NanoTopia's ZEOvit 80L [ ]

[Kfmmartin19]

Nice buy on the apex. Heard they are the way to go!Oh btw...u haven't had a FTS in quite some time...

 

test

cough cough TOTM cough...

[NanoTopia]

Nice buy on the apex. Heard they are the way to go! Oh btw...u haven't had a FTS in quite some time...

 

cough cough TOTM cough...

LOL, I am pretty sure the "test" is regarding a editing issue I am having with my thread since the new site went up. Chris is trouble shooting it at the moment for me. Seems the post is just a bit pic heavy (LOL) and is overwhelming the system. The new platform messed up my first thread post details a bit and I was hoping to clean it up.

 

Thanks regarding the Apex, I am a control freak !

 

FTS coming soon, I am still messing with my tank a bit.

[Kfmmartin19]

Haha ok. But ill be tellin u "told ya so" when u get TOTM either jan or feb.

[JDigital]

Christine, I tip my hat to you! It's been a little while since I've had a chance to peak at your thread as I've been quite busy trying to get my own up and going and up to a level that I THOUGHT was quite acceptable, I'm now not so sure I've done enough. WOW is about all I can say regarding your setup. I don't think I have ever come across a 20G tank with so much technology hooked up to it.

 

If you don't get TOTM someone needs to go to jail for that crime!

 

Look forward to following your Zeo Tank.

[albertthiel]

So I decided to Upgrade my controller from the Digital Aquatics Reefkeeper Lite to the APEX system. I will now have mobil device access to my reef via a D-Link Wireless N Dual Band MediaBridge DAP-1513, full LED dimming and simulation on my Vertex LED's (I am upgrading to dimming Meanwell drivers). I went with Lab grade pH and ORP probes as well, along with the the temp probe standard.

 

 

APEX does not include a wireless bridge with their systems so I will add this one.

This avoids having a cable running through the house to the tank.

 

 

With the APEX iPhone APP I can control whatever I set up from my phone.

 

I have a lot of set up work ahead of me and am pretty excited about having virtually unlimited control of my reef from anywhere in the world. Equipment should arrive next week.

 

I figure I will move the DA Reefkeeper Lite to my Pico tank to control two channels of LED, Heater, and Fan.

 

I saw a demo of it at my LFS when the rep for hem was there and controlled every aspect of a show tank in the store from his iPhone. I guess you are aiming for the same by adding I believe more modules or whatever they call them ... great to see what is going on as well if you add a webcam to the set-up so you can watch your tank from wherever you are :-)

[PODPIMP]

There is so much going on here for a 20 gallon. You can probably leave all your filtration where it is and swap out the display for a 40 or 50 gallon . Seriously nice job with the SPS in a small tank. Getting peak colors can be challenging in a smaller volume of water.

[albertthiel]

LOL, I am pretty sure the "test" is regarding a editing issue I am having with my thread since the new site went up. Chris is trouble shooting it at the moment for me. Seems the post is just a bit pic heavy (LOL) and is overwhelming the system. The new platform messed up my first thread post details a bit and I was hoping to clean it up.

 

Thanks regarding the Apex, I am a control freak !

 

FTS coming soon, I am still messing with my tank a bit.

 

Sorry you had issues with your thread ...

 

Tank looks great and with all the controls and automation you have you could run a larger tank and still win a TOTM contest IMO.

 

Have you thought about submitting it? You should IMO ..

[Kfmmartin19]

I already nominated it a couple months back

[NanoTopia]

Haha ok. But ill be tellin u "told ya so" when u get TOTM either jan or feb.

Any acknowledgement of hard work is gratifying however, I never think or seek out such prise. My goal in sharing on a forum like this is to get feed back on what I am doing and maybe provide ideas or assistance to others. I do appreciate all the kind words you and others have said in the past regarding my tank system but focus should be on innovation, ideas, experiences, etc - not awards.

 

Christine, I tip my hat to you! It's been a little while since I've had a chance to peak at your thread as I've been quite busy trying to get my own up and going and up to a level that I THOUGHT was quite acceptable, I'm now not so sure I've done enough. WOW is about all I can say regarding your setup. I don't think I have ever come across a 20G tank with so much technology hooked up to it.

 

If you don't get TOTM someone needs to go to jail for that crime!

 

Look forward to following your Zeo Tank.

