Shaun's 2000 Litre (530 USG) Living Reef & Red Sea Max S 650 LED Design & Build
- Thread starter SPR
- Start date
You've got your eye on this haven't you !
https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/apex-trident-alk-cal-mag-monitoring-device-neptune-systems/
https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/apex-trident-alk-cal-mag-monitoring-device-neptune-systems/
SPR
Well-Known Member
As and when it arrives in the U.K. it will be installed into my system with gusto lol!
The Apex System really is an excellent piece of kit. The things you can make it do, and situations you can prevent in the event of equipment failure is endless and only restricted by your imagination really.
I do appreciate that it is very expensive so not for everybody, but if you have built a large aquarium, and spent a fortune on it, then the piece of mind you get it worth every penny of the expense.
I have installed some new equipment over the last week or so including some Apex additional controls and I’ll do an update shortly.
SPR
Well-Known Member
Over the last few weeks I’ve been busy doing a few upgrades with my system.
I decided it was time to connect the JBL UV-C ‘Rocket Launcher of death’ into Apex. So I plugged it all in only to find that it wasn’t working anymore. It had been working, so maybe I blew something like the bulb. I took it to pieces and it wasn’t looking that clean and had lots of salt creep.
Typically it was the only piece of equipment I had purchased from my LFS rather than online, and I’d lost the receipt so the 2 year warranty is not much use. Online I have it stored on computer.
In view of the state of it and the cost of a new bulb I thought I might as well just get a new one, and after doing a lot of research I went for the DD 20w UVC. This not only fits in the sump rather than outside, you can also see when it’s working from the glowing lights. I would have got the 39w but it was just to big and the 20w is rated for 500-1000 litre tanks in any case.
This picture shows the hose output of the UVC so I can see that the pump is working
I have the water flowing through at a rate of about 350-400 lph. Having read the DD recommendations and actual power, and with a view to killing such things as ich, bacteria etc., I need to achieve a power of around 72000 microwatts/sec.
At 1000 lph flow it generates 30000 microwatts. 72000 dividend by 30000 = 2.4. So to get the correct power i divide 1000 by 2.4 = 416 lph.
So my flow is just under this but within a margin of error as it was measured using a 1 litre jug and stopwatch but I’ve gone for a bit slower just to be sure. It’s not the ideal 1 x turnover of water per hour but...
So with the new UVC installed I’ve hooked it up to Apex and installed a Leak Protection program as below. This is just in case a hose comes out or something. The skimmer has the same protection program mainly for the outlet drain hose.
I’m currently dosing NoPox at 18ml per day to control Nitrate levels and may go a bit higher. My Nitrates are around 12-16ppm and although the corals are ‘glowing’ with life, I like to keep things under my control.
The increased dose has caused a few bacterial blooms in the sump, mainly in the return chamber, so I’ve installed a small circulation pump to disturb the water surface and it works a treat. No more slime.
The main reason for my concern with the slime build up was if it started to affect the Tunze ATO optical sensor which is in the same location
One of my main concerns with the U.K. Apex was that it doesn’t have the new power bar, so you can tell, for example, if you have main pump power failure.
Well I now can. I’ve installed a float switch into the left hand side of the sump. For non Max S Series users, if the main pump is off, the sump fills up, and will then trigger the float and send me an alarm to tell me
I’ve also installed a float switch into my large 100 litre ATO reservoir to alert me if it’s running low
I made the float switches myself, forgive the jagged acrylic as my cutting/snapping skills are not that good!!
Finally whilst doing all this, things like the skimmer, UVC are now plugged into separate extension leads which I have Velcro’d to the rear of the tank so I can unplug them easily without having to wrestle them from the tangle in the power centre.
The only equipment remaining directly in the power centre are the main return pump and 4 rear circulation pumps.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I decided it was time to connect the JBL UV-C ‘Rocket Launcher of death’ into Apex. So I plugged it all in only to find that it wasn’t working anymore. It had been working, so maybe I blew something like the bulb. I took it to pieces and it wasn’t looking that clean and had lots of salt creep.
Typically it was the only piece of equipment I had purchased from my LFS rather than online, and I’d lost the receipt so the 2 year warranty is not much use. Online I have it stored on computer.
