DIY Arduino Aquarium Controller Part1: Introduction and design

Built to control heaters, fans, lights, and top-off valves for my Reef aquarium and Planted tank.
Part1 of my How-to series for Arduino Mega and Raspberry Pi based DIY Aquarium Controller.
welcome to the first episode in my Digital Aquarium Controller series. “Introduction and design”
This is the first episode of several, so let me start by explaining what I will be doing here and why.
The Controller I am building here, like several found on the market, is a small computer that controls many of the devices used to keep and maintain a healthy Reef Aquarium.
The design has gone through several modifications, and the system is already about 70% complete.
These first few videos will be playing catch up.

design imperatives
a few essentials.
- All components modular/pluggable)
we want everything to be capable of easy removal and replacement – none of the sensors or boards should be soldered in. this does require a crapload of connectors, but the expense is worth it.
- Common Components if at all possible
in the spirit of repair and replacement, I need to choose components that I may be able to find again in the future if it craps out. Use standard connectors and whatnot. Arduino Mega and raspberry Pi should be around for a while. The relay modules are very common. PC power supplies aren’t going away anytime soon, etc.
- manual override plan/failsafe mechanisms
a manual override or failsafe is needed for any function that runs a risk of harming my beloved aquarium inhabitants, or that would need to continue running if the control system fails. For example, the heaters have their own thermostat – they suck, but they are there. So, if I set that to slightly above the desired temp, then even if the controller fails and leaves them on constantly it won’t cook my fish.
- design goals -
1) Timekeeping
we need to track the time, keep it accurate, and use it for everything.
2) Lights
On, Off, fade up, Dim down, - control every aspect of the lighting. Everything should be adjustable and tunable.
3) Temperature
track and log the temperature everywhere. Use that data to turn on and off heaters and fans.
4) Top-off
monitor water levels, top-off as needed and log the amount of water added. Take precautions not to add too much.
5) Wave makers
two banks of outlets, turning on and off at specified intervals
6) Moon Phase
Turn on the moonlight each night, set to correct phase of the moon.
7) Display
Update the LCD display panel with relevant information
8) Keypad
allow some user control from a keypad on the front panel
9) Rasberry Pi logging and web interface
the Arduino should send Logging to the pi for storage. it will retrieve configuration settings from the Pi. The Pi will host a web interface to allow more granular control and data analysis.

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