DIY reef controllers

[ajmckay]

Reading in the lighting forum has made me want to build an LED array to light my tank. The problem is that I'm not ready financially, plus I plan on up-sizing my tank within 1 year.

 

So to tide me over I decided to do something cheaper but still useful.

 

Today I received my Arduino Duemillanove controller board.

http://www.makershed.com/ProductDetails.as...oductCode=MKSP4

 

You can save 15% by using coupon code ARDINTRO when you check out. I got a red one.

I also got a serial LCD here: http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/314polar777

Another LCD option is http://store.fungizmos.com/index.php?main_...products_id=210

 

That is all I have for now, but what I really wanted to do here is spark some discussion about what the capabilities of a "reef controller" should be.

 

Here are the functions I think I could do easily:

 

1) Outside & Inside tank temperature using the Dallas DS18S20 or DS18B20 1 wire temp sensor (gotta conserve the Input Output ports!)

 

2) Lighting cycle program. I have 2x 2 bulb t-5 fixtures, so I'll have one come on, then the other, and the same thing turning off.

 

3) I also have a DIY moonlight that I made ( http://www.instructables.com/id/Aquarium_Moonlight/) that I would like to program according to an actual lunar moon cycle... (If the link doesn't work, just goto http://www.instructables.com and search for "moonlight" mine is the first one that comes up)

 

4) Sensors are expensive... So if anyone knows how to make/obtain a simple pH probe that is a possibility I want to consider.

 

5) Push-button feeding mode. When I feed I would like to be able to press a button and have the pumps & skimmer either turn off, or run at a % of full power for 5 minutes to allow the food to stay in the water column. I want it to be a push-button so that I can still have options with feeding time.

 

6) Automatic top-off system. Now I read here http://www.melevsreef.com/rodi_recipe_for_disaster.html and I want to avoid that sort of situation like hard-core... So to accomplish this I will probably use an aqualifter as the method of delivery from a simple 1 or 2 gallon container and I want to use the arduino to set the auto top-off to only run in the middle of the night 1 time per day for a maximum of 30 minutes or so... That way the pump isn't turning on/off so many times per day. I plan on using an electronic float switch like the iFloat. Since I don't have a sump mine will have to be in-tank so I will get the one with a snail/splash guard. Does anyone have input on this? (This will be important to set up as I dislike topping off my 29 gallon so much.)

 

7) This might seem obvious, but an LCD clock will also be a feature.

 

Any other ideas out there? If you have experience with a DIY reef controller either in part or in whole go ahead and post your own DIY (or a link if you've already posted it).

 

Some other useful links:

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=187289

http://www.arduino.cc

[evilc66]

Much of this has already been discussed here

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=180805

[ajmckay]

Oh snap! How could I have missed that...

 

Good thread there...

 

Although to my credit function #5 isn't mentioned there... maybe I should post a link...

[evilc66]

I think Vancouver Reefer had mentioned looking into doing that before, but maybe not in that thread.

 

No time like the present to jump into the thread and throw in your two cents.

[Vancouver Reefer]

ajmckay:

 

Sounds like you are about to have alot of fun and alot of head scratching!!!! My project is now in a prototype #1 stage and is running on a veroboard.

 

Im just waiting to start my new job and get some $$ to carry on and get my LED's and start building and testing my PH and Salinity probes.

 

The Arduino is a great board but it doesnt have alot of memory to store your program, A simple solution is to upgrade the AT MEGA chip for this one at adafruit:

 

http://www.adafruit.com/index.php?main_pag...products_id=123

 

Its a straight swap and you might need it if you have alot of code like me.

 

Check out my signature for a link to my build.

 

VR

[ajmckay]

Thanks for the info VR. I almost got my aruduino from a place that included this chip for the same price, but I instead opted to get a red one.... haha.... But you're right that I will probably upgrade sometime. I'm currently waiting for sensors, etc. Friday I picked up some stuff at radioshack (breadboard, 22ga solid core wire, some LED's, resistors, a potentiometer, and some buttons... all for about $20). This week I should get my LCD and a temp sensor and place an order for my RTC and float sensor.

