Zip ties removed!!!! It holds!!! Super stable actually. Surprised.
Hoping to be done with the remaining rock work this vacation weekend....maybe today....but definitely have it filled, or getting started....before we head back to work Wednesday!!!!
Thank you!
Deep sandbed or as some around here call DSB, is supposed to grown aerobic bacteria in the top layers and anaerobic bacteria in the lower layers. I plan to....eventually....have a pretty heavy bioload and i wanted all the filtration i could get. Additionally, the tank is SUPER deep. Even with the 5" sandbed, reaching the bottom the water nears my shoulder!
Thank you!
***WARNING*** personal note:
Well folks, been going through some signifiant life events lately so i have been very preoccupied. Luckily, among these life changes has included a job move within my current company and a raise. Great timing.
*****************
My snowflake eel finishes up her Cholorquine Phosphate treatment today! tossed into her filter some purigen and carbon. going to give it a few days to fully get out of the water. Screen top build kit is in the mail, should arrive any day now.
looking at building my bigger QT system so i can prepare for my big fish order
Will keep you all posted.
but I am definitely planning on getting into the larger tanks...I just am always amazed at all the effort and research people put into the filtration! I wouldn't even know where to begin with all that! But yes, will definitely be following this tank's progression 
Ok, gotcha! I'm still fairly new to all this, and I've only dived into it with a nano tank as my first
#!/usr/bin/env python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
#
# Code thrown together by Reef2Reef: MarsRover
# Please do not replicate or steal without giving appropriate credit! Thank you!
#
#
# 51 mA max from all 3.3V GPIO pins. Each pin can only handle 16mA EACH
#
# Use a thermistor to read temps and illuminate LEDs based upon temps
import time, math
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
import max31865
import datetime
import subprocess
########values to tweek by user:
temp_low = 77 #lowest temp for LEDs (F)
temp_high = 79 #highest temp for LEDs (F)
number_of_samples_running_ave = 100
outlier_rejection_percent = 0.25
linear_offset_value = -2 + (0.93*1.8) # minus to offset down, plus to offset up
heater_channel = 5 #Pi's pin that the heater relay's + port is plugged into
#########################################
#define consts
RUNNING = True
temp_list = []
sample_number = 0
last_average = 0
heater_on = 0
#set GPIO pins to Broadcom numbering system
GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
GPIO.setup(heater_channel,GPIO.OUT)
GPIO.output(heater_channel, GPIO.LOW)
#
############################
############################
############################
##create a function to take a temp reading
###########################
###########################
# which we convert to F and return to our main loop
# get these values from: http://www.thinksrs.com/downloads/programs/Therm%20Calc/NTCCalibrator/NTCcalculator.htm
def temperature_reading():
total = 0
average_reading = 0
global sample_number
global last_average
#using the RTD.....
#Clk yellow 4. Green SDO 17. Orange SDI 27. Brown CS 22.
csPin = 22 #CS - this is the Chip Select pin, drop it low to start an SPI transaction. Its an input to the chip
misoPin = 17 #SDO - this is the Serial Data Out / Master In Slave Out pin, for data sent from the MAX31865 to your processor
mosiPin = 27 #SDI - this is the Serial Data In / Master Out Slave In pin, for data sent from your processor to the MAX31865
clkPin = 4 #SCK - This is the SPI Clock pin, its an input to the chip
#Grab a temperature reading from the PT100 attached to the MAX31865 ADC-Amp
sample_number += 1
max = max31865.max31865(csPin,misoPin,mosiPin,clkPin)
tempF = max.readTemp()
tempF += linear_offset_value
#Append the value to the temperature array
temp_list.append(tempF)
#perform outlier rejection
print "last average: ", str(last_average)
if (last_average != 0):
# print 'In last average != 0!!!!!!!\n\n'
# print 'temp F: ',str(tempF)
# print 'outlier reject %: ', str(outlier_rejection_percent)
# print 'last average reading: ', str(last_average)
# print 'outlier max: 1+outlier_rejection_percent)*last_average: ', str((1+outlier_rejection_percent)*last_average)
# print 'outlier min: 1-outlier_rejection_percent)*last_average: ', str((1-outlier_rejection_percent)*last_average)
if ((tempF > (1+outlier_rejection_percent)*last_average) or (tempF < (1-outlier_rejection_percent)*last_average)):
#if there is an outlier, ditch the sample, and move on to taking the next sample
print '!!!!! OUTLIER REJECTION !!!!!'
print 'tempF = ', str(tempF)
print 'average = ', str(average_reading)
print 'last average = ', str(last_average)
print 'tempF is outside the outlier detection band set at ' + str(outlier_rejection_percent) + 'percent of the average'
print '!!!!! OUTLIER REJECTION !!!!!'
del temp_list[-1]
sample_number -= 1
print '!!!!! OUTLIER REJECTION !!!!!'
