Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yeah, from what I've read and what a few have said it's not "needed" to make a system run at all. It would certainly help me later on though when things go wrong for me to have some data. Also, I may be able to make judgements on future plants or animals based on the data.

How do you find the atlas probes? You've got a good setup from the sounds of it, I was wondering what you're using for capture. Microcontroller?

Mostly, when I'm away from home 12 hours a day or more, it's nice to know that it's not a glorified tap timer that's taking care of my system!

Cheers, KS

I have actually started a project where a python script queries a micro, dumps the results into a mysql database and then has a web interface for viewing it. I never got it fully operational as I ran out of time for it. With me moving house and being away from the system automation will be a much more desirable thing for me. I might just have to pick it up again.... It could easily run on a raspberry pi so it wouldn't use much power.

At the time I was logging water level and temps. But I was writing a php script that would automatically generate the python script depending on the amount and type of sensors you had. Non technical was the goal.

kingsapper

It is good to be able to look back and just as important not to do it manually. I use Arduino Mega with a net card. So my server has a small application I wrote to poll it with UDP.

I poll it ever 5 minutes for temps and DO. The Atlas DO probe so far is great and easy to setup. Basically you take the temp reading then send a reading request to the probe with the current tank temp in the call. You then get a temp corrected value.

It can stay submerged and after nearly a month have not yet seen any evidence that it is fowling up. I will need to keep and eye on it until I can work out a length of time it can be run without cleaning.

The PH probe will be the same.

I also use the mega to run a pump in the RFF every two hours for sixty sec to dump the "solids" into a digested of sorts. It also runs a pump twice an hour for the half barrels.

It will also once I get to it that is, decide when the air blower should be run.

So yes they are basically a glorified trimmer but what fun.

I would like ambient and FT temp (historical trended)

FT level

And a good micro controller that sources 24v for Inputs, and can handle 240vac and 12vdc outputs. One that has good environmental specs on humidity and temp

And an email/SMS service for faults would be nice too

Johny5 sounds like you're doing pretty much what I'm after as well. Glad to hear about the Atlas probe staying stable. Sounds like you've got a great system going.

frostyboy the micro won't do any of that, but it's easy to set up the micro to control relays or MOSFETs to control any voltage you like. For safety and reliability you want to keep anything over 5VDC away from the micro.. really you just want it doing the thinking. If you'd like an IO board that can handle switching mains and high current DC I can sketch something up for you..

The environmental specs is just a matter of encapsulation. Take a look at the Alltronics catalog, Farnell/Element14 or other suppliers and you'll find a host of sealed boxes to fit almost any requirement.

Keep in mind that when it comes to our hobbies it will always be less expensive to do that kind of stuff ourselves than to buy something pre-made. Sometimes by a huge amount. If you're not able, I'm sure that some members of the community (myself included) would be willing to help out with suggestions and some hands-on.

Cheers
KS

I don't have a system, but when I get to it I will start with:

A pump flow meter.
FT/GB/ST water levels.
FT/GB/ST temp.
Air temp/humidity.
Light sensor.
A system leak sensor.

As for outputs, I would have:

Main pump.
Standby pump.
Standby air pump.
Fish feeder.

I might add a reservoir tank solenoid valve, but that may just be a waste of time when I can just turn the drain valve myself while loading up a feeder. If I have a grow house or indoor unit I'd also have evaporative cooling pump, blower fan, artificial lighting, and inside air temp/humidity.

I'll use either an ethernet, wifi, RF, or Bluetooth type of shield for internet monitoring and logging.

As time and money would allow a PH and DO sensor. I'll have to figure out which one would be more useful of those two. Maybe I would just implament one of them. I'd have to be certain I have a big enough system that is working well before I could justify dropping hundreds of dollars on two sensors though. I better be saving a ton of money on groceries before addressing that request to my wife, because all th other sensor, and pumps (minus the evaporative cooling fan and pump) could be had for well under $100. I think I would be better off implementing a solar system to save on electricity and sustainability rather than just the monitoring of two parameters.

So, now I need to go jake some money to finish clearing our last school loan. Then I'll be able to get a house, garage, backyard, and aaaahhh aquaponics.

the reservoir tank solenoid valve can be replaced with a stock trough float valve

Depending on where you buy the solenoid or valve they're about the same price. I think the solenoid might be a better idea simply because the system might not end up being a constant height type. Even a tiny 1/4" solenoid would work. Who cares if it takes 2 hours to empty the reservoirs?

True.

It's just that that passive stock trough tech is so amazingly reliable.

Solenoids probably are as well. I've just never used one.



As for not being constant height, it's easy to lower the float so it's at the minimum height the water sees, so it only triggers if it's lower than low tide should be.


Anyway...

Just a thought

I'm an aircraft mechanic by trade. I've come to believe that if it holds fluid, has seals, uses electricity, or has moving parts it will someday fail irregardless of how well built or simple the construction is.

Pbpbpbpt!

That's what they said about the space shuttle

Thankfully an aquaponics system doesn't go through all the vibration, wind erosion, thermal shock, and load stresses that airplanes do