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

[Matt Carden]

Lol I didn't know how to answer in words so I gave 1000!

 

[DWKDiver]

Is enable/disable supposed to work? Doesn't seem to work for lights OR I don't understand what it is supposed to do!

 

[SilverBulletPRN]

So how do you set a static IP for the Reef-Pi? I have that same issue where the IP address changes and I have to figure where it ran off too

 

[elysics]

So how do you set a static IP for the Reef-Pi? I have that same issue where the IP address changes and I have to figure where it ran off too

Either do it in the settings menu of your router, or do it on the raspberry pi via

sudo nano /etc/dhcpcd.conf

and then put in something like this:

I prefer doing it on the router, you are less likely to accidentally lose settings there, less likely to run into problems than if you do it manually on devices, you get nice GUIs and sometimes it gives you nifty features like local urls. My router lets me access reefpi via reefpi.local after enabling static ips via the router for example

 

[Sral]

Is enable/disable supposed to work? Doesn't seem to work for lights OR I don't understand what it is supposed to do!

Maybe it’s misleading. I remember a similar „enable“ setting for macros, but I think that only disables the Macro itself, not the equipment it’s connected to.
I guess it might be similar with lights, in that it only enables/disables the automatic intensity profiles, but not the light itself ?

 

[Sral]

Either do it in the settings menu of your router, or do it on the raspberry pi via

sudo nano /etc/dhcpcd.conf

and then put in something like this:

I prefer doing it on the router, you are less likely to accidentally lose settings there, less likely to run into problems than if you do it manually on devices, you get nice GUIs and sometimes it gives you nifty features like local urls. My router lets me access reefpi via reefpi.local after enabling static ips via the router for example

I prefer the router as well, even though I’m not sure about the accidents … for about a year I for example lost my whitelist on every automatic router update ^^

Also: the mentioned Settings in the dhcpcd.conf only work for Ethernet connections, not WiFi.

The url connection should work even without the router settings if I’m not mistaken. You have to ensure that your PI has the right name of course (either when setting the Raspian Image up using the PI Image creator or connecting to your PI and running „sudo raspi-config“ setting the right name and then reboot using „sudo reboot“)

 

[bishoptf]

@Ranjib or @robsworld78 or someone explain the temperature setting for the chiller portion in the temperature control. When I upgraded my return pump my temps have been running higher then I would like in the summer and they have gotten high enough that I have a fan blowing across the top of the tank but would like to control it with reef-pi. All I want to do is to have the fan turn on when it hits a certain temp and turn off when it returns to a certain temp. In the temp settings there is a heater threshold, I have that set to turn of the heater if it ever reaches that point and there is a chiller threshold but it states it needs to be higher than the heater threshold. Not sure I understand how its suppose to work, if anyone can explain it let me know, thanks.

:)

 

[InactiveAcct]

@Ranjib or @robsworld78 or someone explain the temperature setting for the chiller portion in the temperature control. When I upgraded my return pump my temps have been running higher then I would like in the summer and they have gotten high enough that I have a fan blowing across the top of the tank but would like to control it with reef-pi. All I want to do is to have the fan turn on when it hits a certain temp and turn off when it returns to a certain temp. In the temp settings there is a heater threshold, I have that set to turn of the heater if it ever reaches that point and there is a chiller threshold but it states it needs to be higher than the heater threshold. Not sure I understand how its suppose to work, if anyone can explain it let me know, thanks.

:)

Chiller needs to be higher than heater thresh. For example, if your heater kicks in under 78 deg, you don’t want your chiller kicking in above 77 deg, because then the two devices would be fighting each other.

I think at some point I was having trouble with that feature and it ended up being that I needed to use PC web browser instead of my phone.

 

[bishoptf]

Chiller needs to be higher than heater thresh. For example, if your heater kicks in under 78 deg, you don’t want your chiller kicking in above 77 deg, because then the two devices would be fighting each other.

I think at some point I was having trouble with that feature and it ended up being that I needed to use PC web browser instead of my phone.

Yeah thats kind of what I figured out but thats not how I use the temp controller. I use the thermostats in the heaters and set the heater threshold higher up to use as a fail safe in case the thermostat sticks. All I was wanting is to control the fan when the temp reaches a certain temp and then cut it off when it reduces to a certain temp. Using the heater and chiller controls the relay is basically controlling the heater and I was trying to avoid that to keep the cycles off the relay. Wondering if there is any other way of doing it.

 

[Ranjib]

Yeah thats kind of what I figured out but thats not how I use the temp controller. I use the thermostats in the heaters and set the heater threshold higher up to use as a fail safe in case the thermostat sticks. All I was wanting is to control the fan when the temp reaches a certain temp and then cut it off when it reduces to a certain temp. Using the heater and chiller controls the relay is basically controlling the heater and I was trying to avoid that to keep the cycles off the relay. Wondering if there is any other way of doing it.

It’s exactly what @DanTheReefer mentioned. If you don’t want reef-pi to control the heater (turn off ) when fan is on , then declare another temperature controller with the same sensor and use it to control only the chiller.
but this also means that you will run both heater and fan at the same time . But I assume that’s ok as the heater will internally shut off due to its internal thermostat , even if reef-pi keeps it on

 

[SilverBulletPRN]

It’s been couple of years since we moved in to the new house , and now the home related work is settled (it’s never finished ). I am taking this opportunity to get back to my original goal, to have more tanks.

