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Neptune Apex System - Advanced Apex ATO with Any Pump
Last updated on November 17th, 2023
Neptune Apex System - Apex ATO
As you likely read in the Apex ATK Article, the Apex ATK does not support just any ATO pump. That is why the ATK comes with the PMUP Utility Pump. What if you already have a pump you'd like to use? Maybe the PMUP is not powerful enough for your reef tank? Or even if you just want the Neptune Apex ATO as a backup to turn off your other ATO if the water is too high? If any of this sounds like you, then you've come to the right place.
With a little programming, the Neptune Apex System will let you do just about anything! This includes using your own pumps or even an ATO as an Apex ATO, Use the number of sensors you want to use, wether 1 or 20, and dial in the control you really want!
Apex ATO - Neptune Apex System ADVANCED
I'm going to show a couple of Apex ATO setups that seem to be fairly common. As far as the hardware goes, I will assume you have set it up already, but I will tell you where the optical sensors need to be placed.
The code I am showing (unless otherwise noted) will be used to program the outlet that the ATO is plugged in to. In order to enable this, you will select the Apex ATO outlet output and choose "Advanced" as the outlet type.
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What you will need:
- Apex or Neptune Apex (Standard)
- An Energy Bar 832
- Neptune FMM - Fluid Monitoring Module
- As many Neptune Systems OS-1-M Optical Level Sensors as you would like to use
- The ATO pump of your choice. If you want to stick with Neptune Theme, go with the Neptune Systems PMUP v2
To learn more about the difference between the base units, check out the article: Neptune Apex System - Base Unit.
Apex ATO - Standard ATO
The standard ATO setup will have 1 optical sensor. When the optical sensor is out of water, the Apex ATO Pump turns on, and once the sensor is under water, the pump will turn off.
Code:
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If ATOLOW OPEN Then ON
When On > 005:00 Then OFF
You will need to name the low Apex ATO Sensor "ATOLOW". If the optical sensor is dry (open) it will turn on the outlet. Otherwise it will turn off. The last line will check if the pump has been on for more than 5 minutes. If it has, it will turn off. This can be removed but is a good safety measure to prevent flooding.
Apex ATO - Standard ATO - Advantages
- Simple and Easy to set up
Apex ATO - Standard ATO - Disadvantages
- With only 1 optical sensor, if the sensor falls in the water, the ATO will never turn on, which could lead to damaged pumps and heaters. If the sensor is pulled out of the sump, the Apex ATO will not turn off until your ATO reservoir is empty. Which could affect the tank salinity or even cause flooding.
*RECCOMMENDED* Apex ATO - As a Backup to Your ATO
Additionally, you will need:
- An ATO that is not built in to the Apex
If you already have an ATO, there is always a risk that the sensor fails, falls out of (or in to) the sump, or even just fails on or off. All of these cases lead to damaged equipment or possible flooding. So, how do we prevent that? Youguessed it! Apex ATO!
The setup is fairly simple. You will place one optical sensor (ATOHGH) above the high level of the existing ATO. You will also place an optical sensor (ATOLOW) below the low level of the existing ATO. The sensors are just outside the range of the existing ATO as a safety mechanism to turn off the existing ATO in case of failure.
Code:
Fallback ON
Set ON
If ATOLOW OPEN Then OFF
If ATOHGH CLOSED Then OFF
So if the ATOLOW Apex ATO Sensor is open (dry) it will turn the ATO outlet off. This is because the ATO Reservoir is either empty or the pump is not functioning. As such, this line turns the pump off to prevent damage.
If the ATOHGH Apex ATO Sensor is closed (wet) it will turn the ATO outlet off. This is because the sump's water level is too high meaning the ATO should have turned off. This line will turn off the ATO outlet to prevent flooding.
Apex ATO - As a Backup to Your ATO - Advantages
- Simple and Easy to set up
- 2 layers of safety
Apex ATO - As a Backup to Your ATO - Disadvantages
- Requires another ATO
- Possible for the ATO pump to run dry
Apex ATO - Backup with Reservoir Sensor
Additionally, you will need:
- An ATO that is not built in to the Apex
The setup will match the above Apex ATO - As a Backup to Your ATO. This will also use an external ATO and be nearly identical. The only difference is that it will turn the ATO outlet off if the ATO Reservoir is low. This will prevent the Apex ATO pump from running dry, and potentially damaging the pump.
The one additional sensor needed (ATORES) will be placed just above the Apex ATO Pump intake in the RO Reservoir.
Code:
Fallback ON
Set ON
If ATOLOW OPEN Then OFF
If ATOHGH CLOSED Then OFF
If ATORES OPEN Then OFF
Just like Apex ATO - As a Backup to Your ATO, it will turn the ATO outlet off if the ATO is pumping water beyond the point where it should (stuck on) or if it is not pumping water, as a way to save equipment. The additional sensor turn off the Apex ATO outlet when there is not enough water in the ATO Reservoir. This will save the equipment.
Apex ATO - Backup with Reservoir Sensor - Advantages
- Simple and Easy to set up
- 3 layers of safety
- Prevents damage to Pumps
Apex ATO - Backup with Reservoir Sensor - Disadvantages
- Requires another ATO
Apex ATO - Set Up Alerts
The last step is to set up alerts to let you know something is wrong. For this one, you will have to pick which sensors you want an alert for. Remember that "OPEN" means the sensor is DRY and "CLOSED" means the sensor is under water. For the example below, I will set the alarms the way the last Apex ATO setup would use. The other other Apex ATO using the high and low sensors would use the same, but without the line for ATORES.
This code will be placed in the Alarm output (may be defaulted to something like "EmailAlm_I5").
Code:
Set OFF
If ATOLOW OPEN Then ON
If ATOHGH CLOSED Then ON
If ATORES OPEN Then ON
That's it. Now if your Apex ATO stopes working or if your ATO Reservoir runs dry, your Neptune Apex will let you know via a phone notification, text, or email. Whatever you may have set up.
Conclusion
Now that I've shown you how to program your own Apex ATO with the Neptune Apex, you can choose your favorite pump and even monitor more water levels in your sump and ATO Reservoir. You can even get notifications when your Apex ATO fails or the ATO Reservoir needs to be filled. Now that's what I call a SMART ATO!
Don't have a Neptune Apex yet? Pick one up from Reef Stable and support this blog!
About the Author
John Krenzer
John is a Software Engineer with a passion for saltwater aquariums, as well as the founder and president of Reef Stable. He started in the aquarium hobby as a child with a 20 gallon freshwater aquarium. His interest in aquarium life grew and in 2008, John set up his first saltwater aquarium.
Today, John maintains an over 300 gallon reef tank system, consisting of a 120g reef and a 210g reef. These large tanks are contained within the same system, sharing a sump as a means to reduce total maintenance and increase total water volume.
John writes articles for the blog as a means to learn about more reef aquarium topics. These articles act as a reference for the readers as well as himself. John updates these articles frequently to provide additional information or make corrections as new information becomes available.
If you would like to request an article, tank tour article, or to collaborate, let me know via the Contact Me Page!
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