reef-pi :: An opensource reef tank controller based on Raspberry Pi.

[naoki]

I've been sending commands and getting data to/from reef-pi via the API (from/to Home Assistant) for about a month now and I have to say it works flawlessly @Ranjib. Fantastic job on that!

@sfgabe Can you possibly describe the way you are integrating HA with reef-pi. It would be great if you can make a separate thread because it is not easy to keep track of what's going on in this thread.

I'm just starting to think something similar. I played briefly with OpenHAB a couple years ago, and I recently checked out Home Assistant, which seems to be easier. I'm thinking of doing most of power on-off with HA. I think there is a cheap option to do power monitor with Sonoff S31 (since Reef-pi doesn't have the capacity to monitor power usage yet). So I'd like to see how you are doing the integration.

 

[Ryan115]

@Ryan115 Thinking of an auger drive system, the auger doesn't even need to be inside the drum, just feeding from it. Could have the auger and stepper mounted beside the drum at the bottom at a 45* angle to feed over the side into the tank.Keeps the drum from accidentally getting dropped into the tank. Just my $.02

I definetly like the idea of removing and chance of it falling in.
The other issue I have had with auto feeders in the past is the humidity causing it to clump, and then it doesnt go through small openings.
The only issue I see with having move the food up at an angle, is I dont think you would ever be able to get all of the food out of the screw, when it was almost empty, it would just slide back to the bottom. I will draw one up anyway though, maybe I can change the thread pitch to keep is from sloping as much.
I'll keep refining a design. Keep the ideas coming.
Should just be a few 3d printed parts and a stepper motor!

 

[pdisner]

You mean RadioShack pre cellphones and RC cars as their primary sales items? :D

I was just saying the same thing myself yesterday as a matter of fact! Hahaha!!Do you remember the all in one electronics kits they used to have? 150 projects or more if you bought the bigger one

 

[ScottBrew]

I definetly like the idea of removing and chance of it falling in.
The other issue I have had with auto feeders in the past is the humidity causing it to clump, and then it doesnt go through small openings.
The only issue I see with having move the food up at an angle, is I dont think you would ever be able to get all of the food out of the screw, when it was almost empty, it would just slide back to the bottom. I will draw one up anyway though, maybe I can change the thread pitch to keep is from sloping as much.
I'll keep refining a design. Keep the ideas coming.
Should just be a few 3d printed parts and a stepper motor!

Think grain auger, it's used to move grain up into silos, unload trucks, so on. The auger is riding against the bottom of the tube and the food is being shuttled up the tube. It doesn't fall back because it would have to fall over the auger spirals to get back down. Sorry, hard to explain. Look at some videos maybe. Put a rubber door at the top of the tube to keep the humidity down, the food will push the door open as it's being pushed up and out.

 

[ScottBrew]

I was just saying the same thing myself yesterday as a matter of fact! Hahaha!!Do you remember the all in one electronics kits they used to have? 150 projects or more if you bought the bigger one

Don't think I had a Radio Shack kit but had one of the Heath Kits. Only part of it I remember was an AM radio that ran off a 9v battery, you had to hook the jumper lead to a ground, like a lightpole for an antenna.

 

[b4tn]

I was just saying the same thing myself yesterday as a matter of fact! Hahaha!!Do you remember the all in one electronics kits they used to have? 150 projects or more if you bought the bigger one

Ha ha. The one with a big breadboard and a power supply or the one with the coil springs all over it for wire connections? I had both.

 

[ScottBrew]

Ha ha. The one with a big breadboard and a power supply or the one with the coil springs all over it for wire connections? I had both.

The one with the breadboard, in a wooden box. At least I thought it was Heathkit! I'll have to ask my Dad if he remembers what it was. This is back in the mid 70s when I was 6-7. Details are vague.

 

[sfgabe]

@Ryan115 Thinking of an auger drive system, the auger doesn't even need to be inside the drum, just feeding from it. Could have the auger and stepper mounted beside the drum at the bottom at a 45* angle to feed over the side into the tank.Keeps the drum from accidentally getting dropped into the tank. Just my $.02

There are a ton of auto fishfeeders on thingiverse, most are auger driven. I feel like an auger would get mucked up with humidity pretty quickly though. The eheim seems to do a good job of keeping things dry. My cheap-o barrel driven one needs to be shaken around and dried out about once a week, so I'm looking for ways around that.

For the auger driven one, depending on the type of motor you're using, you might find my quick and dirty python script a good place to start.

 

[sfgabe]

@sfgabe Can you possibly describe the way you are integrating HA with reef-pi. It would be great if you can make a separate thread because it is not easy to keep track of what's going on in this thread.

I'm just starting to think something similar. I played briefly with OpenHAB a couple years ago, and I recently checked out Home Assistant, which seems to be easier. I'm thinking of doing most of power on-off with HA. I think there is a cheap option to do power monitor with Sonoff S31 (since Reef-pi doesn't have the capacity to monitor power usage yet). So I'd like to see how you are doing the integration.