I was pondering for some time .. on specifics of individual tanks . And was thinking of slowly setting up them one by One . But then I realized I have all the equipment , I just finished rebuilding whole bunch of old reef-pi controller with shiny new parts , and I have the tank and dry rock sitting idle . So why not just start cycling those . Here is what happened next
My next pico (calling it my son ‘s as he is the one choosing the corals , doing some of the chores ) . Started early Jan

the next one started late March is the repurposed Red Sea reefer ato container . This one does not have any controller , it’s mostly to see keep those rocks alive . As I was mentioning , I have not decided yet on what to keep in it yet.

The only current resident

kickstarted my first biocube back again last month

and here is the last remaining pico tank that was not sitting idle

These new tanks join the family with the older pico . One of them is pretty much same for past 3 years

the other old pico was being neglected . I took time to de-clutter it and bring some softies back. I’ll decide later what to do once the softies grow larger. I intend to transfer some in biocube .. but there should many other options

A lot of options to experiment with things now. I plan to slowly start experiment with different type of controller functions with this . I have already started with various lights .. will keep you all posted . Follow my build threads for any of the tank specific information

how did you attach that frag to the back wall? it looks great

 

[bishoptf]

It’s exactly what @DanTheReefer mentioned. If you don’t want reef-pi to control the heater (turn off ) when fan is on , then declare another temperature controller with the same sensor and use it to control only the chiller.
but this also means that you will run both heater and fan at the same time . But I assume that’s ok as the heater will internally shut off due to its internal thermostat , even if reef-pi keeps it on

Yeah thats what I was thinking but I wasn't sure how to leave the heater control settings but it finally came to me. What I would like to do is is have the fan come on when the temp raises by 1 deg, can I use hysteresis to make that work. For example, id like the fan to come on when the temp hits 79.5 and lower it buy 1 degree, so take it back down to 78.5 and then turn off, rinse and repeat. Looks like I need to wore some fans up that I can play with the speed, if I can get the right speed then I can just leave them on, but right now the fan drives the temp low enough to where the heaters kick on and trying to avoid that.

Thanks :)

 

[Ranjib]

how did you attach that frag to the back wall? it looks great

I just used ic gel . Btw , I have also glued the same cyphastrea in my 65g Red Sea reefer and it took off :/) , love it

 

[Ranjib]

Yeah thats what I was thinking but I wasn't sure how to leave the heater control settings but it finally came to me. What I would like to do is is have the fan come on when the temp raises by 1 deg, can I use hysteresis to make that work. For example, id like the fan to come on when the temp hits 79.5 and lower it buy 1 degree, so take it back down to 78.5 and then turn off, rinse and repeat. Looks like I need to wore some fans up that I can play with the speed, if I can get the right speed then I can just leave them on, but right now the fan drives the temp low enough to where the heaters kick on and trying to avoid that.

Thanks :)

Keep us posted how it performs . I have used fan and heater together before but with a single controller and the heater was controlled by reef/pi with heaters internal temp set to higher (83)

 

[SilverBulletPRN]

I just used ic gel . Btw , I have also glued the same cyphastrea in my 65g Red Sea reefer and it took off :/) , love it

hmm I'll give IC-gel specifically a try. I've been trying to make it stick only to find it fall off a few days later lol

 

[Ranjib]

hmm I'll give IC-gel specifically a try. I've been trying to make it stick only to find it fall off a few days later lol

they do chip off easily, and i think if they dont grow on the new vertical surface they might fall off , the pre-existing frag thats glued is almost always less stable because the glue does not stick to the backwall very well (or it chips off very easily). I was lucky that the frags grew relatively quickly for me, and the new growth provided that stability. But still i was able to chip off the entire colony from the other pico to kick start the back wall for my 65 G.

 

[InactiveAcct]

Yeah thats what I was thinking but I wasn't sure how to leave the heater control settings but it finally came to me. What I would like to do is is have the fan come on when the temp raises by 1 deg, can I use hysteresis to make that work. For example, id like the fan to come on when the temp hits 79.5 and lower it buy 1 degree, so take it back down to 78.5 and then turn off, rinse and repeat. Looks like I need to wore some fans up that I can play with the speed, if I can get the right speed then I can just leave them on, but right now the fan drives the temp low enough to where the heaters kick on and trying to avoid that.

Thanks :)

Recommend having pi control heater and having the heater’s internal thermostat as the fail safe

 

[Matt Carden]

Does anyone know how to source raspberry pi at msrp prices? Amazon is selling zeros for $80 and 4s for $160!

 

[bishoptf]

Does anyone know how to source raspberry pi at msrp prices? Amazon is selling zeros for $80 and 4s for $160!

Adafruit is getting pi4's almost weekly, here is where I get updates from - https://rpilocator.com/?country=UK,US and I have been able to snag a few. Zero's w2 are still hard to come buy but they do pop up now and then, most I have purchased from the UK, shipping is a little higher but not to bad. Couple ways of doing it I use the RSS feeds and get notified.

 

[Matt Carden]

I built a diy led display light using meanwell 3 way dimmable to off power supplies. Is it possible that feedback from the control wires could have caused damage to the controller?