My Secret Project ! ! !

[luisagos]

Been working on this for awhile.
I just got it working today.

You can hear my perfectly tuned motor in the background noise.
I replaced my skimmer output valve, with a spear gate valve.

Installed single axis robot to automate my skimmer foam level.
This is a high precision motor, 1000 click per 360 movement.

I can change from normal to wet modes from anywhere, example from my phone.
Can make changes on the fly or from a schedule.

One of the cool things about this, it can remember my last settings, or I can log the position, and can go back to very spot at any time.

End goal, is to have a sensor to detect the desire foam level height.

It was fun to make.
Had to make all the hardware (make it all fit) and design the software by myself. Was very cool.


Here is a video, hope you enjoy.

 

[moondoggy4]

Nice video and I think I found someone to help me program my Apex LOL. So if someone dump a cup of skimmate in your sump would your skimmer still overflow, or would it shut off?

 

[Ryan Darilek]

Whaaaaat!? This is awesome man!! Are you going to start making more of these and selling them?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[mcgyvr]

Whaaaaat!? This is awesome man!! Are you going to start making more of these and selling them?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Wait till he gives you a price with that Siemens HMI panel.. :eek2:
talk about overkill...

I guess he does PLC stuff and gets samples or "stole" it from work..

 

[luisagos]

Wait till he gives you a price with that Siemens HMI panel.. :eek2:
talk about overkill...

I guess he does PLC stuff and gets samples or "stole" it from work..

I am going to consider you being obtuse and not a troll.

My reef controller is based on a Siemens PLC system.
This project is a very small part of it.

You need to be careful of accusing someone of stealing.

All my components was brought on eBay, new surplus. You can save over 70% by buying surplus.

 

[mcgyvr]

You need to relax there luis.. Sorry I forgot the smiley face.. maybe that would have helped calm you down.. geesh..

Oh and nice work btw.. Just thought it funny someone was asking for a price and you used what is a VERY expensive PLC/HMI system..
Glad you found a deal on ebay..

 

[ca1ore]

When one puts a word in "....." it actually conveys irony or even the opposite meaning .... and should not be taken literally. As to the video, as a charter member of over-engineering anonymous, I salute you sir .....

 

[luisagos]

I am glad you like it.

FYI the HMI is the new comfort series 7 inch, and I used an 1200 PLC.
Both cost me around $750 total. Now there is a lot of other cost involve, but those two are the biggest.

Now the biggest cost is programming, but I get that for free, just have to use my own time. Maybe have like 100 hours in on my whole project.

That can add over $10,000 in developer programming.
Its done, and I can copy and paste. :artist:

 

[djbon]

Ah.... PLC. My bread and butter when I was young. I have downgraded my knowledge to Arduino due to "memory" out of space and "out of focus" eyes long ago. Good project for adventure seeking DIYer, oldies like me don't even run a skimmer

 

[pszemol]

Ah.... PLC. My bread and butter when I was young. I have downgraded my knowledge to Arduino due to "memory" out of space and "out of focus" eyes long ago. Good project for adventure seeking DIYer, oldies like me don't even run a skimmer

How do you export nutrients from your tank without the skimmer? Water changes only? please tell me more about it...
I would love to lose the skimmer, it is very noisy bugger - not pleasant noise in my living room!

 

[djbon]

How do you export nutrients from your tank without the skimmer? Water changes only? please tell me more about it...
I would love to lose the skimmer, it is very noisy bugger - not pleasant noise in my living room!

I don't do WC since I started more than 3 years ago until recently due to overdosing traces. I used to write down my dosing schedule on the bottles, but I thought I can remember without one. Killed 2 SPS colony before I let my ego aside and did 80 litres NSW changes.

Skimmer is a good assurance for some organic export, but an established tank (micro level) breakdown organic much more efficient than anything else. I am running full bacteria driven system for more than a year with best result I have seen. Detritus is good as coral food, I put a small pump in my tiny sump to stir fine particles back to DT. I do have socks to catch leftover foods and other nastiness from the overflow. The reason why I took my skimmer offline was due to low skimmate output. It took a week or two before the cup need cleaning, 1/4 full.

 

[pszemol]

I don't do WC since I started more than 3 years ago until recently due to overdosing traces. I used to write down my dosing schedule on the bottles, but I thought I can remember without one. Killed 2 SPS colony before I let my ego aside and did 80 litres NSW changes.



