Before I ask, I want to give you the specs and equipment on my tank.
120 gallons, not drilled, with a DIY 55 gallon sump. Two years old. Everything is great with this tank. It is stable and my maintenance routine is easy. Daily I feed two or three times, and sometimes I need to scrub the glass. Weekly I do a full battery of tests with Red Sea and Salifert kits that I record on a spreadsheet on my laptop in the fish room so I can monitor trends. Every two weeks I do a 20 gallon water change, I clean the skimmer cup when it needs and I periodically check the dosing pump to make sure it is working. That's pretty much it. I did a ICP test recently only three parameters were off and not by much. So I am confident in stating that this tank is running well. I think that has more to do with luck than reefing skills on my part. And of course all the amazing help I get here.
Equipment list:
Octo Classic 202-S in sump skimmer
Hydrofill ATO
Current eFlux DC Flow Pump for the return
DT lights are 2 Red Sea ReefLED 90s that I control with my phone
Fuge light is a generic plant light I got from Lowe's
2 Hydor Koralia wave pumps 2450gph connected to a Hydor Wavemaker
1 Hydor pump less powerful on the back wall that runs continuously.
For temp control I found this Ketotek KT400 Temperature Controller online that hasn't failed me yet in a year and a half BUT I do remember reading the temp probe goes bad in salt water after a year. I clean it regularly but I am sure it won't last much longer.
One heater right now, 300W but I am going to buy a second heater for a backup. The one I had was giving off a charge in the water.
My Dosing pump is a Hygger 4 Head Dosing pump that doses calcium, alkalinity and magnesium. My potassium and iodine was low on the ICP test so I am going to start dosing for those when they come and I only have one head left on the doser so I probably need to get a second dosing pump.
I have been saving since the first of the year for an Apex and I have had the money for a few weeks now but I am reluctant to pull the trigger. Do I really need one or is the gear head in me being a devil on my shoulder? I am not much of a gear head anyway to be honest and this online connectivity stuff confuses me.
If I do get one, do I have to replace most or all of the equipment I currently have? Cause I will have to save more if I do that.
In two years we are planning a 6 week trip to Europe. I would feel better having a system I can control from anywhere. Is it really that reliable though?
What exactly is ORP monitoring and why do I need it? I tried looking it up but it still confuses me because I don't think I do that now and I haven't needed it yet.
Do you have to pay separately for the Trident testing thing? If I don't get the Trident is it even worth it for me to get the Apex at all?
120 gallons, not drilled, with a DIY 55 gallon sump. Two years old. Everything is great with this tank. It is stable and my maintenance routine is easy. Daily I feed two or three times, and sometimes I need to scrub the glass. Weekly I do a full battery of tests with Red Sea and Salifert kits that I record on a spreadsheet on my laptop in the fish room so I can monitor trends. Every two weeks I do a 20 gallon water change, I clean the skimmer cup when it needs and I periodically check the dosing pump to make sure it is working. That's pretty much it. I did a ICP test recently only three parameters were off and not by much. So I am confident in stating that this tank is running well. I think that has more to do with luck than reefing skills on my part. And of course all the amazing help I get here.
Equipment list:
Octo Classic 202-S in sump skimmer
Hydrofill ATO
Current eFlux DC Flow Pump for the return
DT lights are 2 Red Sea ReefLED 90s that I control with my phone
Fuge light is a generic plant light I got from Lowe's
2 Hydor Koralia wave pumps 2450gph connected to a Hydor Wavemaker
1 Hydor pump less powerful on the back wall that runs continuously.
For temp control I found this Ketotek KT400 Temperature Controller online that hasn't failed me yet in a year and a half BUT I do remember reading the temp probe goes bad in salt water after a year. I clean it regularly but I am sure it won't last much longer.
One heater right now, 300W but I am going to buy a second heater for a backup. The one I had was giving off a charge in the water.
My Dosing pump is a Hygger 4 Head Dosing pump that doses calcium, alkalinity and magnesium. My potassium and iodine was low on the ICP test so I am going to start dosing for those when they come and I only have one head left on the doser so I probably need to get a second dosing pump.
I have been saving since the first of the year for an Apex and I have had the money for a few weeks now but I am reluctant to pull the trigger. Do I really need one or is the gear head in me being a devil on my shoulder? I am not much of a gear head anyway to be honest and this online connectivity stuff confuses me.
If I do get one, do I have to replace most or all of the equipment I currently have? Cause I will have to save more if I do that.
In two years we are planning a 6 week trip to Europe. I would feel better having a system I can control from anywhere. Is it really that reliable though?
What exactly is ORP monitoring and why do I need it? I tried looking it up but it still confuses me because I don't think I do that now and I haven't needed it yet.
Do you have to pay separately for the Trident testing thing? If I don't get the Trident is it even worth it for me to get the Apex at all?