Thanks so much for following, these tanks (when your obsessed like me) are never finished, there is always something to upgrade and tinker with. This is why I remain involved in this hobby, just the kind of person I am really. I think some people put too much emphasis on TOTM here, there are so many great tanks that I look at and learn from on nano-reef. I will agree that my set-up is a little (a lot) excessive for 20 gallons, I am a gadget junky and fully realize most of the system is not necessary to run a successful tank, but for me it would not be as much fun without the gadgets I do plan to have a bigger tank in the future so I buy equipment for that in mind. A tank upgrade wont be anytime soon though.

 

I saw a demo of it at my LFS when the rep for hem was there and controlled every aspect of a show tank in the store from his iPhone. I guess you are aiming for the same by adding I believe more modules or whatever they call them ... great to see what is going on as well if you add a webcam to the set-up so you can watch your tank from wherever you are :-)

The Apex is a system that can be endlessly expanded on, that is why I chose it. I do have a D-Link web cam I run independently when needed but the resolution is not so good, it basically tells me if there is still water in the tank or not and the power is on, LOL. Thanks Albert

 

There is so much going on here for a 20 gallon. You can probably leave all your filtration where it is and swap out the display for a 40 or 50 gallon . Seriously nice job with the SPS in a small tank. Getting peak colors can be challenging in a smaller volume of water.

I was thinking 100-125 gallons one day far in the future And you are right, the smaller the system water volume, the harder it is to keep things stable and thriving IMO. The gadgets (controller, ATO, Doser, etc.) help me do that and I don't have to be at the tank 24/7. I do think about what would happen if something failed and I was not around, so far everything has worked as it should - as long as there is power! haha. Thanks for following PODPIMP

[NanoTopia]

Sorry you had issues with your thread ...

 

Tank looks great and with all the controls and automation you have you could run a larger tank and still win a TOTM contest IMO.

 

Have you thought about submitting it? You should IMO ..

It's all good Albert, just a small glitch that will be resolved, no big deal at all. I like the nano size tanks, they offer me more of a challenge overall in reefing. My goal is to accomplish a successful SPS nano that is run on the full Zeovit system. There have not been many tanks that have successfully done this that I am aware of, in the past. See my comments above regarding TOTM Albert

 

I already nominated it a couple months back

I remember, what a kind thing to do, I was really take back when I saw that. Thanks for all your support and comments

 

Funny thing, I never went to my graduation ceremony when I graduated from nursing, guess Im not big on the hoopla

[Veng]

Congrats on the Apex! I've got an Apex (full) in the mail to my place. I don't think I'm going to go the web cam route, so I just picked up one of the wireless ethernet adapters like this because of the size difference between it and a full router.

 

Post pictures when you get it setup, I can't wait for mine.

[Kfmmartin19]

It's all good Albert, just a small glitch that will be resolved, no big deal at all. I like the nano size tanks, they offer me more of a challenge overall in reefing. My goal is to accomplish a successful SPS nano that is run on the full Zeovit system. There have not been many tanks that have successfully done this that I am aware of, in the past. See my comments above regarding TOTM Albert

 

 

I remember, what a kind thing to do, I was really take back when I saw that. Thanks for all your support and comments

 

Funny thing, I never went to my graduation ceremony when I graduated from nursing, guess Im not big on the hoopla

Haha np. U just keep doing what you're doing. I know it's not your main goal or anything but it means a lot to the ppl who follow your tank for it to get TOTM. But of course you're not doing this for an award! You do it cuz u enjoy it, and that is your reward. Like I said tho...you'll get it in the next few months

[NanoTopia]

Congrats on the Apex! I've got an Apex (full) in the mail to my place. I don't think I'm going to go the web cam route, so I just picked up one of the wireless ethernet adapters like this because of the size difference between it and a full router.

 

Post pictures when you get it setup, I can't wait for mine.

I have existing wireless in the house, what I needed was a bridge so I don't have to run a wire through the hose to connect to the Apex. Seems we are on a parallel path ATM. I also have the full Apex coming soon (back order - gerrrr), my drivers are on there way now, I already have the "2 x 2 channel Apex to Light Dimming Cables" to run on the 1-10V dimming control outlets. I am switching the non-dimming drivers on my Vertex fixtures to Meanwell ELN-60-48D dimming ones so I can have full control of my LED's as well.