Skimmer is a good assurance for some organic export, but an established tank (micro level) breakdown organic much more efficient than anything else. I am running full bacteria driven system for more than a year with best result I have seen. Detritus is good as coral food, I put a small pump in my tiny sump to stir fine particles back to DT. I do have socks to catch leftover foods and other nastiness from the overflow. The reason why I took my skimmer offline was due to low skimmate output. It took a week or two before the cup need cleaning, 1/4 full.

How big is your tank to get reference for a 80 litres WC.

Do you keep fish? Soft corals? Anemones?

Or just SPS only?

Have any photos of your tank and tank setup?


Pszemol
--
Maroon Clownfish, breeding pair, Red BTA.

 

[djbon]

75G display, 10G sump (half filled maxed level). Its a one time 80 litres WC to get rid of the excess trace elements (zinc/iron). I normally don't do WC.

Mixed reef, SPS dominant, kenya tree, sum coral, blastos, favias, open brains, GSP, golden cloves, over 10 local zoas, clams, CUCs. Blue hippo tang, scopas tang, anthias, LM blenny, dragon wrasse, saddle back nemo, yellow tail goby and foxface (removed recently - zoas eater).

FTS and sump pictures. Added two more SPS (rescued) recently.

 

[pszemol]

75G display, 10G sump (half filled maxed level). Its a one time 80 litres WC to get rid of the excess trace elements (zinc/iron). I normally don't do WC.



Mixed reef, SPS dominant, kenya tree, sum coral, blastos, favias, open brains, GSP, golden cloves, over 10 local zoas, clams, CUCs. Blue hippo tang, scopas tang, anthias, LM blenny, dragon wrasse, saddle back nemo, yellow tail goby and foxface (removed recently - zoas eater).



FTS and sump pictures. Added two more SPS (rescued) recently.

Beautiful looking tank!

Impressive you can run such tank with no water changes.

What is your dosing schedule?

Can you desribe two white containers in your sump? I see the sock catching overflow water...


Pszemol
--
Maroon Clownfish, breeding pair, Red BTA.

 

[adeebm]

Installed single axis robot to automate my skimmer foam level.
This is a high precision motor, 1000 click per 360 movement.

What motor is it? Not sure I understand exactly what it's doing. Is it raising/lower the skimmer body or something else?

 

[luisagos]

What motor is it? Not sure I understand exactly what it's doing. Is it raising/lower the skimmer body or something else?

I am controlling the skimmer valve remotely.
More importantly, I can go back to any positions that I have logged.

One 360 movement equals = 1000 clicks
Example to open the valve.

500.0
500.1
500.2
to 600.0 will open the valve 1 complete turn

Example to close the valve.

500.0
499.9
499.8
to 400.0 will close the valve 1 complete turn

 

[pszemol]

I am controlling the skimmer valve remotely.

More importantly, I can go back to any positions that I have logged.



One 360 movement equals = 100.0 clicks

Example to open the valve.



500.0

500.1

500.2

to 600.0 will open the valve 1 complete turn



Example to close the valve.



500.0

499.9

499.8

to 400.0 will close the valve 1 complete turn

I admire your math skills !! ;-)

500.0, 499.9, 499.8 ... 400.0 that would be 1000 "clicks", not 100. And then, from 500.0, 500.1, 500.2 to 600.0 would be another 1000 steps.

Together 2000 steps.


Pszemol
--
Maroon Clownfish, breeding pair, Red BTA.

 

[luisagos]

I admire your math skills !! ;-)

500.0, 499.9, 499.8 ... 400.0 that would be 1000 "clicks", not 100. And then, from 500.0, 500.1, 500.2 to 600.0 would be another 1000 steps.

Together 2000 steps.


Pszemol
--
Maroon Clownfish, breeding pair, Red BTA.

Read post 1.
That dot shouldn't have been there.
2000 steps = 360 in two different direction. I do not think you understand how it works.

 

[mcgyvr]

1000 steps/rev stepper motor..
.36 deg/step..

 

[pszemol]

Read post 1.
That dot shouldn't have been there.
2000 steps = 360 in two different direction. I do not think you understand how it works.

Yes, I do not understand the difference between 100.0 and 1000, apparently Thanks for correcting me, Master