Should I get an apex?

[Reefinny]

+1 on the extra EB8's I run 3 now for the salt water system. One under DT and 2 downstairs where the sump is. I actually recently ran a line to my 100 gallon African tank on the same controller. Not because I needed to but because I like controlling everything on my phone!

 

[Mattl22]

How do the eb8s connect to apex wireless ?
I'm gonna buy another eb8 when I'm ready to control my lights which will be soon because I really wanna be able to turn halides off if temp gets above 81

 

[Dk638]

Aqua bus cable connects them to the base module then you daisy chain them with another aquabus cable. Not wireless

 

[Geraud]

Yep you need to put an aquabus cable (USB cable basically) between your EB8 and something else in your system. Note that you can daisy-chain them, so your EB8 could be pretty far from the actual APEX. And all PM modules have 2 USB connections... while EB8 has 6, so it is easy to cover longer distances.

 

[fredro]

Yes. Yes you should.

 

[Skaters216]

Get it I just hooked mine up with some help from a M.R member and my brother a little difficult but I can control everything from my phone and check on tank from anywhere

 

[Mattl22]

So I got the apex up and running today so far so good gotta get a probe holder which I think it should have come with a probe holder of some sort also was disappointed for $800 it was not wireless and I had to buy a wireless adapter but it's up and running will start programing things tomorrow first thing will be my doser I use for kalk gonna have it king on once every hr for a min or 2

 

[Mattl22]

Question for those with gold package there is a ph and orp/ph probes red and blue I have no need for orp that I can think of can I just calibrate the red probe to be ph? And run 1 ph probe in my reactor and 1 in my tank so I can watch both readings??

 

[Mattl22]

Also is there any reason to check orp if I don't run ozone?

 

[Geraud]

Yes you can connect either an ORP and a pH, or two pH's.

ORP can be used to monitor the general health of your tank. Not in absolute values, but in trends. (aka if something dies, it will drop dramatically).

 

[Mattl22]

Showing orp 260 supposedly too low tank dirty??

 

[Geraud]

Just wait a bit. Mine is always in the 400-420 range (it varies inversely to pH), but after I clean the probe, the values tend to show low, then increase over 2 days till they reach what I assume is a stable state.

 

[Mattl22]

Also I need to start setting up my eb8 just read a bit about them but not sure what they where saying basically anything That draws over 120 volts can only be controlled by 2 outlets?
How can I tell how much something draws just plug it in and run it ?? Will it lmk if it can't be controlled?



P

 

[Mattl22]

Gerarud appreciate all ur help Ty

 

[Geraud]

Hi Matt, regarding the "draw", do you mean draw more than N amps?

Yes the Triac (solid state) can control something up to 5A, while the relays can support 10A.

Notice that in general, and unless it is above 5A, you want your high powered equipment to be on the Triac's, as mechanical relays can fuse in the long run when used to control something drawing a lot of electricity.
While the Triacs should actually not be used to control something that is not pulling enough energy, for instance a dosing pump, which could be left "on" by a Triac.

It is counter-intuitive I know...

In your case, I would mostly be concerned about the total draw for a single EB8. I would plug a single metal halide to the EB8 and check what is the draw like that. Remember the limit is 15A *total*. If you are running a 400W metal halide, I would expect the draw to be in the 3.5 -> 4A range.

 

[Mattl22]

Hi thanks again and it's starting to make sense I'm not gonna put lights on this eb8 wil wait till I buy another with this one I'd like to
Control my cal reactor fuge lights dosing pumps and possibly a natru denitrifier

 

[Geraud]

If I were you I would try and spread the load. For instance on mine I started by putting the chiller on one EB8, the lights on the other. Then return pump, etc etc, from "most draw" to lightest.

 

[Mattl22]

Man I'm having a tough time with apex user guide it's not great for a novice like me

 

[Mattl22]

Ok so my wife helped me and this is what we came up with for my doser every hr for 1 min 18 seconds doser
Will drip kalk and automatically turn off when ph hits 8.4



Question is if ph hits 8.4 and pump automatically shuts off how do I write code to turn doser back on once ph drops back down?

 

[Mattl22]

I had the last code written
If ph < 8.39 then on

But wasn't working doser just ran continually I figure I missed a code??