Apex tried to nuke my tank

[grouper therapy]

I understand that things go wrong. I'm on ab phone v right now that could go out anytime. I just find it disturbing that the company suggest you buy a second b unit and have it on standby. And for the record I did not compare the two Apex and Jebao. I made the point of how different the two are especially in regards price.

 

[grouper therapy]

I wouldn't mind having one for the right price. I understand that there are many components in an electronic device but they can be made to lay as well. No one can convince me other wise.

 

[Adam]

With no real time with mine to speak of, it's part my initial install with my first tank, I would say it's all in how you treat it. It is a small computer after all and if you treat it the same as you "should" like likelihood of power related problems will be pretty low.

I manage a branch of a mid-sized company and I've seen computer failures of every kind. I'm not going to list them all but I will say the vast majority of real failures and not user error are power related.

As a result almost all the electronics in my house are on battery backups or surge suppressors, hell my network and Wi-Fi routers are on backups. If there's a brown out, no waiting for everything to re-initialize.

An Energy Bar is not a surge suppressor that will protect the system. With install I'm doing now, the EB's will be plugged into quality surge suppressors which will in turn be plugged into gfci outlets. There will also be battery backups in the future there too.

Now in a year or two I may be singing a different tune but if there is a failure it probably won't be power related.

 

[bcavalli]

I'm glad you won it Brent! it couldn't have gone to a nicer guy!

 

[outdrsyguy1]

FYI, when mine froze up, it seemed to go to the "fall back" position for all outlets. So in that regard, everything was actually fine. However, when I reset the power, that's when it lost all of it's programming and the dosing outlets became pump outlets as factory default. So i was standing there when things went haywire. Only way this could have gone bad would be if it was frozen and the house power went out.
However, on my new tank setup I think I may try to put the dosing outlets on a factory default outlet that defaults to something that doesn't run on factory settings. that may or may not work as the dosers have to be on the mechanical relays, otherwise they are such little amps that the electronic relays can stick and cause problems.

 

[bkostuch]

Thanks for the fallback insight, I have had power outages and fallback worked correctly, but knock on wood no freezing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[outdrsyguy1]

yeah, in the 3+ years i've had it, the only problems I had were my own fault for putting dosers on the wrong outlets. I wouldn't try a tank without it unless it was a fowler or something.

 

[ralph atl]

grouper therapy;1077701 wrote: I have a friend who runs an Apex and two of his head units have gone out. For that kind of money it should not be as prevalent as it is. For the company to suggest that you get another one and have it as standby is the nail in the coffin for me. If the initial cost justifies back up units such as with Jebao products sure, no problem but not at the Apex price point. I don't see it.

BINGO!


Ranco hot & cold dual is all I have ever used...everything still alive after 12 years

 

[sewer urchin]

Ranco hot & cold dual is all I have ever used...everything still alive after 12 years

Yeah, but think of what it could have been if you had gotten an Apex!

;-)

 

[bcavalli]

BINGO!


Ranco hot & cold dual is all I have ever used...everything still alive after 12 years[/QUOTE

Unfortunately, I don't have the expertise or the skill level that you have in any way shape or form. Your success in reefing is beyond words. I've only seen one other tank that exceeds yours and it's about the same age with a 700g DT and he doesn't use a controller either. Both of your tanks are unbelievable and honestly uncommon.

However, my Apex has allowed me the ability to take two week long vacations a year for three years without anyone tank sitting for me. My attention span is very short and I can lose focus easily. So keeping an automated system has allowed me to continue my passion for the hobby without worrying more than is necessary and making critical mistakes.

And no I don't work for Neptune. Lol.

 

[grouper therapy]

Every time a negative opinion is expressed on the forums folks feel the need to justify their purchase and that is fine no harm, no foul. I don't think anyone is wrong,crazy or obtuse for buying. using and trusting an Apex to control and monitor their tank. I simply stated that when a company suggest you buy a back up for their product a red flag is thrown in my confidence in that product. The whole excuse that it is a piece of electronic equipment and that we should accept that it is expected to fail is absolutely the most absurd justification for failure of that product. I have a television that is 30 years old and has never failed, I have a computer that is 10 years old admittingly slow but has never crashed so yes they can last.

