Just got an Apex for Christmas. What add-ons should I look into?

[Perpetual Novice]

I am unbelievably excited about my new aquarium controller. I want to use it to take my 75 gallon mixed reef to a whole new level of growth and stability. But I may have bitten off more than I can chew (or rather my extremely caring and generous relatives may have overestimated my expertise). For example. I have a ORP probe but don’t know exactly how to interpret it. What’s ORP vs alkalinity since apex seems to sell sensors for both. Also what should I do with this knowledge? I don’t have a doser. Should I make that my first add on? Maybe an auto tip off? Or is it more important to get the water data than it is to automate maintenance and I should save up for a trident or something? My head is swimming I’m so excited.

What are the most worthwhile add-ons apex sells? And of those. Which can be substituted for off brand alternatives?

 

[Sleepydoc]

To be honest, reading your post I would say 'get nothing.'

What kind of system do you have? Do you have any sort of automation for it currently (ATO, heater controller, etc?) THere's a ton that you can do with a controller but it really depends what you need and want it to do. Start of with the basics - set it to control your lights and your heaters so you can get your feet wet with the programming. Take some time to get familiar with it before you go jumping in and spending money on accessories you may or may not need.

Just for some ideas, here's what mine does:

• ORP - I basically ignore
• pH probe - use it as an alarm that something is amiss but I don't track it religiously
• Salinity - very fussy and susceptible to interference
• Temp - use it to control my heaters (duh!), using the thermostat on the heaters as a backup (set the heater thermostat a degree or two higher than the apex)
• ATO - I have an ATK but you can use a Tunze or something else
• Controls lights
• Skimmer - I have a float sensor in the skimmer collection reservoir that will shut off the skimmer. I also have an optical sensor in the sump to shut off the skimmer if the sump level rises
• Control dosing pumps - I just have the BRS dosing pumps. They work fine for me
• Sump lights - I got some 24V LED strips and plugged them into a DC 24 outlet on the EB832. I have a magnetic switch for the door hooked up to the breakout box that will turn on the sump lights when I open the door
• Feed modes - I use one for feeding that drops the return pump speed down so it's just enough to prevent water flowing back into the sump. I use another one for water changes and another as a slow ramp up as I'm filling the sump with new salt water to prevent so much splashing in the display
• I have an optical sensor in the ATO reservoir to alert me when it's low
• I have a wet floor sensor in the floor of the stand next to the sump to alert me about any leaks
• If it gets too warm in the summer I have it set to turn on some 24V computer fans that are hooked into a DC24 outlet. If the temp rises more one of the lights will turn off.

like I said, start slow. Lean how to use it and add features one at a time and remember, as nice as a controller can be, a poorly or improperly programmed controller can be a disaster!

@Suncrest reef made a nice series of tutorial posts that you should read as well. I can't find the link to them but maybe s/he can chime in

 

[Perpetual Novice]

To be honest, reading your post I would say 'get nothing.'

What kind of system do you have? Do you have any sort of automation for it currently (ATO, heater controller, etc?) THere's a ton that you can do with a controller but it really depends what you need and want it to do. Start of with the basics - set it to control your lights and your heaters so you can get your feet wet with the programming. Take some time to get familiar with it before you go jumping in and spending money on accessories you may or may not need.

Just for some ideas, here's what mine does:

• ORP - I basically ignore
• pH probe - use it as an alarm that something is amiss but I don't track it religiously
• Salinity - very fussy and susceptible to interference
• Temp - use it to control my heaters (duh!), using the thermostat on the heaters as a backup (set the heater thermostat a degree or two higher than the apex)
• ATO - I have an ATK but you can use a Tunze or something else
• Controls lights
• Skimmer - I have a float sensor in the skimmer collection reservoir that will shut off the skimmer. I also have an optical sensor in the sump to shut off the skimmer if the sump level rises
• Control dosing pumps - I just have the BRS dosing pumps. They work fine for me
• Sump lights - I got some 24V LED strips and plugged them into a DC 24 outlet on the EB832. I have a magnetic switch for the door hooked up to the breakout box that will turn on the sump lights when I open the door
• Feed modes - I use one for feeding that drops the return pump speed down so it's just enough to prevent water flowing back into the sump. I use another one for water changes and another as a slow ramp up as I'm filling the sump with new salt water to prevent so much splashing in the display
• I have an optical sensor in the ATO reservoir to alert me when it's low
• I have a wet floor sensor in the floor of the stand next to the sump to alert me about any leaks
• If it gets too warm in the summer I have it set to turn on some 24V computer fans that are hooked into a DC24 outlet. If the temp rises more one of the lights will turn off.

like I said, start slow. Lean how to use it and add features one at a time and remember, as nice as a controller can be, a poorly or improperly programmed controller can be a disaster!

@Suncrest reef made a nice series of tutorial posts that you should read as well. I can't find the link to them but maybe s/he can chime in

I had an auto top off before which failed. the sensors appeared to stop working but at least it failed off. I have lights and IceCap gyre pumps that each came with their own controller so I'm not sure if it's necessary to integrate them/ how that would work. I don't have a sump. I have been relying on a huge amount of live rock and substrate as well as a canister filter for filtration. I have two HOB protein skimmers that work great since I don't have a sump. In fact, I hang filter socks with carbon and sometimes phosphate absorbing media from the outlets of the skimmers since I don't have any other good place ahahah. But I'm not sure what a controller could do for them because they work just as well regardless of the water level or how dirty the water is. I live in a more temperate area and use LED lights so cooling the tank has never been necessary.

How would I integrate the heaters with the apex since they are analog?
also, can I program a dosing pump to dose two-part and magnesium with only the information from the probes I have? or do I need more information like phosphate level and alkalinity if I want to automate a doser?

I know the apex is an amazing tool but right now I'm not sure how to extract its full potential other than serving as an alarm system for PH and Temp and a backup for power outages.