What Apex Will I need ?

[427HISS]

I know nothing about the Apex's, but this renew of mine into reefing, I'm thinking about safeguards and certain controls incase I'm down because of my health or out of the house overnight to a max of 2 days. I'm not,....looking into full automated control via computer, just the majors. I don't have a SPS tank and use high teck products, but it will be a 93g rimless mixed reef.

Cost is a big deal, so a new Apex or even a couple of years or a few years old will be reach. The Jr. has a good price of around $150, but that's getting pretty old as I found.

 

[BryanM]

I don't know the answer, but I will offer this... Their product offering is stagnant. Hydros is still developing products. Neptune is not the only game in town.

 

[vandy]

You should be more descriptive about exactly what you want covered while you're out of town. Push notifications, controllable outlets, level sensors?

Hydros definitely is more user friendly for less "tech" people than apex. No messing with coding, more intuitive UI, etc.

 

[rtparty]

Apex Jr is the cheapest way into Neptune but you won't have any outlet control unless you get an EB832.

The best bang for your buck with Hydros to start is the Launch.

As someone who has used both and been pretty heavily invested into both, Hydros is NOT easier to setup. Their app is not clear at all on what does what. The TASKS from Neptune make it way easier to set things up IMO.

Neither are necessary though so it really depends what you WANT it to do

 

[areefer01]

I don't know the answer, but I will offer this... Their product offering is stagnant. Hydros is still developing products. Neptune is not the only game in town.

True. But they specifically inquired about Apex. Just because a brand is releasing various versions of a controller does not equate to innovation. I mean, Maven anyone?

Neptune and GHL have been pretty consistent. Hydros is there, sure. Red Sea getting into the mix. Tunze will not be too far behind based on what we see of the app today.

Options are out there. The question that was asked but the OP didn't address with their opening statement is what is it that they want in a controller and what is their budget.

Most of us know a controller is not necessary or needed to be successful.

 

[vandy]

Apex Jr is the cheapest way into Neptune but you won't have any outlet control unless you get an EB832.

The best bang for your buck with Hydros to start is the Launch.

As someone who has used both and been pretty heavily invested into both, Hydros is NOT easier to setup. Their app is not clear at all on what does what. The TASKS from Neptune make it way easier to set things up IMO.

Neither are necessary though so it really depends what you WANT it to do

The app might not have built in instructions like apex, but the hydros manual on the website pretty much covers everything

 

[BryanM]

Apex Jr is the cheapest way into Neptune but you won't have any outlet control unless you get an EB832.

The best bang for your buck with Hydros to start is the Launch.

As someone who has used both and been pretty heavily invested into both, Hydros is NOT easier to setup. Their app is not clear at all on what does what. The TASKS from Neptune make it way easier to set things up IMO.

Neither are necessary though so it really depends what you WANT it to do

I would agree, while Hyrdos boasts about no programming, it still is not intuitive... But I believe it to be a better platform.

Example: I added my Waveenginev2 to the collective, did not realize for 4 days that I needed to create new outputs for the wavemakers. Things kinda stay "hidden", and I certainly was unaware that the WaveEngine would come in with a blank config when added to the collective.

 

[427HISS]

I know nothing about the Apex's, but this renew of mine into reefing, I'm thinking about safeguards and certain controls incase I'm down because of my health or out of the house overnight to a max of 2 days. I'm not,....looking into full automated control via computer, just the majors. I don't have a SPS tank and use High Teck products, but it will be a 93g rimless mixed reef.

Cost is a big deal, so a new Apex or even a couple of years or a few years old will be reach. The Jr. has a good price of around $150, I'm a simple but that's getting pretty old as I found.

I'm a simple man with a simple brain, lol, so I need a simple controller. Especially after a stroke then 10 days later, a second stroke, so I get confused ect.

Maybe to control the lights.
Evaporation water.
Power heads/water flow.
Heaters.

Having alarms to alert me, like a heater may be stuck and rising or is turned off.
Water leaks.

Feel free to add more....

 

[427HISS]

Help me outline what I would need and cost.

CoralVue HYDROS - Aquarium Controller

The easy-to-use, no coding, and intuitive aquarium controller, allows you to control and monitor your aquarium from anywhere in the world.

www.coralvuehydros.com

 

[Reefin' Steve]

Help me outline what I would need and cost.

