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

[dmolavi]

could someone with no coding experience do this reefpi? sounds interesting.

You don't need any programming knowledge unless you want to modify the existing software baseline to support custom hardware (this is my case). Otherwise, as long as you're comfortable with hardware, you should be good to go.

 

[Ranjib]

There is? Where? I use Google Home and it would be cool to have this (maybe...assuming my kids don't get carried away and shut everything off with it).

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/reef-pi-home-assistant-build.525856/ by @sfgabe

 

[Diamond1]

@Ranjib I don't know if anyone has mentioned this or if you have thought about this for a future release but I was looking around the Adafruit site and came across this TSL2561 light meter chip.
https://www.adafruit.com/product/439
Might be nice to look at for a future module.
It uses I2c interface and 3-5v power/logic control.

Would be nice to have a built in light meter that can give Lux value that could be converted into par. It could give a baseline at the water surface to get a better idea of how much light is getting into a tank and for those of us using t5 lights, it could give a heads up on reduced light output indicating time for a bulb change.

 

[Bigtrout]

@Ranjib I don't know if anyone has mentioned this or if you have thought about this for a future release but I was looking around the Adafruit site and came across this TSL2561 light meter chip.
https://www.adafruit.com/product/439
Might be nice to look at for a future module.
It uses I2c interface and 3-5v power/logic control.

Would be nice to have a built in light meter that can give Lux value that could be converted into par. It could give a baseline at the water surface to get a better idea of how much light is getting into a tank and for those of us using t5 lights, it could give a heads up on reduced light output indicating time for a bulb change.

That one only goes to 40,000 lux, reef lights may saturate it.
This one goes to 120,000 lux, still uses i2c may work better for intense reef lighting. Its based on the VEML7700 chip
https://www.dfrobot.com/product-1620.html

Im not a coder but the code to read the DFrobot sensor looks fairly simple its in this wiki:
https://www.dfrobot.com/wiki/index.php/Gravity:_I2C_VEML7700_Ambient_Light_Sensor_SKU:_SEN0228

I migjt add that the DFRobot Gravity P channel mosfet boards I receieved were very well made quality PCBs

 

[Diamond1]

That one only goes to 40,000 lux, reef lights may saturate it.
This one goes to 120,000 lux, still uses i2c may work better for intense reef lighting. Its based on the VEML7700 chip
https://www.dfrobot.com/product-1620.html

Im not a coder but the code to read the DFrobot sensor looks fairly simple its in this wiki:
https://www.dfrobot.com/wiki/index.php/Gravity:_I2C_VEML7700_Ambient_Light_Sensor_SKU:_SEN0228

That does look like a better option for reef tank lights.

 

[theatrus]

If you want a cheap 18 channel spectrum:

https://ams.com/as7265x#tab/description

Its much cheaper than the micro-hamamatsu spectrometer. Its only 20nm FWHM at 18 points, but still pretty neat.

Someone sells a pre-tested board on Tindie: https://www.tindie.com/products/onehorse/compact-as7265x-spectrometer/

 

[Bigtrout]

That does look like a better option for reef tank lights.

Im with you there, im Freshwater Planted, we both are all about PAR.

 

[Bigtrout]

If you want a cheap 18 channel spectrum:

https://ams.com/as7265x#tab/description

Its much cheaper than the micro-hamamatsu spectrometer. Its only 20nm FWHM at 18 points, but still pretty neat.

Someone sells a pre-tested board on Tindie: https://www.tindie.com/products/onehorse/compact-as7265x-spectrometer/

This could be turned into a much more useful PAR meter...but at $50 vs $9.50 depends on what your needs are.

Like I tell alot of people, you can do anything, if you have enough time and money!

 

[rushbattle]

If you want a cheap 18 channel spectrum:

https://ams.com/as7265x#tab/description

Its much cheaper than the micro-hamamatsu spectrometer. Its only 20nm FWHM at 18 points, but still pretty neat.

Someone sells a pre-tested board on Tindie: https://www.tindie.com/products/onehorse/compact-as7265x-spectrometer/

Why must you do this. Now I have to figure out how to get a reading from this thing.....

 

[Diamond1]

60

This could be turned into a much more useful PAR meter...but at $50 vs $9.50 depends on what your needs are.

Like I tell alot of people, you can do anything, if you have enough time and money!

Even at $50 for the board, if that could be used as a PAR meter with reef-pi, that blows a cheapo par meter out of the water price wise.

 

[theatrus]

This could be turned into a much more useful PAR meter...but at $50 vs $9.50 depends on what your needs are.

Like I tell alot of people, you can do anything, if you have enough time and money!

If you’re just looking for light reduction on T5s, the cheaper option will totally suffice :)

 

[Bigtrout]

If you’re just looking for light reduction on T5s, the cheaper option will totally suffice :)

Or I could get sophisticated and match the par readings from the amazon and have reef pi turn the light up and down in intensity...hehe...

