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Craig
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Get it! Best purchase by fay and away, Out of the box a jr will have 4 outlets and a temp probe, you will be able to safe guard against a broken heater and will be able to shut off filters when feeding and control lighting by having them shut off if the tank gets to hot and using the jr as a light timer. If you start adding modules the sky is the limit to what those things can do and control

Edited by redevil13
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I like this page for comparing the Neptune controllers.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?c=3578&articleid=3026&d=158&category=585

the wifi would be cool, but reading their forums it doesn't work reliably and causes other problems so throw that out. I'm forking the extra over for full blown version for IOS alerts, salinity, Ph, and ORPmonitoring out of the box, and soon to be avaliable alk monitoring.  I also want the power monitoring and the ability to write logic based on it

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49 minutes ago, Craig said:

Was gonna order from Premium Aquatics but they're sold out. I'm going Apex JR and just gonna add what I need later. 

I want to order it from them too, but the price is the same everywhere with the MAP pricing, and thier competitors rewards programs equal like 80 bucks off a next order.

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Full Apex with 8 outlets, ph and orp with temp and the option to dim leds on 4 channels and the option to have power backup 550.00.

Apex Jr with 4 outlets and only temp probe + pm1 + ph probe 385.00.

If you want to add pm2 + orp and a eb4 (4 more outlets) and vdm to control leds add 385.00.

Full apex 550 vs creating one from a apex jr 770.00

The lower cost can be seductive but just make sure a jr is what you want, as this system unlike other equipment we buy for our tanks can and will grow with you and expand with tank size.

I bought a apex lite system (not available anymore) and spent more then the full system to get the same capabilities later on, so I understand the more expensive route

These controllers are a watershed moment too (How did I ever live without these before kinda thing)

 

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Out of curiosity what makes a Fishbit better than an Apex?

Preference. It is only $500 out of the door. Monitor and power supply are two separate pieces. So you don't have to have one to control the other. It can control anything that has WiFi built in. Standard pack monitors temp, pH, salinity, and water level for ATO. Then you also have the app that monitors all your water parameters and equipment.

It hasn't hit the market yet, but it will soon. It may not be tried and proven like other brands, but I personally like what it has to offer, so I will try it before I buy and Apex.

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3 hours ago, bbtm64 said:

A quick update on the Fishbit unit.

They got all their approvals and are waiting on plastic for the housings. Shouldn't be much longer.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

That is good news, once you are done tweaking a product the approvals are the biggest hurdle!  

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That fishbit system looks interesting but having the probes hanging over the seal seems weird, if you have a canopy or lid that could be a problem. Even a sump it would depend on how high you keep the water. Maybe that wont be the finished product design but it would be something to look at for issues, not to mention it is the same price as a apex

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That fishbit system looks interesting but having the probes hanging over the seal seems weird, if you have a canopy or lid that could be a problem. Even a sump it would depend on how high you keep the water. Maybe that wont be the finished product design but it would be something to look at for issues, not to mention it is the same price as a apex

Looks like the ORIGINAL intent of the fishbit was to measure Ca, Mg, Ph, Salt, Temp, Phos, Alk, Nitrate and Nitrite according to the startup paperwork and that would have been a game changer. Too bad they pulled back on that

There are still plans to expand the Fishbit unit, but the initial release will not contain the CA, Mg, Po4, or Alk. However, I believe if you already have a unit that monitors/controls these, as long as the unit has WiFi, Fishbit will be able to control that via WiFi as well.

As far as comparing it to an Apex, I think there are pros and cons. Apex is time tested and already has lots of expandability. My only problem with that is Apex now has their own dosing pumps, power heads, return pumps... What's next? You almost end up buying the brand as a package. Yes other products can be controlled with an Apex via programming, but ain't nobody got time for that. Also if you buy an Apex...correct me if I am wrong...but unless you buy the 2016 version you have to buy expansions for salinity, WiFi connectivity, and water sensors for float valves. Which makes the initial $550, not so much $550.

Now, I do not have a Fishbit connect to my tank, YET, but it is essentially plug and play. Create and account, connect you equipment, and you are up and running. Everything is controlled via the app...no programming. So it makes life super easy. But like I said, my opinion is all based on product videos and demo, not my actual experience. We will see where it goes. I think it has a lot of potential.

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Yep you are 100% correct on the apex needing modules to add those features. The startup paperwork for the fishbit wanted to include all of those monitoring options in the base package and even apex dosent have the ability to look at ca alk mg etc.., that's why it would have such a big deal.


Yes you are correct about apex getting lazy about the things it controls (pumps, wav makers etc) I think they need the competition that the fishbit system will bring. I was kinda shocked though that fishbit didn't undercut the apex pricing by even just 50-100 bucks just to make a splash (pun intended)

I cant think of any systems (not control) that use wifi and not their own setup (vortech) to control equipment, that dosent mean there aren't any I just cant think of them.

 

Edited by redevil13
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I beta tested one of their original units. I had a small problem getting it connected but once I reset my router it connected right away.

Also, the original design of the monitor wasn't completely sealed so after about a year it failed. They did away with inductive power supply for the monitor unit as there were some problems with glass/acrylic thickness.

Each outlet on the controller unit is customizable for either time of day or parameter. It also includes, I believe, 4 dimming channels for LED fixture control. It's also the only unit the Rapid LED uses for their Corona fixture, all controlled from the app.

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