Apex Mounting

[dustinkimpel]

Okay, so I took the plunge and withdrew my life savings to buy an apex. I'm having the cable company come out and move my router next to my tank. Question is: Anyone buy a board that is perfect for mounting your apex and what is it?

[Frontier]

Great minds think alike! I recently set up a Red Sea Reefer 170 and ended up placing all of the electronics outside of the cabinet. I decided that there just isn't room to work with in terms of mounting and running everything in there. What I am planning is to find a small enclosure of some type to get the equipment off of the floor and protected from splashes.

[dustinkimpel]

Great minds think alike! I recently set up a Red Sea Reefer 170 and ended up placing all of the electronics outside of the cabinet. I decided that there just isn't room to work with in terms of mounting and running everything in there. What I am planning is to find a small enclosure of some type to get the equipment off of the floor and protected from splashes.

++ exactly what I'm looking for as well. Was also contemplating just using a nice wood panel piece and mounting everything on there. Drilling holes to run the cords behind it and use spacers to push it out from the wall. Then ziptie the cords leading to the tank... Just need to find a nice wood/other type of panel.

[MandM]

Check this out in the Neptune forum -
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2474523

I mounted all my components outside on the wall behind the tank. Too much risk of getting splashed or just damp IMO.

[sixpackgarage]

You don't need to move your router. A $30 netgear wireless adapter will do the trick.

[jayball]

You don't need to move your router. A $30 netgear wireless adapter will do the trick.


Agreed.

As far as mounting surface I use a piece of plywood stained to match the tank stand.

[nvladik]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160127/8fec5cb3dd8cc8badbaf2840e85d0d4e.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160127/8368ab69d73bfbcf84282df2805e1dac.jpg

[nvladik]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160127/0b88c0cdadb3bb66b2139d8fff681813.jpg

[nvladik]

Both of these weren't hard to build if you have access to the tools. Main issue I had is finding space for all cables.

[dustinkimpel]

You don't need to move your router. A $30 netgear wireless adapter will do the trick.

I had one of those on my actual computer about 3 years ago. It was the worst experience of my life... Constant drops and me having to reset it was common....I actually still have it in a drawer somewhere.

[royvoss]

this place makes flush mounting kits for the apex units.

http://www.careefco.com/read-me/

[Frontier]

Check this out in the Neptune forum -
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2474523

I mounted all my components outside on the wall behind the tank. Too much risk of getting splashed or just damp IMO.

Wow, that is damned impressive mounting!

[Frontier]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160127/8fec5cb3dd8cc8badbaf2840e85d0d4e.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160127/8368ab69d73bfbcf84282df2805e1dac.jpg

Awesome that Dustin started this thread!

Something like that - yes!

In my case, I need something that sits to the side of the Reefer 170 stand and holds some electronics in a protected space. It also needs to allow for mounting of some items on the top and inside.

EB8, Apex Base Unit, WXM would be mounted inside/under the enclosure, Misc power supplies (e.g. MP10) could lay loose inside. Display mounted to outside.

I was even thinking of some more ghetto solutions in the short run like a small, wooden, footstool or particleboard bookshelf...



hmmm.....

[Frontier]

OP - what did you decide to do? Mount everything?

[dustinkimpel]

I am going to try and cut a piece of plywood and paint it. Going to use spacers to push it out from the wall and cut holes for the cords to go behind it. Then run a single line to the aquarium. (all the cords zip tied together) Will be my weekend project because my apex is suppose to arrive Saturday.

[Vinny Kreyling]

I stained a piece of ply & mounted it on the wall just to the side of the tank.
I did not stand it off the wall but I like the idea, my cords are all in view.
Pic available to anyone with an email address.

[sfdan]

I made a little cabinet next to my aquarium. Cabinet hides all the wires and protects everything from splashes.

