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

[Lingwendil]

Wait, how can I install this on a raspberry pi 3b as of now? Do I need to use an older version of raspbian?

 

[Ranjib]

Wait, how can I install this on a raspberry pi 3b as of now? Do I need to use an older version of raspbian?

you can install the 6.0 release on a pi3b but you have to run it on older raspberry pi os, not the latest one. If you are using the latest raspberry pi os, then you have to build a Debian from the main branch , or wait till we cut a release

 

[Lingwendil]

Whats the best way to image a blank sd with a compatible version of raspberry pi OS?

 

[Lingwendil]

What I mean is, how do I find the correct version of raspberry pi os to burn as a starting point?

 

[BenB]

last night I merged the pi5 support branch. with this we should be able to start testing pi5 and the new raspberry os, but this also means we won't be able to run this version of reef-pi on the older raspberry pi os versions. Depending upon how much there's appetite for new pi5 vs older pi+raspberry pi os , I have to decide if I should back port any fixes and released a 6.1 version or just go with 7 only,

none the less, wanted to keep you folks in the loop that we are slowly working towards the next release,

Nice to see a new release is comming!! I am still running a pi4 with a ssd drive, that works perfectly! I am not planning to jump to pi5. My setup is running smoothly software wise (good job)!!!! Only had some hardware, cable en sensor issues in the past. Untill when Bullseye is supported??

 

[Ranjib]

Nice to see a new release is comming!! I am still running a pi4 with a ssd drive, that works perfectly! I am not planning to jump to pi5. My setup is running smoothly software wise (good job)!!!! Only had some hardware, cable en sensor issues in the past. Untill when Bullseye is supported??

I have no plan to abandon them anytime soon. If there are critical bugs we’ll try to fix them. Any new features that is not tied with new architecture should be back ported. In short if it’s not a lot of effort , I would like to make sure older reef-pi setups run as long as they can.

 

[Raf714]

Hi,
since 1st februar the datapoints in the historygarphs for februar are written before the last days of januar and the graph looks very nerveous. This is the case on an Rasp 3B wich runs the tank, also on an experimental rasp 4 under Bookworm (only temp probe). Is this happening only with me?

 

[BenB]

Hi,
since 1st februar the datapoints in the historygarphs for februar are written before the last days of januar and the graph looks very nerveous. This is the case on an Rasp 3B wich runs the tank, also on an experimental rasp 4 under Bookworm (only temp probe). Is this happening only with me?

That happens in my graph as well! It look like that it is mixing 2 dates toghetter: Jan 29 with Feb 1 and Jan 30 with Feb 2 and Jan 31 with Feb 3. Every hour it switches the date, so first it reads 29 Jan 6:00 then Feb 1 6:00, then 29 Jan 7:00 then Feb 1 7:00 etcetera. And only for 3 days, Feb 4 looks like normal again.

 

[Ranjib]

That happens in my graph as well! It look like that it is mixing 2 dates toghetter: Jan 29 with Feb 1 and Jan 30 with Feb 2 and Jan 31 with Feb 3. Every hour it switches the date, so first it reads 29 Jan 6:00 then Feb 1 6:00, then 29 Jan 7:00 then Feb 1 7:00 etcetera. And only for 3 days, Feb 4 looks like normal again.

Yes this is ui issue with date sorting …that I am yet to fix.. all other controller functions should be fine

 

[EmmettPeck]

Out of curiosity - is there a way to add stepper motors through the dosing interface with only 2 GPIO for step & dir? I intend to set micro stepping through hardware so I can run 4 steppers.

Also, It is still necessary to set set speed and delay in the DC motor mode before switching to stepper to save. Otherwise I get error: The settings cannot be saved due to validation errors. Please correct the errors and try again.null.

Outside of (completely understandable) priorities of being a person and solo maintainer, are there currently blockers to adding a "None" option for micro-stepping pins? I might try ironing some of this out on a fork if you have insight @Ranjib

 

[Yachti]

last night I merged the pi5 support branch. with this we should be able to start testing pi5 and the new raspberry os, but this also means we won't be able to run this version of reef-pi on the older raspberry pi os versions. Depending upon how much there's appetite for new pi5 vs older pi+raspberry pi os , I have to decide if I should back port any fixes and released a 6.1 version or just go with 7 only,

none the less, wanted to keep you folks in the loop that we are slowly working towards the next release,

Hi,
I want to start with reef-pi.
How can I the github main branch install on a Pi5?
I have now finished the wiring of the GPIO's

 

[Simonv92]

Hi All!! I’m trying to calibrate an ORP probe in reef-pi. I have a 225mV calibration pouch and I have to do a single point calibration. How can I do that? I’ve tryed to input the calibration value for both mid and low point but now I’m always reading of 225mV so something is not right. How does a single point calibration work? Thank you!!

 

[UptownBench1187]

Hey reef-pi community
@Ranjib
I’m working on integrating an Arduino-based automated water testing system into reef-pi, and I’d love your input on how best to go about adding a new module for it.

