Dewd's Big Cube Reef-Pi build

[Zippyfear]

This is an intriguing solution. To give you a little background (don't want to waste to much or your time), I have purchased an established 220gallon reef tank (will be relocated this week) with an eshopps sump and some form of ATO (not sure which). I want to set up an AWC system and have looked into the Neptune Apex/DOS option which would ring in at about $900 minimum once it's all said and done. Although I KNOW the Neptune system is well established and will work to perform flawless AWC's with minimum tinkering on my part, if there is a solution that is substantially less costly (ie. reef-pi) and will be almost as or just as reliable and flexible, I'd like to explore the option.

It seems that any reef-pi route would require a lot of design and tinkering on my part (unless I can leverage someone's hard work and use as a blueprint for my system), however, I just don't have the time to tinker and worry about design iterations/etc. at this point ESPECIALLY if the established Neptune system is within the ballpark price wise to this DIY solution.

First question is, what would you estimate my total setup cost would be for your reef-pi setup assuming I have to purchase all the items ie. Raspberry pi, pumps, etc.? Would you be willing to provide a "Bill of Materials" or list of everything I would need to get a setup going (not sure if you've already provided this, if you have I apologize) with whatever your latest and greatest solution is?

Also, are there any major caveats to your system? ie. pumps are only capable of running short runs, Raspberry pi "bug" issues that you've seen, etc.?

Thank you!

Go with the Leviathan board.. it comes with a complete parts list with links from sites where to get it, documentation for everything, and it's all Reef-Pi based.. It's an awesome solution - Also comes with 3D printable case designs.

 

[Zippyfear]

Go with the Leviathan board.. it comes with a complete parts list with links from sites where to get it, documentation for everything, and it's all Reef-Pi based.. It's an awesome solution - Also comes with 3D printable case designs.

Just FYI also.. Reef-Pi can do ATO, Temp, pH monitor, dosing, Lighting, and any timers/outlet control. I even have a simple feeding macro to shut down the flow pumps for 10 min.

 

[Des Westcott]

I built my first reef-pi before there were HAT boards available and my current setup uses the board from Michael Lane, which was the best and most readily available when I purchased.

I think it's important for people to realise that there is nothing that these HAT / Add-on Boards do that can't be done with a Raspberry Pi and some wires and some ingenuity. They give you no additional features and or capabilities

BUT, the HAT boards make it much easier to build the circuits and have many of the components built in to one convenient board that you would have to wire together separately.

As far as doing an AWC, none of the HAT boards available will make implementing that any easier. That is all in the hardware of the float switches and pumps and ultimately in the Macros and timer that have to be set up.

 

[Ranjib]

Any update ? This is promising. If the setup works well, and there’s enough interest from others, I’m sure some one will come up with premodern boards to simplify it,.
Looking forward

 

[Des Westcott]

My setup has been working flawlessly since I set it up. Plugging the equipment was really easy with Michael Lane's Hat board - not even the latest version. The real magic is the Creating the different ATO systems and the Macro that runs them.

Are you suggesting that there is scope for a dedicated board that only manages the water changes and ATO's? I have had 2 guys here in SA tell me they want just that.

I'm looking for a software package that I can use to create a layout / overview of the circuit to show how the whole circuit works. Any suggestions?

 

[Garold R Seifert]

Nice build thread! How did you hook up the float switches to the hat?

 

[Des Westcott]

Nice build thread! How did you hook up the float switches to the hat?

They plug straight into the two pins on the ATO port on @Michael Lane Hat. Easy as.

 

[Bigtrout]

They plug straight into the two pins on the ATO port on @Michael Lane Hat. Easy as.

Im a big fan of the @Michael Lane hats...versatile easy to use and sofar for me...flawless operation

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

I came here seeking which optical water level sensor to buy and how to mount it. I leave here looking for Madison float switch and with an idea how to mount them.

thank you.

 

[Des Westcott]

Well it's been just over a year since I updated this thread, so I thought I should update the status of my reef-pi setup. I going to list below all the equipment and functions I currently have set up.



Hardware

• Raspberry Pi 3B+
• Michael Lane’s Goby Hat board
• 2 x 8-relay boards to control equipment
• Michael Lane’s pH adaptor + pH probe
• 220-12V DC power supply
• 12V-5V buck converter
• DIY Doser Control board

Features

• ATO
  • Normal running level ATO
  • Auto Water Change (AWC) (OUT) ATO
  • Auto Water Change (AWC) (IN) ATO
  • AWC OUT and IN controlled by Timers and Macros to do water changes
• Temperature
  • Tank Temperature controls Heater and Chiller
  • Temp sensor on the chiller pipe coming from the chiller to monitor that it is indeed cooling the water
  • Room temperature
• pH
  • One pH sensor
• Dosing
  • 1 x 3 head Jebao slave doser (DP3S)
  • 1 DIY doser adaptor based on Michael Lane’s design to allow reef-pi to control doser
• Macros
  • Feed (turns pumps etc on and off they way I want when I feed)
  • Auto pellet feeder (controls the Juwel feeder)
  • AWC process
  • Kalk stir process
  • Equipment turn on procedure (turns on return and then waits for sump level to stabilise before turning skimmer on)
• Timers
  • Auto feeds (Feeding via pellet feeder) – various which get turned on and off as I see fit
  • AWC – various depending on how often and when I want
  • Flow / Wavemaker control – creating more random flow by turning various pumps on and off.
  • Refugium Light cycle
  • Kalk stirrer cycle
• Equipment (Relays)
  • 220V
    • Return Pump
    • Skimmer
    • 4 x wavemakers
    • Heater
    • Chiller
    • LED lighting
    • Refugium lighting
    • Sonoff Humidity sensor for cabinet (temporary measure – plan to move this to reef-pi when I can)
    • Kalk Stirrer
  • 12VDC
    • Peristaltic pump for ATO
    • AWC Out pump
    • AWC In pump
  • 5VDC
    • Pellet feeder

 

[Des Westcott]

Future plans - Not much actually, but........

• When I upgrade lights, reef-pi will do the control.
• POSSIBLY additional pH and temp sensors - just for redundancy

Pretty much I'm already at a state where the majority of my reefing mates think this system can run a spaceship, but that's mostly just because Aquatium controllers are in their infancy here in South Africa due the prohibitive cost of the likes of the Apex systems - There are a few in the country, but not many.

Reef-pi and @Ranjib, @Michael Lane and the other developers of the software and the hardware have enabled me to build what I consider to be the best investment I could make on making my tank more convenient, safer and more reliable