A build writeup is on my list of todo's. All of the reef-pi integration uses the API to get and post sensors and automations. You can read more about it on my GitHub backup. I'm going for a biotope setup so most of the "smart" features are activated by feeds from noaa and various other places.

HomeAssistant is... not for the coding-shy. It's a bear just keeping up with constant development. On the other side of that, bugs get fixed fairly quickly and there's always new options with each release.

If you want to poke around, it's fairly easy to get it going for simple things, especially if you have some common smart home things around already.

 

[Ryan115]

Think grain auger, it's used to move grain up into silos, unload trucks, so on. The auger is riding against the bottom of the tube and the food is being shuttled up the tube. It doesn't fall back because it would have to fall over the auger spirals to get back down. Sorry, hard to explain. Look at some videos maybe. Put a rubber door at the top of the tube to keep the humidity down, the food will push the door open as it's being pushed up and out.

Something like this?

There are a ton of auto fishfeeders on thingiverse, most are auger driven. I feel like an auger would get mucked up with humidity pretty quickly though. The eheim seems to do a good job of keeping things dry. My cheap-o barrel driven one needs to be shaken around and dried out about once a week, so I'm looking for ways around that.

For the auger driven one, depending on the type of motor you're using, you might find my quick and dirty python script a good place to start.

I'll look on thingiverse, I started drawing before I looked for what is already out there.
I'll check out your python script too. Thanks for that.
At the end of the day I will probably use the Eheim I already have, but why not draw one out in CAD anyway?

 

[ScottBrew]

Something like this?

I'll look on thingiverse, I started drawing before I looked for what is already out there.
I'll check out your python script too. Thanks for that.
At the end of the day I will probably use the Eheim I already have, but why not draw one out in CAD anyway?

Nice design! Different than what I was envisioning, but I think in terms of how I can use parts I can buy, not make. A 3D printer is on Santa's list!

 

[Ryan115]

Nice design! Different than what I was envisioning, but I think in terms of how I can use parts I can buy, not make. A 3D printer is on Santa's list!

Having a 3D printer has completely changed the way I think about designing things.
They are amazing tools.

 

[Ryan115]

Think grain auger, it's used to move grain up into silos, unload trucks, so on. The auger is riding against the bottom of the tube and the food is being shuttled up the tube. It doesn't fall back because it would have to fall over the auger spirals to get back down. Sorry, hard to explain. Look at some videos maybe. Put a rubber door at the top of the tube to keep the humidity down, the food will push the door open as it's being pushed up and out.

After drawing it, it makes more sense in my head.
I was thinking about it being more vertical and the food spiraling back down like a gumball machine.

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

@Ranjib hey man am I able to access reef pi through my iPhone?

 

[Ranjib]

@Ranjib hey man am I able to access reef pi through my iPhone?

as long as you are in same network (home wifi ) you should be able to access it from any device, mobile, computer , ipad etc

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

as long as you are in same network (home wifi ) you should be able to access it from any device, mobile, computer , ipad etc

Yip I was looking for a way to have a GUI if I’m away from house I ended up using VNC. I don’t know if I am missing something but all I was able to achieve with my windows PC was a connection with the terminal unless I used VNC.

 

[buddy.]

Yip I was looking for a way to have a GUI if I’m away from house I ended up using VNC. I don’t know if I am missing something but all I was able to achieve with my windows PC was a connection with the terminal unless I used VNC.

You can install VNC on your rasberry pi (should already be on raspbian) and then when you remote in to the pi you then open the browser and log in to reef-pi and control it from there.
https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/remote-access/vnc/

 

[Ryan115]

Yip I was looking for a way to have a GUI if I’m away from house I ended up using VNC. I don’t know if I am missing something but all I was able to achieve with my windows PC was a connection with the terminal unless I used VNC.

I have been using Remot3.it for my remote access. Supposed to be secure and it was easy to set up.
I can confirm it worked seamlessly even internationally (not that that should matter).

 

[b4tn]

I recently switch from Verizon to xfinity. With my Verizon router I had a built in app that allowed you to enter the account information for several free Dynamic DNS services that auto updated your IP if it changed to whatever your registered dns name was. My xfinity router does not have this. I found this article for configuring raspbian to use noip but was wondering if any of you have done anything different or better?

http://www.darwinbiler.com/dynamic-dns-using-raspberry-pi/

 

[ScottBrew]

I have been using Remot3.it for my remote access. Supposed to be secure and it was easy to set up.
I can confirm it worked seamlessly even internationally (not that that should matter).

I recently switch from Verizon to xfinity. With my Verizon router I had a built in app that allowed you to enter the account information for several free Dynamic DNS services that auto updated your IP if it changed to whatever your registered dns name was. My xfinity router does not have this. I found this article for configuring raspbian to use noip but was wondering if any of you have done anything different or better?

http://www.darwinbiler.com/dynamic-dns-using-raspberry-pi/

What are the benefits to either of these vs VNC server and viewer? Maybe I haven't had any glitches forcing me to change yet. I have my pi set to a static IP and it connects in the house via browser or outside my network with VNC without any issues.