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

[b4tn]

Do the math:
100,000 divided by 1440 minutes in a day =only 70 days if the heater switches on and off every minute.

@Bigtrout Interesting. And it just happens to be very close to 70 days since it was put into operation :). I have moved the heater to a NC outlet and am using the heater to control the temp as of now. I also have an aqeon pro now that’s going to be put into the system as a fail safe.

 

[Bigtrout]

@Bigtrout Interesting. And it just happens to be very close to 70 days since it was put into operation :). I have moved the heater to a NC outlet and am using the heater to control the temp as of now. I also have an aqeon pro now that’s going to be put into the system as a fail safe.

My aqueon pro heaters are great, with room temp varying 5 degrees, they keep the aquarium at 78 and only vary .3 degrees at most.

 

[sergifed91]

One reef pi should do all you ask, with the exception of reading PAR...thats not a feature on the radar as far as i know

As far as par that will be down the road. Not a priority. The programming should be pretty forward. For the skimmer and heater. On and off for the skimmer. Heated. Turn on at 78 off at 79. Not sure what I'm going to program the Jabea pump and the 1000k gyro yet. If it will just be off and on or get fancy with the code. Since they have there own controllers. Lights will be a little more difficult with programming them.

 

[Ryan115]

Depends on how many channels of lighting and how many outlets. A typical reef pi setup with one pi following the guides can handle 8 power outlets and 16 pwm channels for lighting and ato. Adding a second uln 2803 will get you 4 additional outlets and leave a few gpio for inlets.

But I think a new feature being added to 3.0 is being able to control a cluster of reef pi with one main reef pi, which would give you alot of expansion room.

With some recent updates, I think this may be a low estimate. I believe as of 2.3 we have the ability to use the PCA9685 pins as output pins, though I dont know if we can have multiple PCA9685 devices yet. With those changes, you can control hundreds of outlets and lights while leaving your GPIO pins for inputs.
So 1 pi can do an amazing amount of control.

 

[Zippyfear]

My aqueon pro heaters are great, with room temp varying 5 degrees, they keep the aquarium at 78 and only vary .3 degrees at most.

With heater thermostats maintaining the temp so well, what's the point of using the Reef-pi to control day to day? I see it more as a safety off switch in case the heaters get stuck on. and an alert if they aren't keeping up (assuming one or both fail unnoticed)

 

[Bigtrout]

With heater thermostats maintaining the temp so well, what's the point of using the Reef-pi to control day to day? I see it more as a safety off switch in case the heaters get stuck on. and an alert if they aren't keeping up (assuming one or both fail unnoticed)

First off, WELCOME to Reef2reef!

Thats what its doing in my setup, its my failsafe, not my control...but the monitoring, and email alerts if something goes amiss are invaluable.
Aqueon Pro heaters have solid state controls, other brands have a bi-metal tstat and may not be near as accurate so reef pi may be more accurate. Any heater should have a failsafe of some kind whether its reef pi, an inkbird, an apex. Why trust hundreds in livestock to a 50 dollar heater, or a system with no failsafe if a control fails?

 

[b4tn]

So far switching to heater control with reef-pi as a fail safe my fluctuation in temp is +/- .5. (between 78 and 78.5) I have not put my Aqueon online yet so thats using the ehiem bi-metal heater. I can say when I had reef-pi doing the control, checking every minute, my temp was always within .1 degree of my target. I kind of like that stability and would much rather have reef-pi do the control. I may however change my mind once the solid state Aqueon is my primary heater.

In the meantime I am re designing my power strip. I am thinking to do a mix of solid state and mechanical relays. For the heater relay I think instead of going with a Chinese ebay-special high current solid state relay I am going to go with this Panasonic zero cross 15 amp relay
https://www.arrow.com/en/products/aqa211vl/panasonic

- My ATO uses a toms aqualifter pump which does not like SSR's so it will be a mechanical relay
- Return I want to run normally closed so that will be a mechanical relay
- Wavemakers turn on and off every hour so I will use solid state
- Skimmer, scrubber, and sump light rarley switch so I could use mechanical or SS.

So I am looking at probably doing 4 solid state relays and 4 mechanical.

 

[Bigtrout]

For the heater relay I think instead of going with a Chinese ebay-special high current solid state relay I am going to go with this Panasonic zero cross 15 amp relay
https://www.arrow.com/en/products/aqa211vl/panasonic

If you use one of these solid state chinese specials, please add the heatsink!

 

[b4tn]

If you use one of these solid state chinese specials, please add the heatsink!

I actually am not going to use the Chinese knockoff ones. I am going to use a panasonic or equivalent from mouser but still plan on using a heat sink.

 

[trackerit]

HI,

can you record the temperature of previous days in reefpi?

 

[Bigtrout]

I actually am not going to use the Chinese knockoff ones. I am going to use a panasonic or equivalent from mouser but still plan on using a heat sink.

Wise choice!!!

 

[Bigtrout]

HI,

can you record the temperature of previous days in reefpi?

Reef pi itself makes a graph of previous readings, and you can also feed these to a free adafruit io account to graph the readings online, and even download a .csv file of all your feeds if you want.

 

[Ranjib]

HI,

can you record the temperature of previous days in reefpi?

Yes for one month .

 

[ChrisNH]

Adafruit requires a paid subscription for anything beyond a minimal number of feeds. Looking forward to the Prometheus integration!

 

[trackerit]

Yes for one month .

How do I see the previous days?

 

[b4tn]

Here is my heater data, its actually not bad. Top line is the temp in the sump chamber with the heater. Bottom line is temp on the opposite end of the return near the overflow in the display (4 ft tank). You can see where I turned the heater down a bit this morning before I left for work around 5:30. On its new setting the sump temp is very jagged and goes from 78-78.6 degrees. However, the display temp is a very consistent 78-78.1 degrees with very minimal dips or spikes. Reef-pi is set to turn the heater off if it goes above 79.

How do I see the previous days?

This is the adafruit feed. My graph is set to 2 days but you can easily change it to track further out if needed.

 

[trackerit]

Here is my heater data, its actually not bad. Top line is the temp in the sump chamber with the heater. Bottom line is temp on the opposite end of the return near the overflow in the display (4 ft tank). You can see where I turned the heater down a bit this morning before I left for work around 5:30. On its new setting the sump temp is very jagged and goes from 78-78.6 degrees. However, the display temp is a very consistent 78-78.1 degrees with very minimal dips or spikes. Reef-pi is set to turn the heater off if it goes above 79.



This is the adafruit feed. My graph is set to 2 days but you can easily change it to track further out if needed.

my chiller only works when the temperature increases 2 degrees, how do you do to keep the temperature so stable? in reefpi as I do to see the previous days?

 

[AquaRaider44]

my chiller only works when the temperature increases 2 degrees, how do you do to keep the temperature so stable? in reefpi as I do to see the previous days?

Set the chiller to 1 degree

 

[trackerit]

Set the chiller to 1 degree

I dont have idea how set to 1 degree the chiller, its a aqua euro usa max 1/10

 

[AquaRaider44]

I dont have idea how set to 1 degree the chiller, its a aqua euro usa max 1/10

Very odd why not just use reef pi lol. Set the chiller to turn on at the lowest possible so it always turns on then link it to the temperature controled outlet.