The hardware will be an I²C-connected Arduino running some custom firmware I made that automates colorimetric titration tests for alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium, nitrate, and phospate. With some simple code modifications we can do colorometer analyasis instead of titration endpoint based analysis. The design is similar to the Neptune Trident as it uses pinch valves to route fluids, a single peristaltic pump to handle all fluid movement into the cuvette, and a DC fan with embedded magnets to spin a stir bar for reagent/sample mixing.

I've already built and tested the system using ABC reagents for alkalinity, achieving around ±0.5 dKH accuracy, which is encouraging for further refinement. Calcium and magneisum tests are in the works, im still ironing out the endpoint. I'm currently looking to get access to the nitrate and phosphate reagents that are used in the trident NP to expand testing support. I know ABC reagents mentioned they were working on these reagents on their Instagram page.

I’d like to create a new reef-pi module that:

Communicates with the Arduino device over I²C.

Allows individual or grouped tests to be scheduled using reef-pi

Logs and graphs the results alongside other parameters like pH, temp, etc.

Offers calibration workflows for each test type.

I’ve been reviewing the ph and ato module patterns to understand the best practices. Before jumping into a full PR, I’d appreciate any community insight on:

Handling I²C device communication in Go (are there examples of this being done already?).

Suggestions for REST API patterns and how to integrate with the frontend (e.g., how best to wire in calibration controls and result visualizations).

Advice for using reef-pi’s existing logging, alerting, and scheduling subsystems.

I've attached a prompt with more information on how I would like to implement this module

Happy to share the firmware or early drafts of the backend module. Would love to hear your thoughts or collaborate if anyone’s interested.

Thanks in advance!

Cheers

 

[hectorespert]

Has anyone compiled and installed ReefPi from the main branch? Is it working properly for you? For me, it stops working correctly after a while.

 

[tahoereeftank]

Hi All. Long time lurker, first time poster. Firstly, thank you to Ranjib for giving ReefPi to the world. Not only has this been a very useful tool for my tank, but it has sparked my new passion for hobby electronics.

I have two Reef Pi controllers set up on my 100 gallon tank - one for pH and dosing, and the other for temperature and ATO (main). I have been running them for about 6 months now with no issue.

Yesterday, I unplugged the main controller to do an extensive sump cleaning. When I plugged it back in, the controller restarted at boot and performed control functions as expected, but I can no longer access the user interface at reefpal.local (that's my host name). The device won't ping and I couldn't find it on my network. I rebooted the controller and my router, and afterwards, neither the main nor the pH controller showed up on my network.

I attempted to add wpa_supplicant.conf and ssh on my pH controller SD card several times to no avail. I finally ended up reimaging. As a sidenote, I found that the "connectors" functions in ReefPi under configuration do not work with the newest version of Raspbian, so I had to reimage to an older version.

I am looking for a solution to accessing the UI on my main controller without reimaging, as this would require me to take down critical controls for an extended period. Has anyone had this problem and solved it?

Thanks!

Mark

 

[TeeSquared1214]

Howdy! Looking to purchase a Pi 5 but saw it may not be fully compatible with reef pi yet. Curious on other peoples thoughts/experiences if they’ve done this yet? I know within the last 6ish months there was a branch for the 5, but unsure if it was successful and released? Any insight would be appreciated so I can kick off this journey.

 

[Broady2067]

Can someone please point me in the right direction. I have tried to update my username and password on the Reef-Pi. I click on the update button and then reload, i then get an error that says;

 

[BenB]

Can someone please point me in the right direction. I have tried to update my username and password on the Reef-Pi. I click on the update button and then reload, i then get an error that says;

Most of the time I update something I reboot to make it work.
What username did you update?
Did you setup e-mail alerts with a google mail acount? When I google "535-5.7.8" it looks like the it is the mail credentials.

 

[BenB]

Hi All. Long time lurker, first time poster. Firstly, thank you to Ranjib for giving ReefPi to the world. Not only has this been a very useful tool for my tank, but it has sparked my new passion for hobby electronics.

I have two Reef Pi controllers set up on my 100 gallon tank - one for pH and dosing, and the other for temperature and ATO (main). I have been running them for about 6 months now with no issue.

Yesterday, I unplugged the main controller to do an extensive sump cleaning. When I plugged it back in, the controller restarted at boot and performed control functions as expected, but I can no longer access the user interface at reefpal.local (that's my host name). The device won't ping and I couldn't find it on my network. I rebooted the controller and my router, and afterwards, neither the main nor the pH controller showed up on my network.

I attempted to add wpa_supplicant.conf and ssh on my pH controller SD card several times to no avail. I finally ended up reimaging. As a sidenote, I found that the "connectors" functions in ReefPi under configuration do not work with the newest version of Raspbian, so I had to reimage to an older version.

I am looking for a solution to accessing the UI on my main controller without reimaging, as this would require me to take down critical controls for an extended period. Has anyone had this problem and solved it?

Thanks!

Mark

Looks like the SD card got corrupted by inpluging the PI. Before unpluging go to configuration in reef pi click admin and click power off. That should prevent corruptinng the SD card.

 

[BenB]

Has anyone compiled and installed ReefPi from the main branch? Is it working properly for you? For me, it stops working correctly after a while.

Yes, it should work, did you install Raspberry Pi OS codenamed Bullseye?