In view of the state of it and the cost of a new bulb I thought I might as well just get a new one, and after doing a lot of research I went for the DD 20w UVC. This not only fits in the sump rather than outside, you can also see when it’s working from the glowing lights. I would have got the 39w but it was just to big and the 20w is rated for 500-1000 litre tanks in any case.
This picture shows the hose output of the UVC so I can see that the pump is working
I have the water flowing through at a rate of about 350-400 lph. Having read the DD recommendations and actual power, and with a view to killing such things as ich, bacteria etc., I need to achieve a power of around 72000 microwatts/sec.
At 1000 lph flow it generates 30000 microwatts. 72000 dividend by 30000 = 2.4. So to get the correct power i divide 1000 by 2.4 = 416 lph.
So my flow is just under this but within a margin of error as it was measured using a 1 litre jug and stopwatch but I’ve gone for a bit slower just to be sure. It’s not the ideal 1 x turnover of water per hour but...
So with the new UVC installed I’ve hooked it up to Apex and installed a Leak Protection program as below. This is just in case a hose comes out or something. The skimmer has the same protection program mainly for the outlet drain hose.
I’m currently dosing NoPox at 18ml per day to control Nitrate levels and may go a bit higher. My Nitrates are around 12-16ppm and although the corals are ‘glowing’ with life, I like to keep things under my control.
The increased dose has caused a few bacterial blooms in the sump, mainly in the return chamber, so I’ve installed a small circulation pump to disturb the water surface and it works a treat. No more slime.
The main reason for my concern with the slime build up was if it started to affect the Tunze ATO optical sensor which is in the same location
One of my main concerns with the U.K. Apex was that it doesn’t have the new power bar, so you can tell, for example, if you have main pump power failure.
Well I now can. I’ve installed a float switch into the left hand side of the sump. For non Max S Series users, if the main pump is off, the sump fills up, and will then trigger the float and send me an alarm to tell me
I’ve also installed a float switch into my large 100 litre ATO reservoir to alert me if it’s running low
I made the float switches myself, forgive the jagged acrylic as my cutting/snapping skills are not that good!!
Finally whilst doing all this, things like the skimmer, UVC are now plugged into separate extension leads which I have Velcro’d to the rear of the tank so I can unplug them easily without having to wrestle them from the tangle in the power centre.
The only equipment remaining directly in the power centre are the main return pump and 4 rear circulation pumps.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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SPR
Well-Known Member
I purchased a new large coral a few weeks ago, as I wanted something for the middle back of the tank, which I think is some form of ultra green neon torch coral, well I think anyway.... I know it stings as I remember being told that!
Below are a few up to date photos. The corals are really growing. There is a red Gonipora coral in the centre which I’ve grown from a 1 inch frag, which looked like it had nothing on it, and look at it now.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Below are a few up to date photos. The corals are really growing. There is a red Gonipora coral in the centre which I’ve grown from a 1 inch frag, which looked like it had nothing on it, and look at it now.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
SPR
Well-Known Member
Thank you datahoe.
I take the pictures just using an iPhone 7 Plus and they are just straight from the phone and aren’t modified in anyway.
I love the open top look as in addition to, well it being open and not enclosed, at night time you can see the movement of the water effects on your ceiling. So you can see the blue reflection of water ‘shimmering’ above the system.
I’ve taken a photo of it but as usual it doesn’t really show the true affect but it will give you an idea at least.
PS. This is my view in my man cave and shows why I have to watch TV programs about 3 times as I just miss them all the time! Lol
SPR
Well-Known Member
Hahahahahah...... no! Lol
My viewing starts at around 6pm and shortly afterwards I only watch things with the UK film rating, violence frequent, strong language and scenes of a sexual nature (preferably!) lol
Oh and my fish tank!
Sounds like me. Here in Germany the vast majority of tv programmes and films are into 'relationship' stuff. For example, She Who Casts No Shadow will start telling me about a film she's watching, and it is usually something like, "it's about this woman's relationship with her Father".......and at some point my ears start to bleed. She will notice this and say something like, "you won't like it. There are no explosions!".
I so miss my time in Germany. But I know what you mean about the tv programs. I started my first saltwater tank while there. I was in Wiesbaden before returning to the states.