 

I will post pics, mainly of the LED control modifications. Looks like we can trouble shoot (if needed) together in the future

 

Haha np. U just keep doing what you're doing. I know it's not your main goal or anything but it means a lot to the ppl who follow your tank for it to get TOTM. But of course you're not doing this for an award! You do it cuz u enjoy it, and that is your reward. Like I said tho...you'll get it in the next few months

[NanoTopia]

My Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse is settling in slowly, my Chromis who has been king of the tank for several months now is not liking the idea of having to share reef again. Here are a couple of pics I managed to get today.

 

 

 

[Bello]

Beautiful specimen

[Veng]

I have existing wireless in the house, what I needed was a bridge so I don't have to run a wire through the hose to connect to the Apex. Seems we are on a parallel path ATM. I also have the full Apex coming soon (back order - gerrrr), my drivers are on there way now, I already have the "2 x 2 channel Apex to Light Dimming Cables" to run on the 1-10V dimming control outlets. I am switching the non-dimming drivers on my Vertex fixtures to Meanwell ELN-60-48D dimming ones so I can have full control of my LED's as well.

 

I will post pics, mainly of the LED control modifications. Looks like we can trouble shoot (if needed) together in the future

 

Yeah, I spent a LOT of time thinking about everything I wanted to do and how to do it before I finally ordered one. If you're having trouble figuring anything out shoot me a PM, I think I've already read the manual several times.

 

Although it's all been delayed because UPS AND USPS both suck and can't deliver stuff in a timely manner. UPS is taking monday off, and USPS has lost my package.

 

le sigh.

[NanoTopia]

Beautiful specimen

Thanks, I hope he does well, I don't have a lot of luck with fish these days. He was QT'd for 30 days and is eating mysis.

 

Yeah, I spent a LOT of time thinking about everything I wanted to do and how to do it before I finally ordered one. If you're having trouble figuring anything out shoot me a PM, I think I've already read the manual several times.

 

Although it's all been delayed because UPS AND USPS both suck and can't deliver stuff in a timely manner. UPS is taking monday off, and USPS has lost my package.

 

le sigh.

I have down loaded the manual as well, it sounds more complicated than it can actually be. I am a hands on person so I should be able to figure things out once I get my hands on it. If I run into any snags I will PM you for sure. Mine is backordered but expected to be in the LFS any day now. The holiday season really messes deliveries up, even here in Canada. I can wait, and use the time to learn more about the system and it's functions. Hope yours arrives soon enough

[albertthiel]

My Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse is settling in slowly, my Chromis who has been king of the tank for several months now is not liking the idea of having to share reef again. Here are a couple of pics I managed to get today.

 

Very nice indeed and yes I am sure the Chromis is not happy, but he'll get over it :-)

[NanoTopia]

So I have been working at a electrical schematic for my new APEX. I have implemented 2 UPS units, one that will run my main router, and one that will run my router bridge and vital equipment for approximately 45 minutes. The base Apex unit is hooked up to a separate power supply that will only serve as an indicator that power has been interrupted so that a notifying email can be sent and only vital equipment will run.

I have the moon lights indicated as vital only because they can provide some light for me to check on the tank, they are only 6 watts and will not consume much UPS power.

3 separate LED fixtures each have their own dimming driver (ELN60-48D) which will be controlled by the Apex V/S ports.

If anyone has questions or suggestions, please feel free to comment. Changes can still be made.

Regards,

Christine

[x3thelast]

initially you want to hardwire your apex into the router for set up. Also neptune doesnt play nice when updating wirelessly so i suggest getting a REALLY long ethernet cable for setup and update purposes. I love my apex having it automate the tank finally allows me to go places with a little more piece of mind.

[NanoTopia]

initially you want to hardwire your apex into the router for set up. Also neptune doesnt play nice when updating wirelessly so i suggest getting a REALLY long ethernet cable for setup and update purposes. I love my apex having it automate the tank finally allows me to go places with a little more piece of mind.

Correct, I have a 50 ft cable at the ready for all set up and firmware updates.

[Veng]

 

So I have been working at a electrical schematic for my new APEX. I have implemented 2 UPS units, one that will run my main router, and one that will run my router bridge and vital equipment for approximately 45 minutes. The base Apex unit is hooked up to a separate power supply that will only serve as an indicator that power has been interrupted so that a notifying email can be sent and only vital equipment will run.