I wonder how many Apex owners would purchase one of my stands if I suggest that they buy a spare in case the first one collapses. Albeit a simple device comparatively speaking but the same principle applies.

 

[camellia]

Glad you got things squared up Rusty! That's scary!

I'll be speaking with a representative today at 1:30 and ask about the standby unit. That is a little crazy. I've never had a problem with my Apex in the four years of owning it, only positive experiences and potentially dangerous situations avoided.

Got a love the customer service. I'm in process of preparing for a trip out of town and had bought an EB4 a while back, need two auto feeders running properly while gone. So I've had a couple issues and decided I would email them Tuesday for a ticket number. I explained my needs and asked them to call me one day this week between 1&3 PM. Yesterday, Wednesday I had a response email stating they would call me on Thursday at 1:30 for assistance...It really doesn't get much better than that.

I could probably spend hours and figure it out but I don't have the time or I'm being lazy whatever you want to call it. However with their help it can get done quickly and correctly and that's what I'm looking for when I buy something. What it is I will get from the purchase...
The Apex safety using the auto features is the only way I could own a reef tank. I Live alone (and loving it) but can't be tied down by a "hobby"! It being pricy doesn't even seem relevent in comparison to the money I've dumped into this hobby, it's is part of the package for peace of mind and my freedom.

 

[grouper therapy]

My comments were not to try and devalue their usefulness at all . I think they are a great idea and I don't think that they are overpriced especially for what they can provide. I am just shocked though that at that price point and considering that they are suppose the provide peace of mind that the company suggest a backup. That is all. Not a selling point for ME.
Usefulness and practicality Thumbs up.

 

[bcavalli]

I don't think anyone took it that way. I had never heard they recommend having a backup unit. However, I think we are so use to having a backup for everything some buy an extra one. By the way, I believe you built my stand that I purchased from Optimum. It's an incredibly well built stand and very well designed. I love it!

 

[camellia]

grouper therapy;1077882 wrote: My comments were not to try and devalue their usefulness at all . I think they are a great idea and I don't think that they are overpriced especially for what they can provide. I am just shocked though that at that price point and considering that they are suppose the provide peace of mind that the company suggest a backup. That is all. Not a selling point for ME.
Usefulness and practicality Thumbs up.

Agree with that and was told back ups were recommended, that's it!

Dave, don't let us "lovers" get to you. When you get yours you will have to "defend" as it's too wonderful not too. You'll see


However, wanted to share he did not recommend using it on a GFI said it was "Built in" and has worked there for years, years and years! I have been told this before and many agree on Reef Central.

 

[outdrsyguy1]

okay, after 3-4 hours of programming and set up I think i may be back to cruise control. Too late tonight to test alk but i'm pretty sure it's in the super low range.

Turns out (most likely) that I had a corruption in my apex programming and ended up having to re-initialize the thing (reset). The really CRAPPY part was that since i couldn't web into the apex, I couldn't retrieve my code/programming. Also, since my backup most likely had the corruption, i was SOL and had to reprogram my 16 profiles, and 27 outlets by hand (and remember which items were in which outlets in each eb8).
I was able to view half of the programming through my apex display. I took about 40 pictures and just typed into my pc all the programming that I could see. The corruption caused one eb8 to not be viewable at all. Hopfully I didn't make too many errors, I tried to be real careful with the doser and ATO programming.

MORAL OF THE STORY: You think you have your apex backed up? HAHAHAHAH SUCKER! If your backup file is corrupted you better pray you copy pasted all your profiles and programming into notepad. Otherwise enjoy trying to relearn all the stuff you researched the last few years in figuring out how to program your apex.

I'm just hoping that this ordeal is over with for a while!