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Neptune Apex System - How to Get Notifications for Pump Maintenance and Clogs
Last updated on November 17th, 2023
Neptune Apex System - How to Get Notifications for Pump Maintenance and Clogs
Some of the most common problems with reef tanks, and most common causes of aquarium floods, are from the least predictable problems. Pumps can get clogged over time, needing maintenance or cleaning and we just don't notice. If just one of multiple powerheads did this, it wouldn't be a big concern. But what if your return pump got clogged? Maybe a snail crawled in an jammed the pump. Now what? Will the tank survive? How long? Will the sump overflow, causing a flood? Th Neptune Apex System has you covered with Power Monitoring Alarms, or Notifications for Pump Maintenance and Clogs.
An easy way around this is to set up a power monitoring alarm in the Neptune Apex. If something causes the power used by the pump to go above or below the normal values, the Neptune Apex System will send you an alarm so you can fix the clog or clean your pumps!
How to Get Notifications for Pump Maintenance and Clogs - Neptune Apex System
What you will need:
- Either one of the following Neptune Apex System Base Units will work:
- An Energy Bar 832
To learn more about the difference between the base units, check out the article: Neptune Apex System - Base Unit.
To set up power monitoring alarms, you will need each pump to be plugged in to its own outlet on the Energy Bar 832.
1. Open the Tasks Menu
Rather than try to do the code yourself, we will use a Neptune Apex System Task function built in to Apex Fusion. From the Apex Fusion home page, select the tasks icon.
2. Choose the Power Usage Alarm Task
Find the "Power Usage Alarm" task in the list. You will likely find a number of other tasks that may be helpful. This menu has a lot of cool functionality and you should definitly look through them for yourself!
3. Start the Task and Select Your Pump
A pop-up modal will show once you select the task. Click next (not shown). The next page will ask you to pick which outlet you want to set up alarms for. Select the one with the pump or other device you want to monitor. For me, this will be my return pump.
4. Decide the Min and Max Values
Next, you will decide the lowest and highest energy usage that you thing is possible for the "normal" range. You will want to look at the power monitoring of the device and give a little wiggle room so you aren't getting a lot of false alarms. That being said, the Neptune Apex System has some automatic values determined for you if you have been using the Energy Bar 832 already. This may be a good place to start and then adjust if needed.
5. Send the Alarm Configuration
If you're happy with these settings, click send. You're Done!
Conclusion
That's all there is to it! You are one step closer to having a SMART reef tank, thanks to the Neptune Apex System. If you set up these alarms on each or your pumps and powerheads using the Energy Bar 832, your reef tank will be able to tell you when the pumps are clogged, stopped, or need cleaning by sending a power usage alarm. If you ever need to change the limits of the alarm, just follow these steps again and the Apex will update it for you!
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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