Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Not sure if there are any other threads covering this already but I am interested in what exists in the way of computer monitoring / logging / controlling in the aquaponics community. I found a video of this guy doing interesting things http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e2cQQbMMcw but in brief exchanges he doesn't appear to have interest in sharing his code.

So, anyone know of anything?

Cheers

I've tried looking into this sort of thing (being the tech-head that I am).

I've looked into doing one-wire technology ( http://www.maxim-ic.com/products/1-wire/ ) as well as Arduino ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arduino ). There are some good possibilities. However there is a huge down side. Cost.

Temperature is easy to do. Water levels also extremely easy to handle. PH, not so easy ( http://www.spectronic.co.uk/electrochem ... s/3505.htm ) but certainly within the realms of possibility. And as for automation, switching on pumps etc. so easy anybody could do it standing on their heads.

Where the cost comes in is when you want to monitor Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates, the core of an Aquaponics system. The costs for sensors able to handle this in some cases run into thousands of pounds. (I'm UK based, so GBP it is!).

I've approached a number of companies about this possibility, but it just does not make sense for small backyard setups to go with it. But if you want to contact them as well, please be my guest.
http://www.progensci.co.uk
http://www.rhysinternational.co.uk/
http://www.spectronic.co.uk

That is Web4Deb system. You may find some more information about the monitoring in his system thread: viewtopic.php?t=5098

yup, that's my system. It's not that I'm not willing to share, it's just the software/hardware isn't ready to be released. Too many projects....too little time.

Regarding this, I've had this idea for quite some time - rather than electronically testing water via complicated and expensive test equipment, I was wondering how easily you could do it with a Lego Mindstorm kit and a webcam. Periodically it grabs some water from the system and does the normal "drip" test or maybe a strip test and then just uses the camera to do some processing on it (essentially just an FFT!) and voila, you've got the colour and hence the pH/Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate.

I'm playing around with a PIC at the moment to fill GB's, empty them and control the pump with water level sensing in each GB.
Nothing fancy, no logging, no param testing just some fun really.

Thats good head using.

Colour is easy to read.

Legend!

Hi all.

I used to work at CSIRO's Plant Industry division at Canberra controlling, monitoring etc glasshouses and conditions. I have previously built a PIC based controller for a hydroponics room and it worked quiet well. I program windows code in Delphi and Pic code using a program called Mikropascal (http://www.mikroe.com/eng/products/view ... o-for-pic/) and you can do all you want with it. I currently work at a mine that monitors everything they do and use most Allen Bradley PLC's and various sensors

However in designing my system I am going to use a http://www.tri-plc.com/f2424.htm unit as I use these for various bits and pieces.

My system is only a hobby but I like playing with technology etc so I combine this with most stuff I do.

I will be monitoring outside temps, bed temps, inside temps as my tanks will be inside, pump flow's etc etc etc. It will do the timing etc. BUT and a big BUT, all things will have manual overrides as 25 years in this field has taught me that something will go wrong and fail so needs a way of overriding.

I am happy to offer any help I can in relation to this kind of thing.

anyone try this? http://www.neptunesys.com/index.php?opt ... &Itemid=45

I am in the process of setting up my computer/plc controller for my setup and other things. I have been playing with the plc we bought and it has everything I need. It competes well against systems 10 times its cost.

As part of this, I wrote to the makers of the Pinpoint Nitrite meters and they confirm that the probes output millivolts in relation to the reading. They mention Nitrate so not sure if this means it will do Nitrite? Here is the reply

The PINPOINT Nitrate probe does develop mV signals based on nitrate concentration but if you need much greater detail support is only available when used with a PINPOINT meter and not user defined equipment.....Lou Dell/AMI

So I am assuming it would be like the ph probes I am used to and calibration is done by taking 2 readings and calibratring the unit with these. Now looking for ammonia probes.

Great work secs - I'm looking forward to seeing whether you can get it all to work. The company I work for makes radars, so I'm sure I can snag a hardware engineer or two to cad me up something

I can't see the point in continuously monitoring water parameters (except temperature) in a mature system, even PH only requires periodic checking.
I do support the use of PLC's and other controllers in regards to the operation and control of an AP system as the use of these will result in a more reliable efficient system. I run my system with 3-small pumps with battery back-up all controlled by a compact Logo controller, My system costs 24 cents per day to run.

As with any system, there are many parameters that can alert you to a potential problem before it becomes catostrophic. For me a perfect system would monitor ammonia, nitrate/nitrite, temp and ph. Electrical input and perhaps even clarity and color of water. High/lo param monitoring with maybe some trending algorithms could alert you to something going on...for me, an sms msg would be nice. Anyway - ammonia raising for the last 2 hours may not be to alarming, but probably not normal either, and even though still very low would cause me to look a little harder for uneaten food or a dead fish....or perhaps just skip the pub after work and go home to check things out.

Anyway - I can see the point. Especially if you have a few hundrend dollars or more worth of fish.

Temp, pH, DO & pmup failure... are the ones that need to be monitored... and some means of alert...

All of which might mean diddly squat.... if you're more than 2 hours away from any response...

Well, at least you can find out what went wrong !