else:
#if there is NOT an outlier, make sure we haven't exceed our number of sample running average number, and then take the average and write it to the file
# print 'didn\'t find an outlier.....'
average_reading = 0
total = 0
#Take off the oldest reading if we have taken more than the max running sample average number of samples
#number_of_samples_running_ave
if len(temp_list) > number_of_samples_running_ave:
del temp_list[0]
#average our last chunk of samples to generate our running average value
for samples in temp_list:
total+=samples
average_reading = total/len(temp_list)
last_average = average_reading
#now write the values to their proper text files:
F1 = open('/home/pi/ExamplePICode/tempRunningAverageOutput_PT100_RAW.txt', 'a')
F1.write(str(sample_number)+','+str(tempF)+'\n')
F1.close()
F2 = open('/home/pi/ExamplePICode/tempRunningAverageOutput_PT100_runningAVE.txt', 'a')
F2.write(str(sample_number)+','+str(average_reading)+'\n')
F2.close()
print '***** SAMPLE: ', str(sample_number)
print '***** TEMP: ',str(tempF), ' F'
print '*****', len(temp_list), ' sample AVE : ',str(average_reading), ' F'
print '***** TEMP: ',str((tempF-32)/1.8), ' C'
print '*****', len(temp_list), ' sample AVE : ',str((average_reading-32)/1.8), ' C'
else:
print '....last_average = 0 .....must be the first run....'
print 'first reading: ', str(tempF) , ' degF'
print 'setting the average equal to our first sample value.....'
average_reading = tempF
last_average = average_reading
# raw_input("Press Enter to continue...")
return average_reading
###########################
###########################
#main LOOP
try:
while RUNNING:
# take temp reading
t = temperature_reading()
#temp_low = 77 #lowest temp for LEDs (F)
#temp_high = 79 #highest temp for LEDs (F)
if (t <= temp_low):
if (heater_on == 0):
date_time = str(datetime.datetime.now())
date_time = date_time.replace(" ", "")
tweet = '(' + date_time + ')' + ' Turning heater on! Temp is ' + str(t) + ' F'
print tweet
heater_on = 1
#### Now tweet!
# [code removed for sharing simplicity]
#### done tweeting....
GPIO.output(heater_channel, GPIO.HIGH)
elif (t>= temp_high):
if (heater_on == 1):
date_time = str(datetime.datetime.now())
date_time = date_time.replace(" ", "")
tweet = '(' + date_time + ')' + ' Turning heater off! Temp is ' + str(t) + ' F'
print tweet
GPIO.output(heater_channel, GPIO.LOW)
heater_on = 0
#### Now tweet!
# [code removed for sharing simplicity]
#### done tweeting....
GPIO.output(heater_channel, GPIO.LOW)
else:
print 'Temp is ' + str(t) + ' F'
# time interval for taking readings in seconds
time.sleep(1)
# if CTRL+C is pressed the main loop is broken
except KeyboardInterrupt:
RUNNING = False
print "\Quitting"
# Actions under 'finally' will always be called
# regardless of what stopped the program
finally:
# stop and cleanup to finish cleanly so the pins are available to be used again
print "\Cleaning up!"
GPIO.cleanup()import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib.animation as animation
import time
fig = plt.figure(figsize=(8,8),facecolor='white')
ax1 = fig.add_subplot(1,1,1)
#/home/pi/ExamplePICode/tempRunningAverageOutput_PT100_runningAVE.txt
#/home/pi/ExamplePICode/tempRunningAverageOutput_PT100_RAW.txt
def animate(i):
ThermistorDataAVERAGE = open("/home/pi/ExamplePICode/tempRunningAverageOutput_PT100_runningAVE.txt","r").read()
ThermistorDataRAW = open("/home/pi/ExamplePICode/tempRunningAverageOutput_PT100_RAW.txt","r").read()
AverageARRAY = ThermistorDataAVERAGE.split('\n')
RawARRAY = ThermistorDataRAW.split('\n')
xAVE = []
yAVE = []
for eachLine in AverageARRAY:
if len(eachLine)>1:
x,y = eachLine.split(',')
xAVE.append(int(x))
yAVE.append(float(y))
xRAW = []
yRAW = []
for eachLine in RawARRAY:
if len(eachLine)>1:
x,y = eachLine.split(',')
xRAW.append(int(x))
yRAW.append(float(y))
ax1.clear()
ax1.plot(xRAW,yRAW,'-r',label='Raw')
ax1.plot(xAVE,yAVE,'-b',label='Average')
ax1.legend(loc='upper left')
plt.title('Temperature v Time')
plt.xlabel('Sample Number')
plt.ylabel('Temperature (degF)')
plt.grid(True)
ani = animation.FuncAnimation(fig, animate, interval=1000)
plt.show()
