What would you like in an aquarium controller?

You must be bored now that the tank is up and running... :D

Most of what people mentioned earlier would be great. I think the PC interface is a "must have". That would make programming, charting, etc. much easier.

Ryan
 
can you dim MH's? (I have not read up on how they work I just know they do and are nice and bright ;)...)
what would be cool if there was a way to get the information would be to be able to adjust the lighting in the tank simulate to real world light intensities so you can have 'cloudy days' in your tank and have varying light intensities on partly 'cloudy days'
you could do a photovoltaic cell and place it outside or by a window and use the voltage produced to determine the intensity of the sun and if possible dim the lights. the problem with that would be that it is for your local area and would not be directly related to the creatures native environment...
instead of dimmming you could have it turn on off additional lighting but it would not be quite as neat looking as dimming.
 
I had hoped to work on this project this winter but I am doing some other contract work on the side. I'm just still kicking around ideas.
 
lglamb said:
We've already got something like that.

It's called the Rantoul Power Grid.

Right, Bill?


Lowell
Click to expand...

Ain't that the truth! Like living in a house full of strobe lights some nights!!.....
 
My physics department uses somthing called a lab pro. It's a pretty cool little device that is designed to control many different devices. that might be somthing else to look at.
 
w2 said:
Ain't that the truth! Like living in a house full of strobe lights some nights!!.....
Click to expand...
Living with Cornbelt used to be like that, however with the brownouts IP has been having across southern Bloomington in the summer and the random blackout a few months back, I am no longer complaining about Cornbelt :)
 
LegoZ81 said:
Living with Cornbelt used to be like that, however with the brownouts IP has been having across southern Bloomington in the summer and the random blackout a few months back, I am no longer complaining about Cornbelt :)
Click to expand...
Ok no longer feel that way power died yesterday in the middle of the day so I got to test the fact that I indeed did not have enough extra space in my sump for water :( small flood behind the tank :(
Nothing to drastic and it is in the basement so no devastating consequences.

BTW Bump for a good topic :)
 
This sounds like a cool project. David, did you make any progress on this? I'm looking at having to replace my lighting timer. I really like how it works, but the timer wheel is loose and it is having trouble turning off one of the sets of lights. I may send you a note in reference to my project.
 
I don't speak programmer so some of what was mentioned went WHEWWWWW right over my head !


But with a controller that has a PC interface.....(forgive my naive nature) is it possible to set it to conduct a test of the various parameters it's monitoring and then have those results logged in a record on the PC?

i.e., It automatically monitors the chemistry and records the pH, temp, KH and SG....and logs those results every 12, 24 or 36 hours in a record to be reviewed later ?

AND.....make it MAC compatiable for ya know....THOSE people !
 
I think it would be possible for pH, temp, and salinity because there are probes for those, but I'm not sure there is anything that measures alkalinity, etc. electronically. That would be way cool though.

MAC??? what is that??? :D
 
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