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

[Ranjib]

That's really smart, I'll be using them type boards in my build(eventually), do you know if anyone cracked controlling mars aqua 165w reef leds, I want to control them if I can ever find the correct way to do them.

I think it has been done. I vaguely remember mars aqua as well as viperspectra was tried out to get working with reef-pi. These involve the common black box style control circuit

 

[sector9]

That's a very clean looking setup. what are the outside dimensions of the box? I want to build my box along those same lines but out of wood.

Thank you! It is approximately 11.4cm (length) x 15.1cm (width) x 26cm (height). I made it a little taller than I needed to so you could probably decrease that dimension

 

[Diamond1]

That's great thanks. That gives me a good place to start.

 

[Joseph Lim]

Hello! I was able to setup the temp. probe during the weekend. I am using celcius for my temp. 2 questions:

1. Can the graduation of the graph be changed? currently it shows 90 as the highest...i would like to be 30
2. When will alerts be triggered? The graph is showing that temp is above my "alert above" value, but i have not received any email. Sending test email via telemetry works fine.

 

[Ranjib]

Hello! I was able to setup the temp. probe during the weekend. I am using celcius for my temp. 2 questions:

1. Can the graduation of the graph be changed? currently it shows 90 as the highest...i would like to be 30
2. When will alerts be triggered? The graph is showing that temp is above my "alert above" value, but i have not received any email. Sending test email via telemetry works fine.

Which version of reef-pi you are using? You should be able to change the chart minimum and maximum in the corresponding temperature probe configuration under temperature tab. If the alert is not firing, its a bug. Let me cross check that, it may be possible we overlook the unit conversion during the alert check logic.

 

[Joseph Lim]

Which version of reef-pi you are using? You should be able to change the chart minimum and maximum in the corresponding temperature probe configuration under temperature tab. If the alert is not firing, its a bug. Let me cross check that, it may be possible we overlook the unit conversion during the alert check logic.

@Ranjib I am currently using 2.0.0-rc1.

 

[Ranjib]

@Ranjib I am currently using 2.0.0-rc1.

Can you share your temperature controller configuration? I just cross checked the code paths and things look ok to me. Also, let us know if you are not able to reconfigure the charts.

 

[Ranjib]

I just realized that the temperature chart minimum & maximum settings are not configurable via UI. Its available over API, but I think during UI refactoring we missed this, I have created an issue to track this, and will fix it before the next release of final public release: https://github.com/reef-pi/reef-pi/issues/612

 

[Joseph Lim]

I just realized that the temperature chart minimum & maximum settings are not configurable via UI. Its available over API, but I think during UI refactoring we missed this, I have created an issue to track this, and will fix it before the next release of final public release: https://github.com/reef-pi/reef-pi/issues/612

@Ranjib Got it. So this leaves the alert bug. I also noticed that the changing the width size in the dashboard is not working. Height works fine.

 

[brycebba]

Hey guys, working on my build for my brother which is fun since I know nothing about tanks and he knows nothing about pi stuff and electronics but together we might figure it all out haha. It'll have cleaner wiring but everything is mounted using standoffs. Forgive the plastic covering the black plexi

I'm using RC1 release btw

So I just finished up my initial wiring for outlet controls. Now I added the camera which is the newest pi camera version. I enabled the module in raspi-config and then turned on the feature in reef-pi but I get the following set of errors when I try to take a picture. My end goal for the camera is actually a live video feed within the reef-pi application if this is possible. Any suggestions after the errors are fixed?

Thanks!

 

[Ranjib]

Hey guys, working on my build for my brother which is fun since I know nothing about tanks and he knows nothing about pi stuff and electronics but together we might figure it all out haha. It'll have cleaner wiring but everything is mounted using standoffs. Forgive the plastic covering the black plexi

I'm using RC1 release btw

So I just finished up my initial wiring for outlet controls. Now I added the camera which is the newest pi camera version. I enabled the module in raspi-config and then turned on the feature in reef-pi but I get the following set of errors when I try to take a picture. My end goal for the camera is actually a live video feed within the reef-pi application if this is possible. Any suggestions after the errors are fixed?

Thanks!

Great build, and welcome to reef2reef.

Live video feed within reef-pi application is possible, but I will discourage it. Camera and image processing in general is very computing intensive and can significantly reduce the reliability of reef-pi.
That being said, lets troubleshoot this issue. Can you click on the "Take photo" button and see whats in the log. This guide shows how to check reef-pi log.

https://reef-pi.github.io/additional-documentation/troubleshooting/

you'll need raspistill installed in Raspberry Pi for camera to work and motion installed for live streaming to work. Camera module is not very widely used (due to perf issues and the fact that its not very specific to reef keeping) in reef-pi and I have been lazy to not document it very well :-/ . Sorry for your trouble, but it should not be hard to get it working if you are comfortable with linux

 

[speedstar]

Any idea why I seem to be getting a memory runaway? or am I just not understanding how to read this chart. I run this headless but sometime over the past week it more than doubled the memory use. I rebooted it last night and it returned to what I thought was more normal. Thoughts?

 

[speedstar]

the Alert bug is not present in rc0. Water change triggered these, as the change takes place in the sump area.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

Great build, and welcome to reef2reef.

Live video feed within reef-pi application is possible, but I will discourage it. Camera and image processing in general is very computing intensive and can significantly reduce the reliability of reef-pi.
That being said, lets troubleshoot this issue. Can you click on the "Take photo" button and see whats in the log. This guide shows how to check reef-pi log.

https://reef-pi.github.io/additional-documentation/troubleshooting/

you'll need raspistill installed in Raspberry Pi for camera to work and motion installed for live streaming to work. Camera module is not very widely used (due to perf issues and the fact that its not very specific to reef keeping) in reef-pi and I have been lazy to not document it very well :-/ . Sorry for your trouble, but it should not be hard to get it working if you are comfortable with linux

So, run a separate machine for camera functionality since it can cause stability issues?

