I use it for feed mode . I use it for water changes shutting equipment off. I use it for status reports when I don’t have my phone available. Really nice to have(AAAA) Amazon Alexa Aquarium Automation: What are your thoughts and experience?
Good day everyone!
Today in my morning news round I saw that the Echo Dot was on sale (40% OFF) and it got me thinking about how people are using devices like Amazon Alexa and smart outlets to control aquarium tasks and equipment. I know that some reefers are already using Amazon Alexa in conjunctions with their controllers and some even using these without a formal saltwater aquarium controller. I found a few threads here on R2R talking about it but I thought we could have a nice little discussion and make this our question of the day and poll! Here are those threads: "Wifi Power Strips" and "Alexa Automation" and "Alexa Meets Apex"
So let's talk about it!
1. What do you think about using "smart outlets" and "voice operated devices" to control aquarium equipment and tasks?
2. What are some reefing tasks that you have "automated" via smart outlets, voice commands, etc?
www.reef2reef.com
You can do anything you want with Alexa on Apex. you just make an alias (something that tells what action to do for what voice command), add the apex skill to your Alexa device and say "Alexa, tell Apex Fusion to feed my fish" "Alexa, tell Apex Fusion to stop my skimmer." Alexa, tell Apex Fusion to restart skimmer". You can make just about anything that is plugged into, or programmed to, your Apex do what you want it to. There're also commands for tank parameter status. I have mine tell me what my calcium reactor and display tank PH. You can also have it tell you what the tank temperature or any of the other parameters are.
WOW! I didn't know that Apex supports Alexa so good!
Do you have a thread of your tank? Looks very interesting.
I use Kasa for most of my home , has been very reliable. I have all my house lights automated with them. Also have some kasa cams and wall plugs. I am planning on getting some kasa surge strips , stopped because i got a pair of classic apex controllers dirty cheap with a power bar. I have another automation platform called yolink that integrates with alexa that has some cool features . It uses Lora for device communication not wifi , is controllable through an app. What is more interesting for me is that i can use those devices with alexa routines and iftt. Imagine this , the temp sensor feels the room is getting too hot and the aquarium is hot , it turns on the ac and a ceiling fan , turns off the lights all in a sequence without having to have devices from the same vendor . Switches are kasa (ceiling fan ) , ac thermostat is google nest , room and aquarium are yolink. Here you can see the info. https://shop.yosmart.com/collections/smart-aquarium I am a system admin so i like when tools integrate to make your life easier.
Tools are just that tools , a hammer don't enable you to make a house but in good hands can do a lot of stuff. No need to work harder if you can use a hammer to put a nail . You are the one that know where the nails go and why tools just make it easier . Automation and AI are not skynet from terminator movie , they are just fancy tools that make your life easier if you invest the time on learning.
