Neptune Apex worth it??

[justmee]

Is the Neptune Apex really worth the $800? I know it has all the bells and whistles, but how do you guys justify on forking over the 8 bills? That cost more than my round trip plane ticket to Hawaii. Maybe I’m just frugal. I understand many benefits for commercial use but I can’t think of how it can benefit a regular hobbiest like me.

I’m currently using a Digital Aquatics controller, and I even thought it was pricy but okay when I bought for around 3 bills a couple years back, and the only benefits to me are the temperature control, and pH probe, and maybe setting start/stop time for equipments.

I think $300-$400 is okay, but $800 is just a bit too much. What do you guys think?

 

[ACF930]

It has saved my tank from crashing 2x so far since I got it 4 months ago, so I would say yes.

 

[Meat locker]

I was in the same boat. I have the reef keeper lite and was disappointed finding out DA went under after my break from the hobby. I have mine up and it still works. It seems like so much modern equipment has wifi or it's own program ability. I was tossing around the thought of grabbing one, but I dont think it will. My rkl is only really controlling my back up heater, and my sump lite.

 

[Rakie]

Personally I would say no, it does little to nothing that's necessary.

All mine does is be a pH controller for my Calcium Reactor (which many standalone units can do easily), and make a pretty graph of my testing entries. I don't use it for ANYTHING else. I could turn off my pumps by flipping a switch, which is faster and easier than logging into apex on my computer (my moto will NOT play nice with Neptune App).

TLDR; It doesn't do anything you couldn't do with other products that cost nearly nothing by comparison.

 

[SPR1968]

It gives me the piece of mine especially when I’m away that the tank is ok and also allows me to controls certain pieces of equipment both manually and automatically in the event of certain things happening

I ran for 12 months until I purchased Apex and I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase it again. It doesn’t control everything in my system, pumps for example are on a separate circuit as they should always be on. I’ve avoided creating a single point of failure with Apex.

Apex combined with a HD Camera is essential if you travel and want the piece of mind while your away, rather than wondering what may be happening

It’s not cheap, and yes you don’t need to have it to run a successful tank, it’s your money and your choice.

 

[ChaseBurke]

I say yes its worth it. Having Notifications the second something goes out like a heater or return pump is invaluable IMO. Its also nice to open my phone and shut something off when needed like your skimmer. Go with the El version, a lot cheaper.

 

[Rakie]

Apex combined with a HD Camera is essential if you travel and want the piece of mind while your away, rather than wondering what may be happening

I would say this is probably the best reason to get one -- People who travel a lot, especially for business, would appreciate one for the piece of mind. I'm a student, I don't go anywhere so that doesn't matter for me as of now lol

 

[Meat locker]

All boils down to $$$... I just restarted my tank and I had the rkl that still worked after 5 years. Adding another 800 to a 4000 tank is quite a bit for me. I'm good for now, but I would love to have an Apex! 800 isnt worth it to me after a 4k hit. Sure, maybe after my buyers remorse is gone I'll drop another 800.... or 800 in coral. Tough decision...

 

[JDtimk]

I had the RKL for 10 yrs or so and just got the apex a few months ago. I bought the Apex EL, but I also bought another powerbar, ATO module and pm1 module, so I didn't exactly save money over the Apex full package.
The remote monitoring ability with apex fusion saved my tank from a disaster. I was at work about 30 minutes away and got an email notification from the fusion app that the pH in my calcium reactor had risen very high all of a sudden. The ATO high and low optical sensors were open which meant the container was emptied relatively quickly.
I drove home and found a tube had come off of my calcium reactor and it was pumping water all over the floor. I was able to limit the water loss to about a tenth of the system volume instead of a total loss of water in the tank.
That potential loss of coral and fish would have probably set me back a couple of thousand dollars and may have driven me out of the hobby for a few months while I contemplated why I put myself through something like this lol.
I actually lost my whole tank of sps about 8 years ago when a circuit tripped and shut off the circulation, chiller, etc. but left the lights on to bake the tank over the course of the 8 or so hours our family was gone for the day. I had the RKL at the time and no way of knowing what was happening to the tank until I walked in that night and saw a tank full of bleached white sps.
Two very different scenarios only difference was remote monitoring available through the fusion app.
So I definitely see the value even if you just use it to save your tank once every five years lol.