 

I have the moon lights indicated as vital only because they can provide some light for me to check on the tank, they are only 6 watts and will not consume much UPS power.

 

3 separate LED fixtures each have their own dimming driver (ELN60-48D) which will be controlled by the Apex V/S ports.

 

If anyone has questions or suggestions, please feel free to comment. Changes can still be made.

 

Ok, so I saw this late last night and wanted to wait till I got some sleep to look through it. The following is the kind of write up I am usally trying to get when I ask for comments and suggestions. It's all meant to be constructive. I think you've got a great setup here so far, and trust me I've got a pretty good idea how complicated these things can be!

 

First off, does your UPS not have an additional outlet you could plug the wireless into other than one of the EB8 outlets? Alternatively you could use a surge strip between the UPS and the EB8 to to give you that outlet back.

 

The reason I'd suggest reclaiming that outlet is you could move either your ATO, Doser, Tunze Pump, or Skimmer there. All of which would have benefits.

 

Next up is you have a device labled a UPS and not a battery backup as the source of power in the event of a power failure. If it is a true UPS, it's run time will be very short, less than an hour at a guess with the amount of stuff you have plugged into it. I don't know if you've calculated how long your run time will be, but I suggest you do if you haven't. You might also consider removing everything except the apex, wireless bridge, and the MP10 from the UPS. Or at the very least lowering the on temp of the heater if the power had failed.

 

Have you considered picking up an EB4 or EB8 to give you more outlets so you have control over everything on the powerbar?

 

Do you ever plan on running LED1, 2 and 3 at different times? Especially LED1&3. Those look to be combinable on either a single plug in your setup, or combined on a power strip and then the power strip plugged into a single outlet there by saving you at least 1 if not 2 outlets.

 

Why are you tying your moonlights in to your return pump? This sounds like it would make them almost impossible to turn on and off in any kind of reasonable manner. Given some of the suggestions above, I think you should be able to find an outlet to plug them into.

 

Do you have any plans for float switches or contact switches in this setup? I'm a big fan of float switches. They can be used to do more than just control ATOs when you've got an Apex. Having a high or low float switch gives you a lot of programming options. Like forcing your return pump on if your sump is about to overflow. Or sending you an e-mail that your ATO reseviour is empty. Also, contact switches (the magnetic ones you see on doors) are cheaper than dirt, like 2$ or something, and can be used to automate things when you open your cabnet doors.

 

I see you have a tunze and an extra 0-10V line, have you considered using the Apex to run the tunze? One of the best features of the Apex is the feed modes (it's called standby in the RK world) which lets you put everything into a temporary state for a preset time while you do something. Like turn off your powerheads and return pump for maintance, but it'll also turn them back on again after 15 or 30 minutes (your choice) and then your skimmer a few minutes later. Or turn the lights on at night but will automatically shut them off after 15 minutes so you don't forget them.

 

Oh, and I'm a little confused, you've got an MP10 and a tunze pump? What's the tunze for?

 

Ok, hopefully you'll find at least some of the above useful. I know it always helps me to get another set of eyes on things. I'm sure you've already considered 90% of the above, but if you find one thing that helps you, then it's worth it.

[NanoTopia]

First off, does your UPS not have an additional outlet you could plug the wireless into other than one of the EB8 outlets? Alternatively you could use a surge strip between the UPS and the EB8 to to give you that outlet back. Yes I do, and I guess it make sense from a fail safe point of view to connect power there.

The reason I'd suggest reclaiming that outlet is you could move either your ATO, Doser, Tunze Pump, or Skimmer there. All of which would have benefits. I didn't see a need to put the above on the EB8 since they are neither vital (for short periods) or items I would generally need to switch off remotely. But if I free up an outlet from the wireless bridge I would put one in it's place.

Next up is you have a device labled a UPS and not a battery backup as the source of power in the event of a power failure. If it is a true UPS, it's run time will be very short, less than an hour at a guess with the amount of stuff you have plugged into it. I don't know if you've calculated how long your run time will be, but I suggest you do if you haven't. You might also consider removing everything except the apex, wireless bridge, and the MP10 from the UPS. Or at the very least lowering the on temp of the heater if the power had failed. The UPS connected to the main system is APS 1300Va 780watts model, It can run 200watts for 45 minutes, I have tested that, the other UPS powers just the wireless router and is APS 550Va and can keep the router running 2+ hours. The thing to keep in mind is, the UPS is really only in place to power the Apex system and wireless long enough to send an email that there is a power interruption. In addition, the UPS can power the system for short power interruptions <45min). In the event of a long term outage, I would use a power inverter. Also, I live in the "COLD land", if power goes off in the winter my tank can loose more than a degree an hour, this is why I want to keep the heater powered up.

