Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Interesting thread guys. I've generally kept away from these sorts of conversations because I am electronicaly challenged. I can however see myself going this way eventually - might just need to buy some pre prepared components and get some instructions.

One other thing that maked me reluctant to go this way is reliability. I have tried to build my system in a way that places lowest possible reliance on things that can fail and to that extent I also have built redundancy into the system in that as well as having the failover to 75AH deep cycle battery on power failure etc, I have chosen to run multiple smaller pumps (just 2 at present) rather than 1 larger one so that if 1 pump fails the system will keep chugging along just at a slower rate.

If I were to use controllers, I'd be inclined to run just the one larger pump (more efficient electricity wise to do this) but have another setup to run if a sensor detected taht there was no longer any flow in the other.

But getting back to my issue regarding reliability, what happens if the controller or something dies. How long is it going to be before one realises this - remembering that sometimes we (or at least I do) go away and don't see the system for days on end. It is one thing when the controller and sensors are just there to detect and resolve problems or log events, but if the controller is doing something like controlling the flooding and draining of beds to allow for sequential flooding, then failure is likely to result in deaths. Now maybe these components are very reliable - but surely like most electronic stuff these days there are dud bits and pieces that will die at the most inconvenient time. Not wanting to be negative - just want to know how this issue is covered off.

Veggie,
I believe much of this all started with level sensors that would trigger an alarm or backup system if water dropped too low. I know Jazzy has been into setting of a signal light that will tell him what is up with the system while he is in the house. He was setting up a control for me that would turn on a backup air system in the event of power failure and would also shut down my pump and turn on the backup air if the water level dropped below a certain point. These are both really backup systems.

The one that might not be such a backup but will hopefully be as reliable if not more reliable than the alternative is the double level sensor that can turn on the sump pump when the water reaches a certain high level yet keep the sump pump on until water is much lower than the start level. This one really isn't a backup system but many of us have issues with the float switches that come with the sumps and I've had mine get sticky some days and not others.

Yep - I'm with you on all that, but I think the biggest benefits from all this will be in things like being able to sequentially fill beds and the like (Les has done it, but using slightly different means).

Can the controllers send SMS messages - or do you need to use a PC as a controller to do that. I'd ideally set it up so that an SMS message was sent if power went out and again when it went back on. Some other key events could also result in SMS. It would also be good to log all sorts of events so that one could log on to a computer from anywhere and see that everything is running well and in a slightly more advances setup, make adjustments remotely.

Oh - and I'm also with you that what I am saying is probably off topic from this thread

I know this thread has gotten WAY off subject but the discussion is great!

Chappo, I hear what you're saying about DO. My question is: How do we know what it is? I can't afford a DO meter. Are there other options? I look at my fish. They don't gulp air. My fingerlings have more than doubled in size in 5 weeks. Is this enough?

Are there other ways to test for DO? I'm really very interested in this as it's the one part of my system that has no controls(electronic or process).

By searching 'Dissolved Oxygen' on eBay I found a kits to test for DO. The least expensive was ~US$15 and a additional $9 for shipping. It claimed 50 tests.

I have looked, but not found, an affordable DO sensor that might be connected to system for alarm or relay to turn on additional oxygenating sources.

Ron

Good call on that. I don't know why I never looked there before. I think half of everything I buy comes off ebay..... There are actually a lot of used meters and several probes, some new for less that $100. Now I'll have to do some reading and try to see what's what.... It would be great to get a probes that I could interface to my own electronics.

The cheap DO measurement things must be the chemical mix-and-test types? Those cannot be interfaced to electronics (easily) .

Jazz, I saw pics of your controller in the members system thread.
Could you, when you are free and feel like it, put up pictures of the circuit diagram (hand-drawn is fine).
Why:
So we could look at it and offer any suggestions, so it becomes an open-controller.
Openness will give you the input and combined power of all the electronic geeks here and thus make your controller reach god-like perfection. And it might help others.

Of course the request above is entirely optional and may be ignored with no resulting hard feelings .

Another simple (but probably unimportant?) idea:
A simple water-clarity indicator : A long tube, filled with the AP water.
Shine light at one end (LED), receive on the other (photodiode or LDR).
If the water is cloudy, there's going to be a lot less light received on the other end which can be detected as a low voltage/current output on the light detector. (Don't know how it will work in green water systems... it might still work - " 'only algae' is not equal to 'algae + cloudyness/dirtyness' " ?)

Again the amusing thing is probably not as much in its utility as it is in its 'cheapness' and simplicity.

Only problem would be the biofilm on the tube / diode

Ah yes.

Thought it would be useful for alarms/automatic HSM detection when you go away for long periods and can't physically inspect your system...if only the biofilm would not interfere.

A camera would work too... (that's expensive).

The biofilm will reach a certain thickness only, strong light will still pass through then won't it? It may very likely work.
Anyway, it doesn't seem to be very important, we could give up on this and move on to other things.

A camera is not such an expensive option. Other people have set up web cams to keep an eye on things.

I am already wired for ethernet, a camera is for after the sump extension