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  #1  
Old 05/14/2004, 12:08 PM
David MC Lee David MC Lee is offline
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Question What would you like in an aquarium controller?

If I ever my new tank going and have some free time I might decide to design my own aquarium controller. I wanted to know what other people might like in a controller. Here are a few things I would like to be able to control.
-Lights
-Main pumps
-Wave making pump
-Heater & chiller
-pH readout
-Additives pump
-Phone dialer alarm
-PC interface

Help me get some more ideas.
  #2  
Old 05/14/2004, 01:14 PM
Brewboy74 Brewboy74 is offline
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Moon lights with an adjustable lunar cycle.
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I thought this hobby was gonna be cheaper than my last three..................boy the wife is gonna be ****ed when she finds out!!!!!
  #3  
Old 05/14/2004, 02:37 PM
andycook andycook is offline
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I'll take one!!!!

dosing pump
fans
automatic feeder
top off system/level/float switch
water change
watt meter
feeding timer
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  #4  
Old 05/15/2004, 01:41 AM
tschopp tschopp is offline
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ph, orp, temp, salinity display

Ca reactor ph
above tank temp and RH
basement temp and RH
outside temp and RH
AC voltage

user configurable program, example:
if temp > 80 then fan1 = on
if temp > 81 then fan2 = on
if reactor ph < 6.5 then CO2 = off

datalogging
  #5  
Old 05/15/2004, 08:29 AM
lglamb lglamb is offline
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Tyra Banks
  #6  
Old 05/16/2004, 08:19 PM
dont ask dont ask is offline
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a robot to do tank maintenance and carry out my plans for world domination
and a battery backup
  #7  
Old 05/17/2004, 02:50 AM
badbu68 badbu68 is offline
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Heck if it has a pc interface, just write a module for each thing you'd like to control. That would also make data logging that much easier (unless you were going to rip apart an accounting calculator for the key pad and the printer). Then you could make a html interface and monitor tank paramitors while your out and about. One step further would be to make pearl scripts for it to send emergency pages to your cell phone/pager via internet sites. It wouldn't be 100% reliable (isp, cell phone/pager service provider, etc), but that would be a nice "save your ***" kinda thing.
  #8  
Old 05/17/2004, 12:02 PM
David MC Lee David MC Lee is offline
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Thanks for the ideas Moon light was a good one. Do most people use LEDs for this now days? How many different output for Moon lights? 8?
With current and AC voltage you can get a watt meter.
I think I would put fans under chiller.
Dosing pump would be Additives pump.
Automatic feeder / feeding timer would have to know the interface.?
top off system/level/float switch can do .

O yea RH I want that one too. I really wanted this as well steve the in door and out door. Can help you to know when to run you heaters and chillers. Why cool the tank a bunch if the outside temp is dropping fast.
Ca reactor ph
above tank temp and RH
basement temp and RH
outside temp and RH
AC voltage
I did my own programming language a few years ago for a project for farmers to use. It was very simple and easy to use, I will have to look at that code. It was like 13 years ago.
Tyra Banks? I haven't had much luck in this area. Your on your own.
As for the pc interface it would just create a very open system and it you want write code. Go for it.
Any More?

Last edited by David MC Lee; 05/17/2004 at 12:15 PM.
  #9  
Old 05/23/2004, 09:01 PM
tschopp tschopp is offline
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Newark sells some cheap RH sensors made by honeywell. They are based on humicap technology (much better than hygristors). They work well in the lab, but have a significant light sensitivity. We tried them in the field on some weather towers, but could not shield them from the sun well enough so we went back to viasala sensors at 10x the cost. As long as you know about the light problem and don't mount them under a halide or in the sun they will work well.

For a cheap AC voltage sensor we use an unregulated DC adaptor. The output is linear with input AC voltage.

To get Watts you will need to know the power factor or measure the phase difference between the current and the voltage. Analog devices makes a cheap chip that can do this, but I have not tried it. Or you could program in a constant as an approx. Most of my equip has a PF of .95, but the power heads have a PF of .50. For my power heads 1A * 120 V = 60 watts.

Since the controller will know what equipment is on, if it measures current and the reading is different than expected that could indicate a malfunction.

