I regret deeply purchasing specific pieces of hardware for my reef tanks. I started a Saltwater aquarium just over a year ago and since then now have several tanks operating.
My first regret is the Neptune Apex Auto Top off kit V2.0
This is an absolute pile of overpriced rubbish! I got it because they advertised you can use it without an Apex controller. The issue is the alarm goes off for no apparent reason at non regular intervals (about 2 times per week). Once I pull the power and put it back in the beeping stops (and it doesnt stop until you do this). There is a reset on it which I have used and it will do the same thing. It seems to do it even more if you refill it. You cant see why the alarm is going off unless you have an Apex. It costs about 3 times as much as other Auto top off units and the product quality is equal or inferior to competitors products. It has been suggested that there is a firmware update for it - the catch being you need an Apex controller to do it.
My second regret is the Seneye Reef Sensor.
This unit requires a monthly fee to monitor ph and ammonia. My ph swings all the time and my house is well insulated due to large weather variations (hot in the summer, cold in the winter) and bringing in outside air to the tank is not an option. Monitoring ph and ammonia is arguably useless - ammonia once a tank is established should stay around 0 and ph has been suggested to be less important than stable dkH which this doesnt monitor. The water low sensor and temperature sensor are still usable but there are better options to use for this. Also, you need a windows computer to run it to get the cloud features or you can pay for an expensive wifi unit. The linux option doesnt seem to work well anymore and this product does not appear to be maintained by the manufacturer (software updates). The unit does come with a light sensor which can be useful but I have never used it.
My third regret is the Red Sea ReefWave 45.
The problems started when trying to connect to my wireless network. The interface on the app is absolute rubbish. I did end up having to buy an additional network wifi router to support the device even though I had plenty of signal. The physical controller it comes with is also not simple to use. With the buttons and knobs on the device it should have been really easy to use - clearly this was not tested on real people before they sold this. The device was always poor when it came to water movement and within 6 months the device has failed. I can see the propeller moving but there is no water movement at all. I have yet to contact support for this device but replaced it with an IceCap Gyre 4k at less than half the cost. The new device has far more power than the ReefWave ever did and although programming it was a bit quirky, it runs extremely well once setup.
My first regret is the Neptune Apex Auto Top off kit V2.0
This is an absolute pile of overpriced rubbish! I got it because they advertised you can use it without an Apex controller. The issue is the alarm goes off for no apparent reason at non regular intervals (about 2 times per week). Once I pull the power and put it back in the beeping stops (and it doesnt stop until you do this). There is a reset on it which I have used and it will do the same thing. It seems to do it even more if you refill it. You cant see why the alarm is going off unless you have an Apex. It costs about 3 times as much as other Auto top off units and the product quality is equal or inferior to competitors products. It has been suggested that there is a firmware update for it - the catch being you need an Apex controller to do it.
My second regret is the Seneye Reef Sensor.
This unit requires a monthly fee to monitor ph and ammonia. My ph swings all the time and my house is well insulated due to large weather variations (hot in the summer, cold in the winter) and bringing in outside air to the tank is not an option. Monitoring ph and ammonia is arguably useless - ammonia once a tank is established should stay around 0 and ph has been suggested to be less important than stable dkH which this doesnt monitor. The water low sensor and temperature sensor are still usable but there are better options to use for this. Also, you need a windows computer to run it to get the cloud features or you can pay for an expensive wifi unit. The linux option doesnt seem to work well anymore and this product does not appear to be maintained by the manufacturer (software updates). The unit does come with a light sensor which can be useful but I have never used it.
My third regret is the Red Sea ReefWave 45.
The problems started when trying to connect to my wireless network. The interface on the app is absolute rubbish. I did end up having to buy an additional network wifi router to support the device even though I had plenty of signal. The physical controller it comes with is also not simple to use. With the buttons and knobs on the device it should have been really easy to use - clearly this was not tested on real people before they sold this. The device was always poor when it came to water movement and within 6 months the device has failed. I can see the propeller moving but there is no water movement at all. I have yet to contact support for this device but replaced it with an IceCap Gyre 4k at less than half the cost. The new device has far more power than the ReefWave ever did and although programming it was a bit quirky, it runs extremely well once setup.