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w429/sfdantank/5da9505b-8f40-4c0d-9626-b917a56b0356_zpsr8ixhcsa.jpg

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w429/sfdantank/82363163-17e1-4f85-a329-da5145fcf576_zps4rgbt6lg.jpg

[bklynreef123]

I used an inexpensive night stand from Walmart that roughly matches my tank stand. It holds my apex doser dosing container top off and controllers for my pumps and skimmer. It cost roughly $50. There is a drawer for misc items and I keep my test kits and dry goods on top of the cabinet. There was a shelf inside the cabinet I was able to repurpose for mounting my apex and holding the doser over the container.

[dustinkimpel]

Well it doesn't look the best but here is what my finished product looks like...

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo17/dustinkimpel/Mobile%20Uploads/0130162011a.jpg

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo17/dustinkimpel/Mobile%20Uploads/0130162011.jpg

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo17/dustinkimpel/Mobile%20Uploads/0130162011_HDR.jpg

[dustinkimpel]

The lighting makes the board look way worse in the pictures. Looks pretty decent in person.

[mnkykng77]

I plan to use an old Ikea cabinet to house my Apex. I also thought about using a generic medicine cabinet too

[Indymann99]

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/Fish%20Tank/IMG_2726_zpsnsoo2ajr.jpg (http://s300.photobucket.com/user/Indymann99/media/Fish%20Tank/IMG_2726_zpsnsoo2ajr.jpg.html)

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/Fish%20Tank/IMG_2722_zpsxwabeeeo.jpg (http://s300.photobucket.com/user/Indymann99/media/Fish%20Tank/IMG_2722_zpsxwabeeeo.jpg.html)

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/Fish%20Tank/TankCabclosed.jpg (http://s300.photobucket.com/user/Indymann99/media/Fish%20Tank/TankCabclosed.jpg.html)

[dustinkimpel]

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/Fish%20Tank/IMG_2726_zpsnsoo2ajr.jpg (http://s300.photobucket.com/user/Indymann99/media/Fish%20Tank/IMG_2726_zpsnsoo2ajr.jpg.html)

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/Fish%20Tank/IMG_2722_zpsxwabeeeo.jpg (http://s300.photobucket.com/user/Indymann99/media/Fish%20Tank/IMG_2722_zpsxwabeeeo.jpg.html)

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/Fish%20Tank/TankCabclosed.jpg (http://s300.photobucket.com/user/Indymann99/media/Fish%20Tank/TankCabclosed.jpg.html)

Very nice setup!

[Frontier]

Hi All,

Ended up going with this:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10595&pictureid=73844

Front small cabinet:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10595&pictureid=73843

Top:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10595&pictureid=73846

Electronics mounted in large recess in rear of small cabinet (where shelves should go):

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10595&pictureid=73842

This little cabinet is actually a caddy for use in small bathrooms. I saw it while walking out of Ikea. :idea:

Works pretty good and it's on casters.

[DivingTheWorld]

I mounted mine to Starboard accessible by the side door to my stand.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o23/sigepotter/Reef%20Tank%20Build/IMG_0274.jpg~original

[chercm]

Hi All,

Ended up going with this:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10595&pictureid=73844

Front small cabinet:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10595&pictureid=73843

Top:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10595&pictureid=73846

Electronics mounted in large recess in rear of small cabinet (where shelves should go):

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10595&pictureid=73842

This little cabinet is actually a caddy for use in small bathrooms. I saw it while walking out of Ikea. :idea:

Works pretty good and it's on casters.


Neat

[mdrobc1213]

Mounted mine to the outside rear of the cabinet this time versus inside/underneath the tank stand. Found to much salt creep/evaporation that way. Outside in the rear I don't get much in the way of splashes when working on the tank which stands about 4-6 inches from the wall but is still enough room I can work back there and plug/route things if I need to without much worry about dropping things/connectors into the water. So far so good.

[ReefRealEstate]

this place makes flush mounting kits for the apex units.

http://www.careefco.com/read-me/

Love it - will be doing that for sure!:bounce3: