How to monitor your nano when on a vacation

[pj86]

I don't know if I'm the only one that is paranoid about leaving their aquarium all alone when traveling (of course someone will come every so often to check) or I might share the same experience with many others. So I looked into how to setup a simple DIY webcam that I can check at anytime and anywhere with a computer. I came across a person wanting to watch their dog when gone and someone had suggested Skype because it allows you to receive video calls automatically as long as the computer is on. So here is what I did,

Purchased a

 

10 Meters (32 Feet) USB 2.0 Active Extension / Repeater Cable A Male to A Female

HP GX607AA 12MP Elite Webcam

 

Cost $44

 

Of course the thing that is the most expensive is the webcam. You can always buy a cheaper one but quality of the image will be greatly affected (but price can drastically drop to 25).

Now the key computer program here is Skype, it is free, unlike several streaming or security camera programs.

First setup the computer that will have the camera on 24/7. Get a Skype account for this computer. I will call this username 1. Go to (Mac: preferences>video) (Windows: tools->options) and there you will be able to set the computer to automatically answer calls and which camera to use.

Okay you have the main computer set up. Now create a second Skype account that you are going to be using to call the main computer, I will call this username 2. Make sure to add this username 2 to your contacts on your main computer's Skype.

And that is it, now you can call username 1 using another computer with username 2 anywhere in the world and be able to see how your aquarium is doing.

Things to remember, your computer must remain on, it cannot hybernate, sleep, or turn off. You can turn off the monitor. And I recommend using a desktop not a laptop because laptops overheat easily.

Here is the photo of my camera setup for this Thanksgiving trip and most likely my christmas trip. And how it looks on the computer

 

Update 01-2011

- Now you are able to use your iphone/ipod to watch video from skype.

- Some suggested to use aqua controller III network capabilities to be able to control your aquarium 100% through your ipod (aquanotes)

[clownfish14]

thats cool i will have to look into that for my christmas trip. thanks for the idea

[glennr1978]

doesn't even look like the same tank...

 

pretty cool though.

[gulfsurfer101]

Not much of a vacation if you still tied down to your tank. The plan is to get things on autopilot and you can leave in confidence and not worry about your tank when your gone. The only thing I wish I could get my tank to do would be automated wc's, and I think glennr1978 had tried to tackle this in theory but his reef ninja skills lost me.

 

Edit: didn't see the reefninja posted above me, what up bro!

[FateX9]

thats a pretty cool idea

never thought about using skype for this purpose but seems like a simple and easy setup to just be able to watch your tank

[cptbjorn]

ok so lets say you are in fiji on vacation and skype your tank to see everything crashing and dead, now your vacation is ruined. much better to have an experienced reefer take care of it for you who will do what they can while lying through their teeth saying all is well.

[Rocket]

ok so lets say you are in fiji on vacation and skype your tank to see everything crashing and dead, now your vacation is ruined. much better to have an experienced reefer take care of it for you who will do what they can while lying through their teeth saying all is well.

 

 

I think what the OP is saying is that now he does not need to pay/ beg for a tank sitter. If he/she notices something wrong, THEN call a buddy to take care of it.

[gulfsurfer101]

ok so lets say you are in fiji on vacation and skype your tank to see everything crashing and dead, now your vacation is ruined. much better to have an experienced reefer take care of it for you who will do what they can while lying through their teeth saying all is well.

True that, no sense in riuning your vacation knowing all hell has bestowed itself upon your tank while your rendered helpless only to watch from afar when you could've spent that cash and given it to a local reef buddy or a professional to pop in every few days and maintain it as per required. I wish I would have as I've walked back in on some tank disasters while out for just a few days.

[pj86]

lol you guys, yes it is the same tank, just one light went out for the night and I took out the sun coral for feeding. Well the plan is to call once every day to literally "SEE for a minute" if everything is running the way it is suppose to.

There is no substitute for asking a person to come and see the tank every so often (every 2-3 days.) Now I know, no matter how good of a friend you got, he will not be there all the time such as this little camera will be. I can call anytime and see how the tank is doing and if something needs to be done I can call up my buddy to take care of it, saving me the headache of returning back seeing that half the tank is gone.

[glennr1978]

Not much of a vacation if you still tied down to your tank. The plan is to get things on autopilot and you can leave in confidence and not worry about your tank when your gone. The only thing I wish I could get my tank to do would be automated wc's, and I think glennr1978 had tried to tackle this in theory but his reef ninja skills lost me.

 

Edit: didn't see the reefninja posted above me, what up bro!

 

 

lol, what's up man!

 

yeah just about everything about my tank is now automated. if i were to buy one of those little eheim feeders i could literally leave my tank (in confidence) for a couple of weeks at least. actually, i could leave it indefinitely if i set it up with enough wc water, top off water, and fish food. automation may not be for everyone, but it's sure working for me.

 

edit: you should see what i'm planning for my next tank, it's gonna be crazy.

 

sorry, thread jacking over.

[gulfsurfer101]

Your right man, this does look like a pretty good way to see that things are ok.

[Justind823]

I'm setting mine up tomorrow. I didnt realize skype could auto pickup. Thanks for sharing this with everybody!

[nanoreefsurf]

getting a reefkeeper or other controller will tell you how its doing. You can go on a computer and know what your paramaters are right away if you have comp access. Youre also talking big money though to have all the inputs on the conroller to be able to do that.

 

Having a webcam on your tank wont really do anything until its alredy way too late.

[BLoCkCliMbeR]

i guess this is a good "nanny cam" if you get a sitter.

 

i dont trust machines 100%. if it might fail, it will while on vacation.

 

take a week to train a trusted friend and family member to watch it.

 

hide all supplements, and leave only top off water and the supply of food for the duration of your vacation in a weekly pill dispenser.

[pj86]

Here are some things that some people said it might be useful for

 

Positives

Can see the aquarium

Can show it off real time to family and friends

Know if their was a power outage (camera wont work)

People who have aquariums at work that must leave it over the weekends

Daydream watching their tank from work, school.

 

Negatives

Can't do anything if you see something go wrong (if you don't let someone know)

Can't see the parameters of the tank

[perverseosmosis]

I have a webcam on my tank, and I can remote desktop in to turn off pumps etc.

 

I've been able to remedy a few problems after my wife has called to say: "the tank is making a horrible noise" or "there is a geyser shooting out the top of this scuzzy foamy thing".

 

Not super useful while on vacation, but I get some peace of mind knowing I can check in on things.

[pj86]

Cool. How do you turn off pumps with a remote desktop?

[perverseosmosis]

Cool. How do you turn off pumps with a remote desktop?

 

My ACjr is connected to a Mac Mini which sits under the tank. Using Apple Remote Desktop, I can drive my mac remotely. I use some other software (ZTerm) to chat with the ACjr over the serial port.

 

At some point, I'd like to incorporate that into the software I've written to log data off the AC. We just had our first kid a couple months ago, so all that's on hold for the moment!

[pj86]

Gonna be put to the test this Christmas. 13 days away.

[Johnnyreef9]

ok so lets say you are in fiji on vacation and skype your tank to see everything crashing and dead, now your vacation is ruined. much better to have an experienced reefer take care of it for you who will do what they can while lying through their teeth saying all is well.

OR

you seee your tank about to crash and you call a friend or family memeber and save your animals and money and stop your tank from a disaster.....................

[jojoe972]

This is sweet.... I would have it set up just to look at it while im over someone else's house or at work. I need to invest in one!!!

[shan]

I just followed his advice and did this! Works awesome! Now with my Neptune aquacontroller and the aquanotes iPhone app, I can be at home, call my office where my tank is, see it, and through my iPhone

Turn lights off and on or anything I want to change with my iPhone and see it happen live.

Very nice!!

 

I just followed his advice and did this! Works awesome! Now with my Neptune aquacontroller and the aquanotes iPhone app, I can be at home, call my office where my tank is, see it, and through my iPhone

Turn lights off and on or anything I want to change with my iPhone and see it happen live.

Very nice!!

 

Btw I watch the tank with skype on my laptop, not the iPhone as skype iPhone does not have video yet.

[pj86]

Nice, Shan I like the idea of aquanotes. I hope they add video for skype soon on the iphone, then aquariums will be fully controlled through a mobile phone.

[shan]

Nice, Shan I like the idea of aquanotes. I hope they add video for skype soon on the iphone, then aquariums will be fully controlled through a mobile phone.

You just got your wish! Skype just added video this week to it's iPhone app. Now I can view and completely control my tank from my iPhone!!! Absolutely awesome!!

[pj86]

Shan was it hard to set up the aquacontroller and aquanotes? Any tutorial that you followed? And what was the total cost?

 

Wow that is cool to be able to see my aquarium from the phone. Just amazing.