Just made the plunge, bought an apex today.

[pbyrmartin]

I have been putting it off for too long now, so I am here making all the necessary preparation to hook it up to my tank. Got to run a network cable to my sump room and run about 80 ft of power wire to the display tank upstairs .

hope it's not too difficult to setup.

 

[jrhunter0000]

Get a wireless adapter so much easier

 

[bcavalli]

Congratulations! It's IMHO the best purchase you could ever make. My Apex has saved me time and time again. I had to make a long run with my Ethernet cable and it's well worth the tme and energy. It's makes updating so much easier.

 

[camellia]

jrhunter0000;1075169 wrote: Get a wireless adapter so much easier

+1

They are probably cheaper than the cable!

 

[jumplittlechloe]

Check out Monoprice to get your cable.

 

[pbyrmartin]

I am trying to decide the best way to do my set up without the cost running away from me

Display up stairs sump down stairs

I need the led display by the tank

So I was thinking to get the 4 port power bar run one cable upstairs to it

Question

1. I gave some 3 wire shielded cable, could I put usb end on them, whats the pin layout, is it standard usb

2. And can the led display plug into the power bar

 

[pbyrmartin]

Bcavalli;1075170 wrote: Congratulations! It's IMHO the best purchase you could ever make. My Apex has saved me time and time again. I had to make a long run with my Ethernet cable and it's well worth the tme and energy. It's makes updating so much easier.

Thanks

 

[Adam]

Yes you can connect the disply to an Energy Bar. If you're goting to run lighting or powerheads you're going to want a EB near the dispaly tank. So you migh as well get another EB8.
As Adam said check out monoprice for the usb & cat5 cables.

 

[mystery_me]

Bcavalli;1075170 wrote: Congratulations! It's IMHO the best purchase you could ever make. My Apex has saved me time and time again. I had to make a long run with my Ethernet cable and it's well worth the tme and energy. It's makes updating so much easier.

Now if i could just program the stupid thing

 

[fishtank]

congratz on purchase. I have two of them, one wired in via Ethernet and one via wireless adaptor. Both work fine. I have a long cat5 for updates when needed. Both are linked to fusion. If you link them to fusion you can have your control unit downstairs in your sump room and use a tablet upstairs by your display.

 

[pbyrmartin]

On the aquabus cable

I want it run it through the the walls and flooring without the usb ends on it because I want to drill very small holes
Then put the ends on

How many wires are ther in the aquabus cable ?

2 or 4

 

[pbyrmartin]

Could I get a link to the wireless adapter
Does get plug in the head unit or the EB8

 

[pbyrmartin]

found the wireless adapter

but I got lucky with the network cable, I forgot I had ran a cat5 cable through my sump room years ago.
I will just cut it puts some RJ45 ends on it and put a switch in there and run to the head unit.

I just have to worry about the aquabus cable now to the display monitor

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

Monoprice has aquabus cables and they are CHEAP!!! There's another site that has aquabus cables up to 100' long and they were very reasonable. If you'll do a search in the Discussion threads, I believe you will find all you want to know on cables.

 

[Adam]

pbyrmartin;1075192 wrote: On the aquabus cable

I want it run it through the the walls and flooring without the usb ends on it because I want to drill very small holes
Then put the ends on

How many wires are ther in the aquabus cable ?

2 or 4

I'd say forget the small hole thing. Makes for a difficult time fishing the wire. That and wiring up the ends of the usb cable a pita.

Two tricks for you.
1. They make gang boxes for use after walls are finished. Very handy and they give you plenty of room to fish the wire. With a cover plate it makes for a clean look when you have to put a box in a wall.

2. If you don't want to put a hole in the wall and you have full access from the basement drill through the floor. If you have carpet you can pull a section back along a wall and drill down near the nail strip.

Hope one of these works for you.

 

[pbyrmartin]

anit77;1075224 wrote: I'd say forget the small hole thing. Makes for a difficult time fishing the wire. That and wiring up the ends of the usb cable a pita.

Two tricks for you.
1. They make gang boxes for use after walls are finished. Very handy and they give you plenty of room to fish the wire. With a cover plate it makes for a clean look when you have to put a box in a wall.

2. If you don't want to put a hole in the wall and you have full access from the basement drill through the floor. If you have carpet you can pull a section back along a wall and drill down near the nail strip.

Hope one of these works for you.

I have drop ceiling in the basement and hard wood floor on the first floor
Maybe I will just drill a hole in the floor

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

I wouldn't drill a hole in the floor!! If you ever sell...buyers hate that. It would have to be a big hole in order to get the end through. Needless. I would drill a hole up through the wall and use a box that's made for pre-construction as was mentioned above. Simple to install and very clean. Not expensive either. When you leave you just put a solid plate over the box and done.

 

[pbyrmartin]

its a little late for the saving the floor, I had to drill for the pvc back in 2009

but thanks for the tips on the forums, I now know the different between a usb cable and the aquabus cable.

the aquabus runs at 12v and a pc cable runs at 5v and all pc cable over 15ft has a repeater in it that cant handle 12V

But what one guy did was take a 6ft usb cable cut it in half and make a 75ft cable with cat5

and I have cat5 cable

I like that idea.
<fieldset class="gc-fieldset">
<legend> Attached files </legend>

 

[pbyrmartin]

I think I am ready , will be here Wednesday.
<fieldset class="gc-fieldset">
<legend> Attached files </legend>

 

[Adam]

pbyrmartin;1075248 wrote: its a little late for the saving the floor, I had to drill for the pvc back in 2009

but thanks for the tips on the forums, I now know the different between a usb cable and the aquabus cable.

the aquabus runs at 12v and a pc cable runs at 5v and all pc cable over 15ft has a repeater in it that cant handle 12V

But what one guy did was take a 6ft usb cable cut it in half and make a 75ft cable with cat5

and I have cat5 cable

I like that idea.

This should be all you need for the "aquabus" cable.

http://www.monoprice.com/mobile/product/details/5445">http://www.monoprice.com/mobile/product/details/5445</a>

They may have one 25' too.