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

[rajdude]

Hello everyone (especially Ranjib!),
Long time lurker here. Been drooling over Reef Pi for over a year now. Doing a lot of planning in my head. Reading up on the various threads and guides here on github, adafruit etc. I think now is the time to dive in! But before I can do that, I have a few newbie questions:

Which Raspberry Pi model would be best for me?
The guide on AdaFruit mentions the zero model. But I guess that does not have many advanced features, the GPIO pins will need to be soldered. The recommended Amazon BOM/ list is empty

What I want to do with Reef Pi (a pie in the sky list)

Use case:
I will be building this for a high-tech freshwater planted + Discus tank complete with sump, pressurized CO2, high intensity lights etc.

Hardware:

• Wifi connectivity + wired LAN jack (covering my bases if WiFi proves unreliable)
• A simple physical "feed" button in my tank's cabinet
• "maybe" a touchscreen, do I need one?
• Error "siren"
• Leak detector

Software (most of these functions are already there):

• Lights ramps via PWM (I have two SB reef lights, freshwater version)
• Auto water change AWC (I know this is not there right now, I am prepared for software mods)
• Feeding pause button
• CO2 solenoid on-off on a schedule
• Fertilizer dosing pumps control
• Webcam feed
• e-mail notifications for (say):
  • AWC done
  • Return pump switched off for too long
  • temp too high or too low
  • Power goes off, breaker or GFCI tripped
  • Leaks

I am sure there are lot of other things a Raspberry pi could do for me which I am not realizing right now. So future upgrade-ability is important for me.

PS:
1. Should I start a separate build thread?
2. I also want to start a Raspberry Pi based RO-DI water controller. There are a few people who are doing that already.

Thanks
Raj

 

[Ranjib]

Hello everyone (especially Ranjib!),
Long time lurker here. Been drooling over Reef Pi for over a year now. Doing a lot of planning in my head. Reading up on the various threads and guides here on github, adafruit etc. I think now is the time to dive in! But before I can do that, I have a few newbie questions:

Which Raspberry Pi model would be best for me?
The guide on AdaFruit mentions the zero model. But I guess that does not have many advanced features, the GPIO pins will need to be soldered. The recommended Amazon BOM/ list is empty

What I want to do with Reef Pi (a pie in the sky list)

Use case:
I will be building this for a high-tech freshwater planted + Discus tank complete with sump, pressurized CO2, high intensity lights etc.

Hardware:

• Wifi connectivity + wired LAN jack (covering my bases if WiFi proves unreliable)
• A simple physical "feed" button in my tank's cabinet
• "maybe" a touchscreen, do I need one?
• Error "siren"
• Leak detector

Software (most of these functions are already there):

• Lights ramps via PWM (I have two SB reef lights, freshwater version)
• Auto water change AWC (I know this is not there right now, I am prepared for software mods)
• Feeding pause button
• CO2 solenoid on-off on a schedule
• Fertilizer dosing pumps control
• Webcam feed
• e-mail notifications for (say):
  • AWC done
  • Return pump switched off for too long
  • temp too high or too low
  • Power goes off, breaker or GFCI tripped
  • Leaks

I am sure there are lot of other things a Raspberry pi could do for me which I am not realizing right now. So future upgrade-ability is important for me.

PS:
1. Should I start a separate build thread?
2. I also want to start a Raspberry Pi based RO-DI water controller. There are a few people who are doing that already.

Thanks
Raj

start a separate build thread, it will be hard to track and answer individual question coherently.
Some of the functions you mentioned (leak detector, lights, co2 solenoid ) can be done as it is. for the rest (Awc) it depends on what all you want to do. For some other stuff, like webcam feed, reef-pi have very rudimentary support, and i'll suggest a dedicated webcam if possible, like wyze. or pi with motion.

 

[Ranjib]

Asterina star dropped on leptastrea coral :-) , scene from the nano tank

a close up of one of the sunset anthias , from the bigger tank.

 

[Mandelstam]

Would appreciate some help because my mind can't really wrap its head around how to set this up..

I have a SHT31-D sensor in my terrarium to monitor humidity and would like for this to be controlled with a fan. I have installed it under the pH tab and I get readings and everything seems fine. But I'm not sure how to set up the control part.
Humidity is naturally rising inside the terrarium on its own so I only need a fan to lower it. When the fan stops the humidity will start to rise again.
When I try to set up the control part I have to enter both upper and lower threshold and an equipment for both.

I'd like to set a threshold at say 75% and have the fan push the humidity down to that threshold and keep it close to that range. Can someone help me with what to enter and where lol. I'm soon going to start pulling my hair :rolleyes:. Upper threshold 75% using fans? What should I put under lower threshold then? Just a very low number so that threshold is never reached basically?

 

[pwest]

Method/Macro to Turn Lights On Needed

Good morning all:
I posted this question back on 7/4/2021, but received no solutions. The problem has continued to annoy my family, and I've been asked (by them) to purchase an alternate controller!

In short, I have a diurnal program set up with the lights coming on around 2:30PM and going off around 11:30PM. Frequently, family members want to turn the lights on for maintenance or display purposes earlier in the day. On my old controller, I had a simple 'Lights On 30min" macro that could be run to do this, but I've found no way to do it under reef-pi.

How can a 'user' easily click on the lights with reef-pi?

Thanks for any ideas!
-Phil

 

[robsworld78]

Method/Macro to Turn Lights On Needed

Good morning all:
I posted this question back on 7/4/2021, but received no solutions. The problem has continued to annoy my family, and I've been asked (by them) to purchase an alternate controller!