 

[rushbattle]

60

Even at $50 for the board, if that could be used as a PAR meter with reef-pi, that blows a cheapo par meter out of the water price wise.

And it gives spectrum, which is super expensive to get otherwise. I wish I could help reef-pi development process somehow, alas I have no coding skills or knowledge. I have no idea if it would help, but I would be willing to donate money to a fund that Ranjib could use to contract programming help.

 

[Bigtrout]

And it gives spectrum, which is super expensive to get otherwise. I wish I could help reef-pi development process somehow, alas I have no coding skills or knowledge. I have no idea if it would help, but I would be willing to donate money to a fund that Ranjib could use to contract programming .

This would probably take some work to make usable. Looks like it has a LED and reads the reflected light off of things, did u read the tindie? It was developed to be some kind of Tricorder...Beam Me Up Scotty!

 

[theatrus]

This would probably take some work to make usable. Looks like it has a LED and reads the reflected light off of things, did u read the tindie? It was developed to be some kind of Tricorder...Beam Me Up Scotty!

The LED driver is for doing fluorescence measurements (if I hit this with light X, does it return Y) for authentication tools. But its still a light sensor, no need to use the LED driver portion.

 

[Bigtrout]

The LED driver is for doing fluorescence measurements (if I hit this with light X, does it return Y) for authentication tools. But its still a light sensor, no need to use the LED driver portion.

I know it can be used that way, was just being funny...I got a chuckle when I saw Tricorder.

I looked at the spectral response, looks like with some tuning you could get a useable spectrum and par measurement.
It would take alot of testing with different light sources, vs a good par meter to get it dialed in for aquarium use. The spectral response graph at .5 normalized actually doesnt have any glaring holes from 390nm all the way to 640nm or so, and no weird response curves to compensate for, unlike alot of the "poor mans PAR meter" projects out there.

Would be fun to get one to mess about with...see if its usable, then worry about how to encapsulate and waterproof it so gravel level measurements could be taken.

So many potential projects so little time...

 

[theatrus]

I know it can be used that way, was just being funny...I got a chuckle when I saw Tricorder.

I looked at the spectral response, looks like with some tuning you could get a useable spectrum and par measurement.
It would take alot of testing with different light sources, vs a good par meter to get it dialed in for aquarium use. The spectral response graph at .5 normalized actually doesnt have any glaring holes from 390nm all the way to 640nm or so, and no weird response curves to compensate for, unlike alot of the "poor mans PAR meter" projects out there.

Would be fun to get one to mess about with...see if its usable, then worry about how to encapsulate and waterproof it so gravel level measurements could be taken.

So many potential projects so little time...

I was tempted to toss it in a box like this: https://www.polycase.com/ml-22f-1508

I also have a handful of https://www.hamamatsu.com/us/en/pro...spectrum-sensor/micro-spectrometer/index.html, but the pricing for a finished sensor is about 4x the raw AMS sensor solution. But, yeah, backburner project :)

 

[Bigtrout]

I was tempted to toss it in a box like this: https://www.polycase.com/ml-22f-1508

I also have a handful of https://www.hamamatsu.com/us/en/pro...spectrum-sensor/micro-spectrometer/index.html, but the pricing for a finished sensor is about 4x the raw AMS sensor solution. But, yeah, backburner project :)

Yes because at some point, the woman is going to be hollering..."they are just fish", even though whenever one croaks, she tears up and is the first one wanting to get new ones, lol!!!

My current spectrometer is a jungle of Vallisneria grass that has gone wild...it was trim it once every two weeks now its lop it off at 3/4 tank height every week. The good news is my nitrates are nil, until the day I do the chopping, then they climb to 10ppm for a day. I think it likes the spectrum and par.

 

[Bigtrout]

@Ranjib
Be prepared for newbies, I am going to start posting about reef pi and my build over on the planted tank forum.
Your project is so good, its not fair for you saltwater guys to hoard it to yourselves!
Once I get my ph board, tested and shown as fairly accurate and show them how that works...the guys doing CO2 will all be nuts to build one.
I searched the board and not one post about reef pi!

I did an introductory post here, hope I didnt let a djinni out of the bottle!

https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/#/topics/1285913

 

[That Crusso Kid]

@Ranjib
Be prepared for newbies, I am going to start posting about reef pi and my build over on the planted tank forum.
Your project is so good, its not fair for you saltwater guys to hoard it to yourselves!
Once I get my ph board, tested and shown as fairly accurate and show them how that works...the guys doing CO2 will all be nuts to build one.
I searched the board and not one post about reef pi!

I looked at plantedtank.net too, if that's the site you're referring. I was going to start pointing folks in this direction as I haven't built my reef pi yet. Plus, like you, believe there's definitely a place for FW. Although, a mod might throw a hissy fit! Lol