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

[Ranjib]

If I build the circuit above do I also need to make the dimming circuit on the Reef Pi Guide 5: lighting controller, or would the one above connect straight to the reef pi controller?

Im sorry I lost track of what you were upto :-) . do you have thread or can you remind me what us the target light /setup etc?

 

[Ranjib]

I did not do any upgrades
Did i clean install of version 3

I think i might have accidentally tried to delete the raspberry driver as it was working before i started playing with my ph setup

you can always reset reef-pi by deleting the database and restarting it. checkout the troubleshooting guide for details

 

[Ranjib]

On the dashboard drop down its called tc(temp controller). Pick that instead of temperature

This is another UI/UX thing that we have to improve. I'll note it down

 

[Ranjib]

In timers does anyone know of a way to get equipment to turn on for example every Wednesday?

This is not supported yet in reef-pi. you can say things like 3rd day of the month (3) or every 7 th day (*/7) etc. I am planning to change the timer API/UI to accommodate things like this.

 

[Ranjib]

When enable pca9685 and a physically connected pca9685 it works great!
I found that you can connect multiple temp sensors to only one gpio04 pin. Before, I had a relayboard connected to gpio04 and it did not work, i thought the gpiopin was dead, probably I had temp selected in settings,.
Is only gpio04 for temp sensors? Or can i use other pins to? I tried gpio17 but no temp sensors showed up.

reef-pi , the software itself is not aware of specific GPIO pin that is used for one wire communication (temperature sensor), this is configured at linux/kernel level (/boot/config.txt). you can update that file to use any other pin. By default its 4, and I tend to stick with that. Check out this page: https://reef-pi.github.io/guides/electronics/ , at the end of this i have shared a recommended pin layout. You dont have to stick to it, this is just what I use and it calls out other known use cases

 

[Ranjib]

When enable pca9685 and a physically connected pca9685 it works great!
I found that you can connect multiple temp sensors to only one gpio04 pin. Before, I had a relayboard connected to gpio04 and it did not work, i thought the gpiopin was dead, probably I had temp selected in settings,.
Is only gpio04 for temp sensors? Or can i use other pins to? I tried gpio17 but no temp sensors showed up.

https://pinout.xyz/pinout/1_wire this page details how to use other than GPIO 4 for one wire. Note, in any case you need only one gpio pin

 

[Ranjib]

Pin 4 by default is assigned the 1-Wire communication protocol, that's what the ds18b20 temp sensors use. You can change that to any other usable pin through a config. file. But I'm not sure on the consequences of doing so in reef-pi.

Chris

Nothing. reef-pi should work fine as long as the right settings are there and the sensors are detected

 

[Ranjib]

@Ranjib

So can you use 3 calibration samples if you wanted to? 10, 7 and 4?

Nope. As of now we only support two point calibration. I am looking for references on three point calibration algorithms. I am not sure though its very useful (compared to the algorithmic complexity involved) for our cases. From my primitive understanding most freshwater or saltwater aquarium use case should be fine at two point calibrated readings,.

 

[Ranjib]

@Michael Lane

Well that did it working like a charm now!

Woot :)

 

[Ranjib]

Im going to experiment when i calibrate. My 4,7, and 10 calibration packets arrive today. Since reef pi is 2 point calibration, I should use 4 and 7 to calibrate, but im curious if i calibrate at 4 and 10 how close the 7.0 reading will be in the 7.0 solution..if its dang close, I may just use a 4 and 10 calibration.

Let us know about your finding , im curious too :-)

 

[Ranjib]

For ph meters that may be measuring the whole range from 0 to 14, and have temperature compensation, ph meters usually use a 3 point calibration. The cal at 7 and 10 gives the alkaline slope, the 4 and 7 gives the acidic range slope. The calibration at 7 also gives the offset from 0, which is used to offset the whole range and figured in when compensating for temperature.
Since most of out tanks are within a few degrees of 25C or 77F where the standard is measured for ph, the temp conpensation is so small that it doesnt matter for our purposes. So a 2 point calibration is accurate enough. It would make a difference if you were running a special coldwater tank for trout at 50F, or using your ph probe for measuring during brewing beer at high temps.

