it does.

Edit: forgot to add that sometimes there is a delay after saving and switching areas in the app. I noted above that they disappear. Sometimes they disappear and I will see them after I exit the app and open it again. I've not figured that one out.

 

[DmitryB]

I tried to add some schedules yesterday and can only get one to stick. I love the pumps and oscillation but the app is making me feel like a moron. I mean I probably am but I don't like to have it rubbed in lol.

This is all I can come up with. When I try to add a program to the area that is oscillator it acts like it is accepting it but doesn't add it after I select the to apply and then exit.

I'm trying to add a chaotic cycle
PS. I have two orcas and both behave the same.

Roger @rvitko do you have any ideas. I know your not on vacation

It is a bit confusing in my opinion. I found that the Time control setting pane leads you to believe that it is Mother or the master scheduler but I don't think it is. I think the ORCA settings pane with Basics and Additional settings is Mother or the master scheduler.

Time control has a UI spot for the time window to run but often times when you click the green check mark up top it will throw an error to say there is a conflict or won't save and tell you why. There is no indicator that I've seen. I ran into a similar issue that you describe trying to utilize the various flow patterns throughout the day but never really got it to work.

I have 3 time allocations set now but they are all using Flow but with different speeds. Every time I try to add a different flow pattern it will save then nuke one of the previous saved. I then have to delete everything and start over. I've tried Chaotic, Turbulent, no dice. Save happens but it usually isn't there or deletes one of the previous ones. I do not have any ORCA sectors set.

I believe the Tunze ORCA app is wonky but will take some ownership that it is based on how I feel it should work vs how it does.

Just seems that scheduling different flows at different times of day should be pretty basic since it's part of pretty much every smart powerhead without difficulties.

Scheduling a sector also doesn't take. I want one spot for flow to decrease and it just does whatever it wants.

 

[exnisstech]

Just seems that scheduling different flows at different times of day should be pretty basic since it's part of pretty much every smart powerhead without difficulties.

Scheduling a sector also doesn't take. I want one spot for flow to decrease and it just does whatever it wants.

I'm trying to set up a nice calm night cycle with a high flow day cycle but can't figure out now to get two 12 hr cycles of my choice to stick. I can only get one and am left with whatever the app wants me to have for the remainder. The app feels like it was designed for tech savy folks not people like myself.

PS. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who is struggling.

 

[DmitryB]

Just seems that scheduling different flows at different times of day should be pretty basic since it's part of pretty much every smart powerhead without difficulties.

Scheduling a sector also doesn't take. I want one spot for flow to decrease and it just does whatever it wants.

I'm trying to set up a nice calm night cycle with a high flow day cycle but can't figure out now to get two 12 hr cycles of my choice to stick. I can only get one and am left with whatever the app wants me to have for the remainder. The app feels like it was designed for tech savy folks not people like myself.

PS. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who is struggling.

Ding ding ding! Exactly what I want and it's not working.

 

[DmitryB]

Just seems that scheduling different flows at different times of day should be pretty basic since it's part of pretty much every smart powerhead without difficulties.

Scheduling a sector also doesn't take. I want one spot for flow to decrease and it just does whatever it wants.

I'm trying to set up a nice calm night cycle with a high flow day cycle but can't figure out now to get two 12 hr cycles of my choice to stick. I can only get one and am left with whatever the app wants me to have for the remainder. The app feels like it was designed for tech savy folks not people like myself.

PS. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who is struggling.

Ding ding ding! Exactly what I want and it's not working.

Also funny I just got notification that one of two Orcas is off line and has been since 3:00pm. Can't establish contact. (I'm at work. Turned power to it on and off (remotely) hoping it resets, no luck.) the other Orca is online.

 

[exnisstech]

Also funny I just got notification that one of two Orcas is off line and has been since 3:00pm. Can't establish contact. (I'm at work. Turned power to it on and off (remotely) hoping it resets, no luck.) the other Orca is online.

I get that on occasion and have since I added mine. I'm home and I can see the orca is running so I ignore it and eventually it reconnects. I don't know if it's an app, orca, server issue or what. It's not a big deal for me but its impossible to make changes while it's off line. There's definitely some issues that need figured out.