"Uncommon" uses for your Neptune apex

mrsixstrings12 · 04/05/2018, 06:56 PM

So, noe that my apex is finally hooked up to my internet and I am able to make use of the email alarms, program stuff easily, etc; ive been thinking of stuff that i could have the apex do that isnt very common. And ehat i mean is: things your apex does that is NOT turning lights or pumps on/off, controlling heaters, etc.

For example: just ordered a float switch so I can get an alert when my ATO reservoir is low. I also have an auxiliary light that I can turn on to view my basement sump remotely when we are on vacation; so when I DO get an alert, I may be able to spot what the problem is instead of blindly turning things off

thegrun · 04/05/2018, 09:13 PM

I use magnetic switches to turn on my under cabinet lights when I open up the doors. Toggle switches to perform multiple tasks like when I make a water change I have one switch that turns off my return pump, my dosing pumps and heaters. Another switch turns my lights to full maximum daytime intensity, another to a strong blue color.

homer1475 · 04/06/2018, 03:12 AM

Same here.....

Magnetic switches that turn on my cabinet lights when I open the doors, multiple float switches in various places to turn equipment off/send emails, a webcam that I can turn on or off via fusion for when I'm away on vaca, etc, etc....

People never really realize what an apex can actually do until they own one.

BrettDS · 04/06/2018, 01:33 PM

My apex does a lot. Like the others, I have magnetic sensors on my sump door, so it will turn on a light when I open the sump. I have a Radion XR15 Freshwater light in the sump for my fuge, and this is the light that I use to light the sump as well. If I open the sump door and the light is already on because it’s the ‘day’ cycle in the fuge then nothing happens because the sump is already lit. If I open the sump door and the light is off because it’s the ‘night’ cycle of the fuge then the apex turns the light on for me so I can see in the sump.

I also have solenoid valves so the apex can control my RODI filter. When my RODI reservoir is low the apex turns on the RODI to fill it. When the container is full it turns the RODI filter off. Same thing with my NSW reservoir for my auto water change. When that reservoir is low the apex suspends the AWC and turns on the RODI filter to refill it. When it’s full the apex shuts off the RODI filter and then emails me to tell me to add salt. There is a pump in the NWS reservoir that the apex normally runs for a few minutes every few hours to keep the water from getting stagnant. But when the reservoir has been refilled and it’s ready for me to mix in the salt then it automatically turns this pump on and leaves it on so it will help mix in the salt. Once I add salt and let it mix then I let the apex know and it turns the pump off and resumes the AWC.

I have another solenoid valve set up to flush the RO membrane while the RODI is running. Every hour while the RODI runs the apex will bypass the flow restrictor for 18 seconds to flush the membrane. I’ve also got plans to allow the apex to automatically redirect the product water from the RO membrane to the drain for the first few minutes whenever the RODI filter starts up to combat TDS creep and conserve my DI resin. I’m waiting on an electronic 3 way valve to arrive from china before I can implement that, though. The valve has shipped and should be here in a week or two

I have my skimmer draining into a Davy Jones skimmate locker from avast. Recently I put a Neptune PMUP in the bottom of the that container and whenever it gets full the apex turns on the PMUP and pumps the skimmate down the drain. I added some safeguards so the apex won’t allow the container to drain twice in an 8 hour period. That way If the skimmer goes nuts and starts dumping water out of the tank then once the container gets filled twice in a short time the skimmer shuts off and the apex emails me to alert me.

I have a float switches in my sump so the apex can alert me if the water level is too high or too low, but I also have a third float switch that detects if the water level rises in the skimmer section of my sump. Typically this happens when one of my return pumps is off, but can happen for other reasons. When the apex detects that the water level in the skimmer section is too high then it turns down the speed of the DC pump that runs the skimmer so the skimmer won’t overflow.

I’ve also been experimenting with allowing the apex to stabilize the salinity level in my tank by varying the amount of water it adds or removes during the auto water change. If the conductivity probe shows that the salinity is slightly high then it will add less water than it takes out during the water change and let the rest be made up by the ATO so the net effect is that the salinity will go down slightly. If the salinity is slightly low then it will take out less water than it adds which means the ATO will add less water than normal and the salinity will go up slightly. Of course I have safeguards in place so it can only adjust the salinity by a very small amount each day and if the reading is too high or too low then it will assume that the reading is in error and it will alert me and not attempt to adjust the salinity at all.

d0ughb0y · 04/06/2018, 03:51 PM

the classic apex still supports the x10 modules and I used that to turn my christmas lights on and off on a schedule.

Bent · 04/06/2018, 04:02 PM

Neptune should really branch out into home automation.

BrettDS · 04/06/2018, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bent

Neptune should really branch out into home automation.

Honestly I totally disagree with this. I’ve been big on home automation for well over two decades now and compared to the modern home automation controllers (and even many not so modern ones) the apex is incredibly limited. The apex is good for what it does, but they have a long ways to go before they could compete in the home automation market.

Rather than trying stretching their resources to move into a new market Neptune should continue to focus on what they do well and continue to be the best aquarium controller.

d0ughb0y · 04/06/2018, 04:12 PM

neptune should stick to what they know.
they tried to branch out to products they have no clue on and resulted in bad expensive products.