Whoa :-) . Thank you for sharing this. Very informative

 

[Ranjib]

you ever seen that documentary about corals below the ice sheet in antartica? I've always thought it would be cool to keep a tank that like. Be almost impossible to get stuff to put in it but it would still be neat if you could.

The trout tank comment jogged that thought. A trout tank would be amazing to!

There are people who keep temperate reef tanks, running at 60-65F . Not super cold, but still. I didnt knew there are corals beneath antarctica. I have seen some NPS in recent R/V Falkor live stream... but they are still in temperature environment, (i think)

 

[Ranjib]

I had a coldwater minnow/brook trout tank 15 years ago...back then they didnt have the chillers and powerheads they do now...it did well all winter in the basement, until summer hit...trout need cold water and lots of oxygen, and pristine water.

How big tank is required for them?

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

@Ranjib

A couple links for you!

Hey thanks for not charging for reef-pi or charging a subscription fee!




https://www.nationalgeographic.com/...tica-frozen-beauty-exotic-creatures-penguins/

 

[Ranjib]

I think my red dragon is taking off again.

I have made some interesting adjustment recently , to stabilize my alk levels. Instead of two part dosing which was kinda increasing my ph and started mixing sodium bicarbonate in ato directly . The result was pretty good , my alk is now maintained at 8 with less ph impact.

For reference this was the same piece less than three months ago

 

[AquaRaider44]

I think my red dragon is taking off again.

I have made some interesting adjustment recently , to stabilize my alk levels. Instead of two part dosing which was kinda increasing my ph and started mixing sodium bicarbonate in ato directly . The result was pretty good , my alk is now maintained at 8 with less ph impact.

For reference this was the same piece less than three months ago

What are you keeping your pH at now?

What are your phosphates and nitrates and magnesium and calcium levels too if you don't mind. I really need to get my acros growing like this! Do you feed your corals or dose any trace elements?

 

[Bigtrout]

Brook trout get up to 20 inches or so and 5 lbs. But the mountain

How big tank is required for them?

Coldwater fish need more space, kinda like goldfish...i kept 2 5 inch trout and a school of 12 coldwater minnows(rednosed dace) in a 55 gallon and that was max capacity

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

I think my red dragon is taking off again.

I have made some interesting adjustment recently , to stabilize my alk levels. Instead of two part dosing which was kinda increasing my ph and started mixing sodium bicarbonate in ato directly . The result was pretty good , my alk is now maintained at 8 with less ph impact.

For reference this was the same piece less than three months ago

I dont have quite enough load to add sodium bicarb to my ato but i do dose it in between water changes. It is nice to be able to raise alk without a super sharp ph move as well.

I have 1 gal Hawaiian Punch jugs with sodium bicarb, nitrate solution, phosphate solution, and magnesium.

Its nice to have them on hand when needed. Reef-pi doser is going to be in the works eventually that way i can hit a button to dose!

 

[Ranjib]

What are you keeping your pH at now?

What are your phosphates and nitrates and magnesium and calcium levels too if you don't mind. I really need to get my acros growing like this! Do you feed your corals or dose any trace elements?

ph swings between 8-8.4, Calcium is at 420, i dont check magnesium frequently. I had checked it couple of months back and it was around 1350 or so. I do once every two week 15% water change. I feed either reef roid or benepetit (a poweder food that has probiotics as well).

 

[Ranjib]

What are you keeping your pH at now?

What are your phosphates and nitrates and magnesium and calcium levels too if you don't mind. I really need to get my acros growing like this! Do you feed your corals or dose any trace elements?

And i dont dose any trace elements. Once a week i add 5-10 ml of reef fuel (you can use acropower as well).