Someone help me out with apex

[Joeganja]

I recently purchased an apex and while I'm waiting to get it in the mail I want to know a few things:
1. How to set up a breakout box for cabinet light sensors (how to and what kind to get) and auto top off
2. What other things can I use for a breakout box?
3. Is an ORP probe worth it?
4. Anyone use the fish feeder? How is it?
5. What modules and probes would you guys recommend?



Here's what my system consists of:
Lighting:
•2x Aquaillumination Hydra 26s
Circulation Pumps:
•Ecotech Marine Mp10 Vortech
•Jabao RW-4
Filteration:
•Reef Octopus External Reccirculating Skimmer
•Eshopps Gen 3 R-100 Sump
Return Pump:
•Danner Mag-Drive 9.5
Heater:
•Hagen E-Series 300W
Dosing pump:
•Bubble magus BM-T01

 

[Waterjockey]

Hi!
1. You can use pretty much any kind of switches for cabinet lights you like. If easily available, magnetic switches used for things like alarm systems would be very easy to set up. The breakout box uses a common "ground" for all the switches, so you would simply put one wire from the switch to say, terminal 1 on the breakout box, the other to the ground terminal.
Programming can be as simple as "if sw1 open then on"

There are lots of examples of programming for an auto top off, mine goes like this :
Fallback off
Set off
If SmpHi open then off
If SmpNml closed then on
If SmpNml open then off
Defer 001:00 then on
Min Time 005:00 then off

2. I use my breakout box for sump high cutoff/alarm(two switches in series), sump normal/ato control, skimmer waste collection container hi alarm/skimmer shutdown, rodi resevoir low, ato resevoir low.

3. Unless you are using your apex to control ozone, I wouldn't bother with an orp probe. Calibration of the apex orp probe requires very expensive and hard to get quinhydrone powder (I found this out *after* I bought the probe)

4. I use the fish feeder as I am away from home alot. It's pretty much like any other automatic fish feeder I have used. It's noisy, but no batteries required :). Hooked to the apex it is nice, because you can program to shut sown return pumps/skimmer, change circ pump patterns etc for as long as you like, then fire the system back up to normal after feeding. Using the apex feeder saves you a programmable outlet because it runs off a usb type cable.

5. That, I think, you will have to figure out for youself as you get used to the apex system and what it can do :) Lots of "nice to haves", but not absolutly required stuff :). You can do a lot of automation with the apex if you want. I already would like to get an additional energy bar, and I haven't had my apex a full year yet :) I run the ph and temp probe it came with, and an orp probe because I run ozone.

Cheers!

 

[Joeganja]

Hi!
1. You can use pretty much any kind of switches for cabinet lights you like. If easily available, magnetic switches used for things like alarm systems would be very easy to set up. The breakout box uses a common "ground" for all the switches, so you would simply put one wire from the switch to say, terminal 1 on the breakout box, the other to the ground terminal.
Programming can be as simple as "if sw1 open then on"

There are lots of examples of programming for an auto top off, mine goes like this :
Fallback off
Set off
If SmpHi open then off
If SmpNml closed then on
If SmpNml open then off
Defer 001:00 then on
Min Time 005:00 then off

2. I use my breakout box for sump high cutoff/alarm(two switches in series), sump normal/ato control, skimmer waste collection container hi alarm/skimmer shutdown, rodi resevoir low, ato resevoir low.

3. Unless you are using your apex to control ozone, I wouldn't bother with an orp probe. Calibration of the apex orp probe requires very expensive and hard to get quinhydrone powder (I found this out *after* I bought the probe)

4. I use the fish feeder as I am away from home alot. It's pretty much like any other automatic fish feeder I have used. It's noisy, but no batteries required :). Hooked to the apex it is nice, because you can program to shut sown return pumps/skimmer, change circ pump patterns etc for as long as you like, then fire the system back up to normal after feeding. Using the apex feeder saves you a programmable outlet because it runs off a usb type cable.

5. That, I think, you will have to figure out for youself as you get used to the apex system and what it can do :) Lots of "nice to haves", but not absolutly required stuff :). You can do a lot of automation with the apex if you want. I already would like to get an additional energy bar, and I haven't had my apex a full year yet :) I run the ph and temp probe it came with, and an orp probe because I run ozone.

Cheers!

Oh okay so no point for ORP for me. How do you use the skimmer waste collection cup?

 

[Waterjockey]

Oh okay so no point for ORP for me. How do you use the skimmer waste collection cup?

I use the skimmer cup drain port with a hose to a 1/2 gallon jar (a clear glass food container like you would store rice or pasta in, with a lid). I drilled one hole in the lid for the drain hose, and a second hole for the float switch wires. If the skimmer suddenly starts filling the jug, the float switch will (a) shut down the skimmer, and (b) send me a text message warning me the jar is full. I can take a pic tomorrow morning if you want.

My code for the skimmer outlet looks like this :
Fallback On
Set On
If skimhi Open then Off
If Outlet Feedcycle = On then Off
Defer 010:00 then On
If FeedA 000 then Off
Defer 010:00 then On
If FeedD 000 then Off
Defer 045:00 then On

"Skimhi" is what I named the switch in the skimmer collection jug. There is a similar line in the alarms page that sends the text alarm if Skimhi Open.

Outlet Feedcycle is a virtual outlet I use to trigger stuff when the automatic feeder runs. In this case it shuts the skimmer off for 10 min, then restarts it.
FeedA is when I hand feed.
FeedD is when I add phyto or zooplankton...

I am thinking of adding a float switch in the skimmer cup itself as well, in case the drain hose gets plugged (as has happened 2x this past year). Would just give me extra piece of mind for when I travel...that's when crap usually likes to act up...when I am 500 miles from home :)

Cheers!