If you want some help I would be interested, not that I think you need any help.
  #10  
Old 05/24/2004, 10:49 PM
David MC Lee David MC Lee is offline
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I was working on a system like this for the farmer applications years ago to. We could sequence motors on and off and test to see if one had lot a phase, they were 3 phase 480V motors. When you loose a phase they suck tons of current on the other two.
I sat down the other night and tried to start a schematic, when around and around and around and around. Really want a very open system so if someone does not like they way I program something they can do it. I also want other DIY people to be able to add on to the system if they want.
  #11  
Old 05/24/2004, 11:59 PM
Brewboy74 Brewboy74 is offline
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LED's are the majority of moonlights. The number varies from tank to tank. I have 5 fter and it has only 2 mogule mounted LED's that light the tank very nicely. I think 1 per 2 ft of tank is a rule of thumb just about like the MH's.

If you want a beta tester let me know I gotta get a controller one of these days.........
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  #12  
Old 05/26/2004, 11:17 PM
David MC Lee David MC Lee is offline
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I guess you want to be able to dim the moon light too?
  #13  
Old 05/28/2004, 01:16 PM
Brewboy74 Brewboy74 is offline
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that would be nice yes......... simulate the different phases
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  #14  
Old 05/28/2004, 04:22 PM
dont ask dont ask is offline
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oh oh oh
I want constellations to be programmable according to my sign and a light meter and voltmeter to estimate bulb efficiency and when to replace the bulbs.
  #15  
Old 06/15/2004, 11:32 AM
A.K.A. ReefDoctor A.K.A. ReefDoctor is offline
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pc monitor streaming "real time" status for all life support systems and interactive historical data graff for All items that the system is in controll of.

When and where are the CIMA meetings ?
I would be interested in joining the club. I am Located in The Quad cities.
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  #16  
Old 06/15/2004, 12:04 PM
David MC Lee David MC Lee is offline
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We take the summer off.
http://www.cimaonline.us/
  #17  
Old 06/15/2004, 12:07 PM
SaltNutz SaltNutz is offline
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It should ahve network communications capabliity as well as all the other bells and whistles. A nice easy to use GUI would be appreciated based in HTML pages.
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  #18  
Old 10/11/2004, 03:50 PM
David MC Lee David MC Lee is offline
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bump
  #19  
Old 10/13/2004, 01:29 PM
tschopp tschopp is offline
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A USB interface. Not because I think it needs USB, but because my boss would like the capability to embed USB. I figure you could work out the details and I would just look at how it is done.

Just Kidding

He also wants embeded ethernet, but that looks easirer than USB and I think I could swing that on my own.
  #20  
Old 10/13/2004, 01:56 PM
David MC Lee David MC Lee is offline
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You had the same idea as me. I wanted a reason to try a zilog e-net module webserver so I can connect the fish tank to the net. Wanted it for work too.
  #21  
Old 01/14/2005, 01:13 PM
David MC Lee David MC Lee is offline
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Bump
  #22  
Old 01/14/2005, 03:10 PM
oncampus1 oncampus1 is offline
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You must be bored now that the tank is up and running...

Most of what people mentioned earlier would be great. I think the PC interface is a "must have". That would make programming, charting, etc. much easier.

Ryan
  #23  
Old 01/14/2005, 03:39 PM
LegoZ81 LegoZ81 is offline
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can you dim MH's? (I have not read up on how they work I just know they do and are nice and bright ...)
what would be cool if there was a way to get the information would be to be able to adjust the lighting in the tank simulate to real world light intensities so you can have 'cloudy days' in your tank and have varying light intensities on partly 'cloudy days'
you could do a photovoltaic cell and place it outside or by a window and use the voltage produced to determine the intensity of the sun and if possible dim the lights. the problem with that would be that it is for your local area and would not be directly related to the creatures native environment...
instead of dimmming you could have it turn on off additional lighting but it would not be quite as neat looking as dimming.
  #24  
Old 01/14/2005, 05:57 PM
lglamb lglamb is offline
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We've already got something like that.

It's called the Rantoul Power Grid.

Right, Bill?


Lowell
  #25  
Old 01/14/2005, 09:00 PM
David MC Lee David MC Lee is offline
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I had hoped to work on this project this winter but I am doing some other contract work on the side. I'm just still kicking around ideas.
 

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