If you don’t want auto water testing (alkalinity, nitrate, phosphate, etc) hydros is great. As someone mentioned above the maven is like 2 years coming with no release date.

The launch would give you 4 outlets you can turn lights on and off with, a ph probe, salinity probe if you add them, and could run the auto top off kit.

If you want powerhead control patterns, you need a wave engine lite or V2 depending how many. If you just want simple on/off, you can use the outlets for that again depending on number of lights/powerheads.

The beauty of hydros is in the simplicity. I don’t own an apex, but seems like you have to add a module for a bunch of things. On hydros, if you want to add a sensor and you have a sensor port open, you’re good. If you want to add a drive port accessory like a ato pump and you have the open port, you’re good. You’re only limited on what it can do by the number of ports you have available (mostly- excluding something like the maven or wave engine).

I want the auto water testing so I regret not buying an apex at times after waiting for a maven for over a year. Depends on your goals. Apex is also good because it plays well with major brands. Hydros really only supports reef octopus or icecap gyre pumps on the aftermarket, where as apex, aqua illumination, ecotech, and kessil all play together well (and mostly wireless) and most people have something or want something from that group of brands. (Really wish I could run mp40s on my wave engine)

 

[mmorrison55]

If you don’t want auto water testing (alkalinity, nitrate, phosphate, etc) hydros is great. As someone mentioned above the maven is like 2 years coming with no release date.

The launch would give you 4 outlets you can turn lights on and off with, a ph probe, salinity probe if you add them, and could run the auto top off kit.

If you want powerhead control patterns, you need a wave engine lite or V2 depending how many. If you just want simple on/off, you can use the outlets for that again depending on number of lights/powerheads.

The beauty of hydros is in the simplicity. I don’t own an apex, but seems like you have to add a module for a bunch of things. On hydros, if you want to add a sensor and you have a sensor port open, you’re good. If you want to add a drive port accessory like a ato pump and you have the open port, you’re good. You’re only limited on what it can do by the number of ports you have available (mostly- excluding something like the maven or wave engine).

I want the auto water testing so I regret not buying an apex at times after waiting for a maven for over a year. Depends on your goals. Apex is also good because it plays well with major brands. Hydros really only supports reef octopus or icecap gyre pumps on the aftermarket, where as apex, aqua illumination, ecotech, and kessil all play together well (and mostly wireless) and most people have something or want something from that group of brands. (Really wish I could run mp40s on my wave engine)

I so wish that Ecotech was not owned by the same people who own Apex. If Ecotech, AI, and Kessil were all controllable via hydros, I would have gone with them a while ago.

 

[IceNein]

For simply turning lights on and off on a schedule, I highly recommend Kasa power strips. They're wifi and you can control them remotely. They will not provide you with alerts or warnings, but for things like lights and pumps, you can put them on the Kasa power strip, and save the expensive controller power outlets for things you want the controller to actually control.

 

[Reefin' Steve]

I so wish that Ecotech was not owned by the same people who own Apex. If Ecotech, AI, and Kessil were all controllable via hydros, I would have gone with them a while ago.

agreed. for that reason and the lack of auto testing at the moment, i think hydros is the better "simple" system... the maven being able to do the job of both tridents will also be a game changer and border line put them on top in my opinion, but we have to be able to buy the thing, and have it work for extended periods of time.

I dont mind using my spectral controller on my kessils, same with AI or radion lights really, running mp40s separate of the wave engine isnt a huge deal, my return pump doesnt really change aside from on/off... but it all adds up. one app to control it all sounds nice.

 

[areefer01]

I want the auto water testing so I regret not buying an apex at times after waiting for a maven for over a year. Depends on your goals. Apex is also good because it plays well with major brands. Hydros really only supports reef octopus or icecap gyre pumps on the aftermarket, where as apex, aqua illumination, ecotech, and kessil all play together well (and mostly wireless) and most people have something or want something from that group of brands. (Really wish I could run mp40s on my wave engine)

Brand controllers sort of keep their cards close to their chest as it relates to cross pollination / interoperability. Neptune does allow vendors to connect/control via their API/IOTA layer but not everyone chooses to use it. A few that did showed that different brands can work together without hurting one anothers sales. Kessil and Sicce are two great examples.

Wish more would do this but alas everyone wants their own controller, hub, dongle, etc.