 

[clipperking]

Peace of mind it's worth it, if you lose your tank that's 1000s, it could have been prevented that's priceless.

 

[justmee]

Thanks for everyones inputs!

 

[TideNumOne]

It has saved my tank from crashing 2x so far since I got it 4 months ago, so I would say yes.

I am toying with the same question. There is a good example below of how it saved one persons tank..do you mind telling us how it helped you?

 

[mtraylor]

Its all in the eye of the beholder as to worth. So you will have to figure out if the benefits it may offer are worth the money over what u have. Do your research as its a big investment.

 

[ACTreef]

Is the Neptune Apex really worth the $800? I know it has all the bells and whistles, but how do you guys justify on forking over the 8 bills? That cost more than my round trip plane ticket to Hawaii. Maybe I’m just frugal. I understand many benefits for commercial use but I can’t think of how it can benefit a regular hobbiest like me.

I’m currently using a Digital Aquatics controller, and I even thought it was pricy but okay when I bought for around 3 bills a couple years back, and the only benefits to me are the temperature control, and pH probe, and maybe setting start/stop time for equipments.

I think $300-$400 is okay, but $800 is just a bit too much. What do you guys think?[/QUOTE


I have bought Apex (new one) it helps a lot, easy to manage than a controller for everything in your tank. but the quality - built - I DO NOT KNOW! after a year and a half my apex Bar is already crapping out. I can't imagine paying $250 every year and a half. I have addressed this with Neptune and ALL THEY CAN SAY IS "WELL WARRANTY IS ONLY UP TO ONE YEAR" - that really sucks for such an expensive equipment you'd think they stand by their products. Now I'm NOT asking a forever warranty but less than 2 years ?!!! Maybe if it had a 3 year warranty - I guess it shows if you care about your products and stand by them you'd do that. Not in this case...

 

[ca1ore]

Apex can be a useful tool, but not as a band aid for a poorly designed tank. I’ve had two tank crashes in 30 years. Apex would have caught and mitigated one but not the other. If you’re ‘catching’ crashes every couple of months you’d be better served by rethinking the tank. Used apex classic units can be had for under $500, so that’s an option.

 

[ca1ore]

Apex can be a useful tool, but not as a band aid for a poorly designed tank. I’ve had two tank crashes in 30 years. Apex would have caught and mitigated one but not the other. If you’re ‘catching’ crashes every couple of months you’d be better served by rethinking the tank. Used apex classic units can be had for under $500, so that’s an option.

 

[jt17]

If you can afford to spend the money than I say it is worth it. If the $800 is a strain on your budget then it’s not.
Personally I would never run another reef tank without an Apex as it’s saved my tank several times. The equipment we use are the life support systems our inhabitants rely upon yet it’s still only hobbyist grade. We know every piece of equipment we add to our tank will eventually fail. With very piece of equipment we add we ask what happens when this pump or heater or ato etc... fails. Apex can be programmed to shut things off when something fails and it will tell you.
Nothing ever fails when we are sitting in front of the tank. It’s usually at the most inopportune time. Apex let’s you take action when your not there.

 

[Rockhead]

Well I’ve have been looking as well to control my cal reactor and heater, I do have a pinpoint controller now which is doing the jog but would like to have a redundant back up plan if for some reason the co2 doesn’t shut of the other PH probe would notice the drop in PH and turn it off. And would like to add another heater for the same reason.
So now they have a kit for $499 that may get me to buy. Kicking it around maybe what for a big sale and see if I could save another $50[emoji51]

 

[mtraylor]

There are not many sales on apex. Go with live aquaria or brs. You wil l.j get bqck about 50 bucks in cert right now. If you are running calc reactoe you should have a controller imo

 

[ACTreef]

The durability of the equipment is what I questioned, for the energy bar to break/fail in less than 2 years that’s BS ...

 

[justmee]

I just read Neptune had a AWS server crash the day before yesterday. Question to people who owns the Apex, with their server crash, does the temperature control stops regulating the heater? And renders the Apex unit unless?