Have you considered picking up an EB4 or EB8 to give you more outlets so you have control over everything on the powerbar? Yes I have but that will be in a couple of months. I spent 2 grand on my tank in the last 2 months, lol.

Do you ever plan on running LED1, 2 and 3 at different times? Especially LED1&3. Those look to be combinable on either a single plug in your setup, or combined on a power strip and then the power strip plugged into a single outlet there by saving you at least 1 if not 2 outlets. Yes I would like to control all 3 fixtures separately, I realize fixtures 1 & 3 are the same spectrum but they effect different parts of the tank slightly. "Control Freak"

Why are you tying your moonlights in to your return pump? This sounds like it would make them almost impossible to turn on and off in any kind of reasonable manner. Given some of the suggestions above, I think you should be able to find an outlet to plug them into. I knew that one would attract attention. I leave my TV 6 watt moon lights on 24/7, they serve two purposes. I could possibly plug them direct into the UPS or EB8 but at the moment they do not require a separate outlet. If I have an extra EB8 outlet I will, and definitely in the future.

Do you have any plans for float switches or contact switches in this setup? I'm a big fan of float switches. They can be used to do more than just control ATOs when you've got an Apex. Having a high or low float switch gives you a lot of programming options. Like forcing your return pump on if your sump is about to overflow. Or sending you an e-mail that your ATO reseviour is empty. Also, contact switches (the magnetic ones you see on doors) are cheaper than dirt, like 2$ or something, and can be used to automate things when you open your cabnet doors. Yes, 100% in the future, I am thinking of a new build in a year or so, when that happens I will add a Break Out Box and play around with some sensors etc, but not for this build.

I see you have a tunze and an extra 0-10V line, have you considered using the Apex to run the tunze? One of the best features of the Apex is the feed modes (it's called standby in the RK world) which lets you put everything into a temporary state for a preset time while you do something. Like turn off your powerheads and return pump for maintance, but it'll also turn them back on again after 15 or 30 minutes (your choice) and then your skimmer a few minutes later. Or turn the lights on at night but will automatically shut them off after 15 minutes so you don't forget them. The Tunze I have is a 6015, as far as I know it will not work V/S, but I agree, I will find a use for the extra V/S port sooner than later and maybe add an additional VSM as well and go all Tunze pumps down the line.

Oh, and I'm a little confused, you've got an MP10 and a tunze pump? What's the tunze for? Tunze is just for filling in a few low flow areas in the tank, my rock work makes it hard for even the MP10 to accomplish. Like I said, down the road I will do away with Vortech pumps and get a controllable Tunze pump system in place.

Ok, hopefully you'll find at least some of the above useful. I know it always helps me to get another set of eyes on things. I'm sure you've already considered 90% of the above, but if you find one thing that helps you, then it's worth it. Thanks for taking so much time to look my plan over, really thanks! I agree with your points and yes considered some already. I feel a little overwhelmed with this system and the complexity of programming at this point, once I get my head around it all I am sure to make some changes, in fact I'm sure the changes will be ongoing. I think in the near future an additional EB8 is the best way to go, and would solve most of the issues you pointed out above. I think if I can get it up and running I will see even more opportunities for improvements.

The one question I have at this point, and could not find in the manual is... Can individual EB8 outlets be controlled by the "If power apex OFF" statement ? As you can see in the wiring plan, I have the power adaptor on the apex base unit in place to detect a power outage, I was hoping to program everything on the EB8 to run in this case except the LED's for obvious reasons. I am using the ELN60-48D drivers (arrived yesterday) and expect I will need to cut power to them after the RampDown is complete, this is why I have them on the EB8. If I cannot do this "per outlet", I will definitely need to buy an additional EB8 to run this "If power apex OFF" statement and use one EB8 for the rest of my equipment. Any idea?

Thanks again,
Christine

[Parker0824]

Officially one of my inspirational tanks

[Parker0824]

How did this tank not get TOTM