In short, I have a diurnal program set up with the lights coming on around 2:30PM and going off around 11:30PM. Frequently, family members want to turn the lights on for maintenance or display purposes earlier in the day. On my old controller, I had a simple 'Lights On 30min" macro that could be run to do this, but I've found no way to do it under reef-pi.

How can a 'user' easily click on the lights with reef-pi?

Thanks for any ideas!
-Phil

Hi, maybe try adding a new light mode, then change the control from "Auto" to "Manual". At that point you should have a slider or multiple if you use many channels. Then when you want to turn the light on open that mode and slide the sliders over. I'm not sure if the existing mode will try and shut it off but worth trying.

 

[pwest]

Thanks for that idea, Rob. I gave it a try and the two programs seem to 'fight' each other. The lights come on for a couple of mins, then off, then back on...

-Phil

 

[Ranjib]

The existing mode will try and jeopardize the override. I think you can create two separate light module, one with the diurnal profile and another with manual , fixed intensity. Keep the first one enable and the second one disable. Then create a macro to disable the first and enable the second, and revert it to go back to automatic mode.

 

[elysics]

The existing mode will try and jeopardize the override. I think you can create two separate light module, one with the diurnal profile and another with manual , fixed intensity. Keep the first one enable and the second one disable. Then create a macro to disable the first and enable the second, and revert it to go back to automatic mode.

I wanted to do this before. There is no option in the macros to select individual lighting constructs, only the entire lighting subsystem

 

[pwest]

Right now, my lights are ON, so it's difficult to try, but as elysics said, there doesn't seem to be clear a way in the Macros to select particular lighting channels or options. I see:
Subsystem->Lighting->On | Off
I'm assuming that my diurnal program is always On, just with the intensity turned way down.

Thanks for the idea,
Phil

 

[Ranjib]

I wanted to do this before. There is no option in the macros to select individual lighting constructs, only the entire lighting subsystem

Right now, my lights are ON, so it's difficult to try, but as elysics said, there doesn't seem to be clear a way in the Macros to select particular lighting channels or options. I see:
Subsystem->Lighting->On | Off
I'm assuming that my diurnal program is always On, just with the intensity turned way down.

Thanks for the idea,
Phil

I get it now. The macro system still does not support the lighting enable/disable function, I'll get it done in next release.
I cant think of a sane way of approaching it till then, :-(

 

[pwest]

Ranjib
Thanks!!

-Phil

 

[Cristiano Souza]

Hello @Ranjib, I'm without a Raspberry-pi at the moment, I've already arranged the purchase, but it will take a while to arrive, in this time, can you install or emulate Reef-Pi on a windows?

Just to get to know and familiarize myself with the interface and settings, I won't control or command anything!

 

[Ranjib]

Hello @Ranjib, I'm without a Raspberry-pi at the moment, I've already arranged the purchase, but it will take a while to arrive, in this time, can you install or emulate Reef-Pi on a windows?

Just to get to know and familiarize myself with the interface and settings, I won't control or command anything!

reef-pi used to run fine on windows, when @Michael Lane was using it for active development, now im not sure. I develop on mac or linux and can confirm that. For windows i think you have to do a few things to get it running. If you are not a software developer i wont recommend attempting it.

 

[Cristiano Souza]

Is there a version of Reef-Pi that runs on x86?
I would install Linux on a virtual machine to be able to run it, inside windows, in the virtual box!!
It's possible?

 

[Cristiano Souza]

reef-pi used to run fine on windows, when @Michael Lane was using it for active development, now im not sure. I develop on mac or linux and can confirm that. For windows i think you have to do a few things to get it running. If you are not a software developer i wont recommend attempting it.

Is there a version of Reef-Pi that runs on x86?
I would install Linux on a virtual machine to be able to run it, inside windows, in the virtual box!!
It's possible?

 

[zee_zout]

Hi Cristiano,
I've done this last year using this steps ...
https://github.com/reef-pi/reef-pi/issues/1254

 

[Simonv92]

Hi @Ranjib! Are you planning to do any kind of PWM control also for equipment? I was thinking about controlling the speed of a cooling fan by a temperature sensor (not only ON/OFF control but speed control) or maybe create a macro to start a pwm capable out at a certain value when a condition is triggered (for example turn on an led light at 55% when water temp reaches 28°C). Can be useful to someone else? Thank you! :)

 

[elysics]

Hi @Ranjib! Are you planning to do any kind of PWM control also for equipment? I was thinking about controlling the speed of a cooling fan by a temperature sensor (not only ON/OFF control but speed control) or maybe create a macro to start a pwm capable out at a certain value when a condition is triggered (for example turn on an led light at 55% when water temp reaches 28°C). Can be useful to someone else? Thank you! :)

Would also be nice for integrating pumps that have a 0..10V interface

 

[chadfish]

yes :)
IFTTT for controls and MQTT for telemetry is something on my mind. But as of now theres little interest. I am more than happy to work on this, if theres others who are also interested.
I would also like to emphasize that this comes at a huge reliability and compatibility cost. Wifi and those invidivdual outlets having their own micor controller is no where as reliable and simple as the dumb powerstrip+relay solution. It also comes at little higher price (the extra electronics that goes into making it smart). But these are fair risk to me. As of now I am more concerned about which API to settle on. We dont want a proliferation of drivers. i.e. settle on a opensource friendly reputaed vendor, or the most popular one that can be source across north america, europe, south africa and australia.

Please keep the conversation going, and thank you for bringing this up... I 'll be adding this as 3.0 thing,

Hi I’m curious about the current status of Tuya/Smart Life and IFTTT integration.

My current automation is 100% Smart Life. It’s limited, so I’d like to start up a ReefPi, but also avoid buying or building a power bar, since I essentially already have one. I’m also not a developer, just a user who can tinker a bit.

Thanks