 

[b4tn]

Finished up a lot this weekend but had some strange issues that had me second guessing myself and chasing problems that where not there lol. I have had reef-pi installed for some time now just playing around with the console. One thing I noticed but didnt think much about was that under the temperature settings there where 3 phantom addresses for sensors. The sensors where listed before I had even opened up my sensor package or connected anything at all. Everything powered up, I could SSH and web in but my temp probe did nothing. I tried all 3 addresses and nothing worked. It was late and I was frustrated so I moved to test power. I dont have a ULN2803A yet so I just used some LED's and nothing... I took everything apart and double and triple checked all my connections, tried again, and nothing so I started to quit for the night. Just because I am the type that cant sleep if I dont make at least one breakthrough I went ahead and re installed the OS and software fresh and low and behold everything worked except for the temp probe...... The phantom probes where gone but the plugged in one was not showing so I switched in a new temp probe and now its working. :) I was surprised that the temp exactly matches my house thermostat! I am ranting to you all because I was explaining this all to my wife and got a deer in the headlights look lol. but I have a couple questions since I am not strong with linux.

I wiped the flash drive and started fresh because I could not get reef-pi to uninstall. I ran (sudo apt-get –purge remove reef-pi) it went though and uninstalled the app. I reinstalled it and all my settings (including the phantom sensors) where still there. I am guessing the database did not get removed? Whats the command to completely remove everything for doing updates or starting over?

 

[sector9]

Finished up a lot this weekend but had some strange issues that had me second guessing myself and chasing problems that where not there lol. I have had reef-pi installed for some time now just playing around with the console. One thing I noticed but didnt think much about was that under the temperature settings there where 3 phantom addresses for sensors. The sensors where listed before I had even opened up my sensor package or connected anything at all. Everything powered up, I could SSH and web in but my temp probe did nothing. I tried all 3 addresses and nothing worked. It was late and I was frustrated so I moved to test power. I dont have a ULN2803A yet so I just used some LED's and nothing... I took everything apart and double and triple checked all my connections, tried again, and nothing so I started to quit for the night. Just because I am the type that cant sleep if I dont make at least one breakthrough I went ahead and re installed the OS and software fresh and low and behold everything worked except for the temp probe...... The phantom probes where gone but the plugged in one was not showing so I switched in a new temp probe and now its working. :) I was surprised that the temp exactly matches my house thermostat! I am ranting to you all because I was explaining this all to my wife and got a deer in the headlights look lol. but I have a couple questions since I am not strong with linux.

I wiped the flash drive and started fresh because I could not get reef-pi to uninstall. I ran (sudo apt-get –purge remove reef-pi) it went though and uninstalled the app. I reinstalled it and all my settings (including the phantom sensors) where still there. I am guessing the database did not get removed? Whats the command to completely remove everything for doing updates or starting over?

Out of curiosity, what happens when you do
ls /sys/bus/w1/devices

Do you see the phantom sensors? If so, it isn't a reef-pi issue but somehow you have multiple 1-wire sensors that the raspberry pi is seeing. If you only have one sensor listed on the command line output, then you can reset the database with the info here https://reef-pi.github.io/additional-documentation/troubleshooting/

 

[LionHeart2017]

Lights are back on, had to be quick as no other lighting for the tank.

Its all a bit temporary and not final, the legs are being removed once support on the ceiling is sorted, still have another four power supplies to play with as I can just run blue channel.

Plan to replace the small fans with some 140mm fans, 1 for each light and mount them above the aluminium plate in a housing, also 2 fans for the power supplies as they will be covered in an enclosure to match the colour of the veneer and move the power input to a more hidden area.

Hope to get these controlled by reef-pi once I'm into building it up.

A few pics

 

[b4tn]

Out of curiosity, what happens when you do
ls /sys/bus/w1/devices

Do you see the phantom sensors? If so, it isn't a reef-pi issue but somehow you have multiple 1-wire sensors that the raspberry pi is seeing. If you only have one sensor listed on the command line output, then you can reset the database with the info here https://reef-pi.github.io/additional-documentation/troubleshooting/

All the phantom sensors are gone after a fresh install and the only one that shows up is the one thats working now. Whats strange is they where all 28-xxxxxx and I had never connected anything to the GPIO pins prior, not even the HAT.

Work blocks all access to my little home network so I will have to run the command when I get home. Github randomly works from work but I saved the link for viewing when I get home thanks.

 

[Ranjib]

@Ranjib Got it. So this leaves the alert bug. I also noticed that the changing the width size in the dashboard is not working. Height works fine.

The chart minimum/maximum bug is fixed, it will be out in next release: https://github.com/reef-pi/reef-pi/pull/613 , we have to test and confirm the alert bug

 

[Ranjib]

Any idea why I seem to be getting a memory runaway? or am I just not understanding how to read this chart. I run this headless but sometime over the past week it more than doubled the memory use. I rebooted it last night and it returned to what I thought was more normal. Thoughts?

Its not that bad, something is taking some memory, as long as you have pi running for long time, you'll see some pattern like this. Rememer Pi has around 1Gb memory, i.e. 1024, and you have only used 100, so its not at all risky. Secondly, just from that its not clear whats taking that memory, you have to run top/htop to find out the culprit. But from the current state,, i wont be worried at all.. i'll let it run for month or more and then see if it persists. Most often there will be weekly patterns of memory climbing up and then subsiding. I can explain why that happens.. but I think that will be too technical for this thread :-) .