SPR
Well-Known Member
I never really bothered to much about pH because whenever I tested it it was always around 8.2 with test kits.
Since installing Neptune’s Apex system, it’s very interesting to see the affects of various factors on pH including CO2 levels. Something like having a few extra people around ‘breathing’ can make the levels change or having a gas fire on in the room. I believe my current level is a little lower than my ideal 8.2 simply because it’s winter so the windows are closed, heating on etc., so there is less fresh air in the rooms and therefore more CO2 getting into/staying in the water through gas exchange.
The Apex graph below shows how it starts to rise and fall
The bottom of the graph and lowest reading is midnight and then it gradually increases throughout the day. The highest point then starts to drop at 6.00pm. This is the point were the white light starts to ramp down and then from 7pm we go blue and it’s here that the fish activity gradually slows down and you can see the pH slowly falls.
The ‘steepest’ part of the pH increase starts at the exact point the lights switch on for sunrise which for my tank is around 11.30am. You can see the pH rises fast and continues until 6-7pm when the fish activity slows.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Since installing Neptune’s Apex system, it’s very interesting to see the affects of various factors on pH including CO2 levels. Something like having a few extra people around ‘breathing’ can make the levels change or having a gas fire on in the room. I believe my current level is a little lower than my ideal 8.2 simply because it’s winter so the windows are closed, heating on etc., so there is less fresh air in the rooms and therefore more CO2 getting into/staying in the water through gas exchange.
The Apex graph below shows how it starts to rise and fall
The bottom of the graph and lowest reading is midnight and then it gradually increases throughout the day. The highest point then starts to drop at 6.00pm. This is the point were the white light starts to ramp down and then from 7pm we go blue and it’s here that the fish activity gradually slows down and you can see the pH slowly falls.
The ‘steepest’ part of the pH increase starts at the exact point the lights switch on for sunrise which for my tank is around 11.30am. You can see the pH rises fast and continues until 6-7pm when the fish activity slows.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
SPR
Well-Known Member
So then, today it’s snowing here in the UK so I can’t go hitting my little white ball around.
I’ve been planning a bit of maintenance, mainly it’s time to the clean NYOS Quantum 160.
It’s been making a few odd noises occasionally, like a bubbling rattling noise since I last cleaned it.
Anyway for all the stupid NYOS owners out there, like me for example, and you lot for not spotting my deliberate mistake on post 258 take note of the following picture.
This was the last, and first time that I had cleaned out the skimmer and put it back together
And now take note of the following picture which is the correct way to put the skimmer back together. Note the top attachment is the correct way around and now fits snugly into its place rather than hanging on with a screw the wrong way around! I’m not surprised it was making strange noises lol!
I nearly but it back together wrong again and was looking at it thinking it must fit better than this. And it did!
Anyway a few more pictures. I still can’t find how to clean inside the long rear tube at the back of the skimmer. It’s sealed but not air tight hence the Skim residue that can still be seen.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I’ve been planning a bit of maintenance, mainly it’s time to the clean NYOS Quantum 160.
It’s been making a few odd noises occasionally, like a bubbling rattling noise since I last cleaned it.
Anyway for all the stupid NYOS owners out there, like me for example, and you lot for not spotting my deliberate mistake on post 258 take note of the following picture.
This was the last, and first time that I had cleaned out the skimmer and put it back together
And now take note of the following picture which is the correct way to put the skimmer back together. Note the top attachment is the correct way around and now fits snugly into its place rather than hanging on with a screw the wrong way around! I’m not surprised it was making strange noises lol!
I nearly but it back together wrong again and was looking at it thinking it must fit better than this. And it did!
Anyway a few more pictures. I still can’t find how to clean inside the long rear tube at the back of the skimmer. It’s sealed but not air tight hence the Skim residue that can still be seen.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Last edited:
Wiesbaden is not far from me, about a twenty five minute drive.
SPR
Well-Known Member
Yes it worked, but clearly not to it’s optimum capability!
I was sat last night thinking how quiet the tank was. Without the background rumble noise ! Lol
I checked it again this morning, as following the clean I’m just having to dial it back in again, and it’s silent. And the bubble column looks perfect with no big noisy bubbles making everything rattle!