04/05/2018, 06:56 PM	#1
mrsixstrings12 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 132	"Uncommon" uses for your Neptune apex So, noe that my apex is finally hooked up to my internet and I am able to make use of the email alarms, program stuff easily, etc; ive been thinking of stuff that i could have the apex do that isnt very common. And ehat i mean is: things your apex does that is NOT turning lights or pumps on/off, controlling heaters, etc. For example: just ordered a float switch so I can get an alert when my ATO reservoir is low. I also have an auxiliary light that I can turn on to view my basement sump remotely when we are on vacation; so when I DO get an alert, I may be able to spot what the problem is instead of blindly turning things off

04/06/2018, 03:12 AM	#3
homer1475 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 5,313	Same here..... Magnetic switches that turn on my cabinet lights when I open the doors, multiple float switches in various places to turn equipment off/send emails, a webcam that I can turn on or off via fusion for when I'm away on vaca, etc, etc.... People never really realize what an apex can actually do until they own one. __________________ 80G SCA Build: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2560256 Originally posted by der_wille_zur_macht: "He's just taking his lunch to work"

04/06/2018, 01:33 PM	#4
BrettDS Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Orlando Posts: 1,109	"Uncommon" uses for your Neptune apex My apex does a lot. Like the others, I have magnetic sensors on my sump door, so it will turn on a light when I open the sump. I have a Radion XR15 Freshwater light in the sump for my fuge, and this is the light that I use to light the sump as well. If I open the sump door and the light is already on because it’s the ‘day’ cycle in the fuge then nothing happens because the sump is already lit. If I open the sump door and the light is off because it’s the ‘night’ cycle of the fuge then the apex turns the light on for me so I can see in the sump. I also have solenoid valves so the apex can control my RODI filter. When my RODI reservoir is low the apex turns on the RODI to fill it. When the container is full it turns the RODI filter off. Same thing with my NSW reservoir for my auto water change. When that reservoir is low the apex suspends the AWC and turns on the RODI filter to refill it. When it’s full the apex shuts off the RODI filter and then emails me to tell me to add salt. There is a pump in the NWS reservoir that the apex normally runs for a few minutes every few hours to keep the water from getting stagnant. But when the reservoir has been refilled and it’s ready for me to mix in the salt then it automatically turns this pump on and leaves it on so it will help mix in the salt. Once I add salt and let it mix then I let the apex know and it turns the pump off and resumes the AWC. I have another solenoid valve set up to flush the RO membrane while the RODI is running. Every hour while the RODI runs the apex will bypass the flow restrictor for 18 seconds to flush the membrane. I’ve also got plans to allow the apex to automatically redirect the product water from the RO membrane to the drain for the first few minutes whenever the RODI filter starts up to combat TDS creep and conserve my DI resin. I’m waiting on an electronic 3 way valve to arrive from china before I can implement that, though. The valve has shipped and should be here in a week or two I have my skimmer draining into a Davy Jones skimmate locker from avast. Recently I put a Neptune PMUP in the bottom of the that container and whenever it gets full the apex turns on the PMUP and pumps the skimmate down the drain. I added some safeguards so the apex won’t allow the container to drain twice in an 8 hour period. That way If the skimmer goes nuts and starts dumping water out of the tank then once the container gets filled twice in a short time the skimmer shuts off and the apex emails me to alert me. I have a float switches in my sump so the apex can alert me if the water level is too high or too low, but I also have a third float switch that detects if the water level rises in the skimmer section of my sump. Typically this happens when one of my return pumps is off, but can happen for other reasons. When the apex detects that the water level in the skimmer section is too high then it turns down the speed of the DC pump that runs the skimmer so the skimmer won’t overflow. I’ve also been experimenting with allowing the apex to stabilize the salinity level in my tank by varying the amount of water it adds or removes during the auto water change. If the conductivity probe shows that the salinity is slightly high then it will add less water than it takes out during the water change and let the rest be made up by the ATO so the net effect is that the salinity will go down slightly. If the salinity is slightly low then it will take out less water than it adds which means the ATO will add less water than normal and the salinity will go up slightly. Of course I have safeguards in place so it can only adjust the salinity by a very small amount each day and if the reading is too high or too low then it will assume that the reading is in error and it will alert me and not attempt to adjust the salinity at all. Last edited by BrettDS; 04/06/2018 at 01:40 PM.

04/06/2018, 04:02 PM	#6
Bent I got nothin' Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: The anals Posts: 6,420	Neptune should really branch out into home automation. __________________ Quitters never lose. [QUOTE=CStrickland]Who gets mad at a starfish?[/QUOTE] Current Tank Info: 75g DT, 30G refugium, 10g chaeto tank, 50g stock tank basement sump

04/05/2018, 09:13 PM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	I use magnetic switches to turn on my under cabinet lights when I open up the doors. Toggle switches to perform multiple tasks like when I make a water change I have one switch that turns off my return pump, my dosing pumps and heaters. Another switch turns my lights to full maximum daytime intensity, another to a strong blue color.

04/06/2018, 03:51 PM	#5
d0ughb0y Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: sf bay area Posts: 5,165	the classic apex still supports the x10 modules and I used that to turn my christmas lights on and off on a schedule.

04/06/2018, 04:12 PM	#8
d0ughb0y Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: sf bay area Posts: 5,165	neptune should stick to what they know. they tried to branch out to products they have no clue on and resulted in bad expensive products.