Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

So looking for a good water proof web cam option that would still be functional under the cover on my fish tank.

Phase II - waterproof webcam - Looks like you have plenty to choose from. What's your plan? thermometer and cam under the lid? How much light is available under the tank cover?

You could also go with what I call the Orwellian WebCam system;

Multiple remote webcams, even get nightvision and some of those domes for over the camera. Swivel unit with a big enough dome placed half way under water and you could watch the fish without getting out of your chair. Did I mention the Orwellian WebCam system comes with complementary hydrophones.

Tank covers are multiple layers of shade cloth with some gaps near the bug zapper and fish feeder. They don't block all light but they do keep most of the sun out as well as keeping most leaves/debris/chickens/ducks out of the system and bouncing most of the jumping fish back down into the tank. So fairly dark under the cover as catfish like it kinda dark.

They do make underwater webcams like a koi cam or there is a diy webcam in a waterproof enclosure project I noticed on the web?

Here's one it's not perfect but doesn't look hard to fix - http://geektechnique.org/projectlab/694/how-to-make-a-cheap-submersible-webcam

Cool thanks for the link! I'll have to look at it more later. Few other priorities I need to take care of first (mom will be in town shortly and I need to clean up her workspace-right now it looks like all our tool kits and cabinets just puked into the garage, Mom is an artist.)

Then I'll get back to researching web cams. Actually, if anyone knows of little web server type things that I could hook the web cam to, that would help since I don't have a computer to leave up online here to run it so I'll be searching for that sort of thing too.

Thanks,

P.S. here is a link to the discussion I had over on the picaxe forum while working on adding a temp sensor to my repeat cycle timer.
http://www.picaxeforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17350

And here is the blog post I wrote to go with it.
http://www.aquaponiclynx.com/300-gallon-video-jan-2-2011

Love the music! And great looking system for this time of year....mine looks like crap!

Ah the Music is actually a recording of Jazzyplayermark's group some time ago.

So here is a video I did today so you can see the difference in plant growth in the past 18 days between videos.



And I have a blog post that goes with this if you are following those.
Jan 20, 2011 Blog

Enjoyed the videos TC. I'm looking forward to seeing how you solve the feeding dilemma.

TC, great videos! Great system too. Not sure what your daily air temps are running. Consider this, now that you have switched to a constant flood system. The media and water of GB's with its much greater volume exposed to air temps (possibly) cooler than ground temps may have lowered your average daily FT temps? Thus, causing the fish to stop eating? That may not be the situation, just a thought.

It is something to keep in mind. With the beds constantly flooded there is actually quite a bit more water in the system now which I expect has slowed it's ability to heat up but it also slows it's ability to chill down. Plus since the beds are staying constantly flooded, we don't have the chiller heat exchanger effect that one gets on cold nights with flood and drain gravel beds.

Main effect of going constant flood and adding some more water is that the system temperature will be more stable. It won't rise as much during the day and won't fall as much at night and the greater water volume is more thermal mass as well. I'm sure the daytime high water temp is lower now and that may slow eating a bit but it's winter and they are not expected to eat very much anyway.

Could you share the temp of big FT with this FT? Morning and evening temps may reveal stability.

I'd rather keep the two systems totally separate (Big system has shells as about 40% of the media so pH stays high) this newer little system has no shells so I can adjust the buffering to allow the pH to be a bit lower.

Also this 300 gallon system is to be the quarantine system when we get new fish come spring.

I don't mind allowing the system to slow down a bit through the cold weather. Just have to be careful not to let the feeder run when it gets too cold.

Thanks for the reply, my last post was from the phone and not very clearly written.


Although I asked, combining the two systems is not exactly what I meant. I will try again. Can you take the temperature of the two system FT's independently to compare temperatures? If possible, could you share that info here on this thread. Taking the temp at two different times of the day may reveal thermal stability of the different systems. May not.

What I am getting at is the possibility that a constant flood system installed within a greenhouse structure may add enough thermal mass to reduce heating costs compared with a flood and drain system. If a difference is seen in your outdoor systems, the difference in a greenhouse may or may not be more pronounced.

Thanks,
JD