mikefoundahobby 120 predator fowlr with lots of DIY

[Mikeneedsahobby]

The alert is really easy. Reef pi sends data to the adafruit website every 30 seconds. If adafruit doesn’t see an update in 10 minutes it sends me an email. It doesn’t know why it didn’t get an update, But typically this is cable outage, WiFi outage, power outage or I shut the reef pi off. To make this run would only require a raspberry pi for $10, a memory card for$5, case for $5, and a wallwart for $5

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

Something happened to my tank today.

After running since January at a perfectly stable 78 degrees, today the temperature starting falling. It’s around 74 now and still dropping. Reef-pi has done it’s job and sent me email letting me know. In adafruit I can see the data. But I am in Mexico for work. I can do nothing until Friday.

I did turn my home heater up to 71 and stopped the automated change of temp at night. Assuming the aquarium heater failed off or the cats unplugged something the tank should drop to 71.

I don’t have any corals or fish in the tank so all should be okay. I need to find out what happened so I can prevent a problem later.

I’ll probably order a heater now. either I need it or it will be good to have a backup at home.

 

[JasonK84]

Something happened to my tank today.

After running since January at a perfectly stable 78 degrees, today the temperature starting falling. It’s around 74 now and still dropping. Reef-pi has done it’s job and sent me email letting me know. In adafruit I can see the data. But I am in Mexico for work. I can do nothing until Friday.

I did turn my home heater up to 71 and stopped the automated change of temp at night. Assuming the aquarium heater failed off or the cats unplugged something the tank should drop to 71.

I don’t have any corals or fish in the tank so all should be okay. I need to find out what happened so I can prevent a problem later.

I’ll probably order a heater now. either I need it or it will be good to have a backup at home.

I didn’t think I had any use for a controller and I was good as long as my lights turned themselves on and off but you’ve shown me 2 features that would be really beneficial. I think I’m gonna start researching some options.

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

I didn’t think I had any use for a controller and I was good as long as my lights turned themselves on and off but you’ve shown me 2 features that would be really beneficial. I think I’m gonna start researching some options.

I think they are useful. The name brand ones are over priced. I wouldn’t buy an apex. I like building things so I enjoyed making the reef pi’s. Of course timers can do stuff. And there are probably home monitors for watching power and such. Many ways to skin the cat.

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

Finally home. A connector was unplugged on the power strip.

I blame the orange one!

I need to clean up my wiring!

 

[JasonK84]

Finally home. A connector was unplugged on the power strip.

I blame the orange one!

I need to clean up my wiring!

Yup, they look like trouble.

 

[JasonK84]

Would this kit work for the power outage notification? I’d still need a memory card but is this everything else?

How many GB should the memory card be? I was talking with my father-in-law this evening and he completely understands how you have the notification working (glad he does).

Last question (for this post), could this send a text message instead of email?

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

It should work.

You don’t need the heat sink. The case is pretty fancy. If you want to graduate to controlling later then you will need a header on the pi zero. Adafruit sells them with header for $15 vs $10 for a pi without header. Or you could solder one on yourself. A header is about $1. And it was easy.

Memory card can be from 8-32g. Don’t go bigger than 32. Bigger than 8 isn’t needed except for re-use someday in the future.

But if you are only wanting to check power state then I bet there a free ways to use a computer or router you aleady have. I’m not sure the method but there must be something out there. All I am doing is sending a signal out and have something out there checking for it.

Take the plunge to temp controlling!!!

And someday I should take a plunge into building my display tank. ;Wackyfor now I’m playing with the freshwater tank.

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

 

[JasonK84]

It should work.

You don’t need the heat sink. The case is pretty fancy. If you want to graduate to controlling later then you will need a header on the pi zero. Adafruit sells them with header for $15 vs $10 for a pi without header. Or you could solder one on yourself. A header is about $1. And it was easy.

Memory card can be from 8-32g. Don’t go bigger than 32. Bigger than 8 isn’t needed except for re-use someday in the future.

But if you are only wanting to check power state then I bet there a free ways to use a computer or router you aleady have. I’m not sure the method but there must be something out there. All I am doing is sending a signal out and have something out there checking for it.

Take the plunge to temp controlling!!!

And someday I should take a plunge into building my display tank. ;Wackyfor now I’m playing with the freshwater tank.

My father-in-law was texting me about the controller yesterday and looking into how I could do it. He had questions about my modem and the model of UPS I have. I’ll see what he comes up with as a solution for alerting me.

I definitely want to do the temp monitoring too. Since heaters are the most likely failure it makes sense to keep track.

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

If you make a reef-pi controller you will need a different case. The controller boards are bigger than the raspberry pi.

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

 

[JasonK84]

How is the salt aquarium going?

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

How is the salt aquarium going?

Still nothing.

But. I’m waiting for the Petco dollar per gallon sale and then I’m going to get quarantine tanks. That should kick start me.

Maybe

 

[JasonK84]

Have you been able to get your $1/gallon tanks?

I made a trip to Amarillo this morning and picked up 4 40 gallon breeders for my fish room build. Got the building mostly insulated yesterday and built a step platform for the building today. Still a ways to go but went ahead and picked up the tanks since they were half off.

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

Yep. I picked up 2 20g and 1 40g breeder. The 40g will be my sump and the 20s my quarantine tanks. I leave for an Alaskan cruise tomorrow it when I get back I plan to get my first fish!

 

[JasonK84]

What will it be?

 

[JasonK84]

Yep. I picked up 2 20g and 1 40g breeder. The 40g will be my sump and the 20s my quarantine tanks. I leave for an Alaskan cruise tomorrow it when I get back I plan to get my first fish!

Have you got any fish in those QT tanks?

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

Finally got my first salt water fish. A valentini puffer's is now swimming in my quarantine tank!

He ate mysis right away. Tomorrow I will begin medications.

 

[JasonK84]

Finally got my first salt water fish. A valentini puffer's is now swimming in my quarantine tank!

He ate mysis right away. Tomorrow I will begin medications.

Awesome!! My blue spot was the first fish I added to my FOWLR.