 

At first I wasn't going to chronicle my DIY (because there are like 3 going on right now), but I'm starting to think that I might just do a write-up. Admittedly I'm not the most clever DIY'er, but I think I could still give some useful information for others.

[Vancouver Reefer]

Thanks for the info VR. I almost got my aruduino from a place that included this chip for the same price, but I instead opted to get a red one.... haha.... But you're right that I will probably upgrade sometime. I'm currently waiting for sensors, etc. Friday I picked up some stuff at radioshack (breadboard, 22ga solid core wire, some LED's, resistors, a potentiometer, and some buttons... all for about $20). This week I should get my LCD and a temp sensor and place an order for my RTC and float sensor.

 

At first I wasn't going to chronicle my DIY (because there are like 3 going on right now), but I'm starting to think that I might just do a write-up. Admittedly I'm not the most clever DIY'er, but I think I could still give some useful information for others.

 

 

Sounds Good. You could always make your own webpage and then put a link to it on here and just remind people of the update. This is what im doing and then once my Aquatroller, Aquadoser and tank are all up and running ( In about a year ) ill do a full thread on here showing everything ive done.

 

VR

[ajmckay]

Sounds Good. You could always make your own webpage and then put a link to it on here and just remind people of the update. This is what im doing and then once my Aquatroller, Aquadoser and tank are all up and running ( In about a year ) ill do a full thread on here showing everything ive done.

 

Actually I read your page and I like the format. That's probably what I'll do. Thanks!

[Vancouver Reefer]

Hi Aj,

 

I have thought about a simple timer based button for a feeding mode and it would be simple to do with just a 555 and RC network.

 

I may put one into my controller further down the line but ill have to see much room i have. My tank heater and main circulating pumps will be running through a UPS incase of a power outage so i would need to divert these through the controller which would require more relays and control etc.

 

Its a good idea and is very easy to do and incorporate into your design.

[bad inferno]

Great thread....I will certainly follow the progress.

 

I have a 1wire implementation at www.rjconway.homeip.net on my Discus tank which measures ph orp conductivity and temperature, as well as flow's and levels of storage vessells, however for my nano reef I will go back to a PIC style controller. For those assessing platforms checkout the PICAXE 40x2. It has 32 I/O, 1wire temperature sesnsors, LCD support I2C, SPI and it very easy to program with some great examples

 

The ability to connect the controller to a PC for supervssiry control and data monitoring can easily be achieved using a ZIGBEE wireless serial interface between the serial port of the PC and the PIC CPU.

 

I have used these I/O boards both Triac and relay and for the price you cannot go wrong.

http://www.futurlec.com/AC_Opto_Output_4.shtml

http://www.futurlec.com/Opto_Relay_4.shtml

 

pH and ORP monitoring. I had a feeling I read somewhere the cheap monitors (non-isolated) you cannot measure both pH and ORP simultaneously. There was a link once to the Vernier site also stating this.

 

I have biult a great pH cct that works fine 7-10ph = 1-4VDC from the discus forums site, you may need to login to see the pics however if you want to biuld your own cct this is great. I have added a strip board design to the thread so you do not have to manufacture a cct board. I will be biulding an OPR version in the next month and see if there is any interference between the pH and ORP probes running simultaneously. If so, it shouldn't be much of a probelm in isolating the power supplies and changing the cct to porvide 7-10khz output running through a opto isolator. The PIC can then just monitor the freq of its DI over say 5 seconds and average the freq to get pH. That way each measurement is isolated.

 

http://www.discusforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12582

 

I have found getting the functionality to work is not a problem its a LCD interface is where 90% of the code lays. In providing menu's etc etc

 

Rob

[ajmckay]

Bad inferno,

 

Sorry I haven't checked on this in a while!

 

While I haven't made as much progress as I would have liked to (funny how things seem to always happen like that?) I'll have to post an update soon.

 

Thank you for the links, they're definitely helpful.