Aquarium projects, particularly leak detection

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All,

I’m a new aquarium owner and I’d love to see some simple projects you all have done with Smartthings and aquariums. I realize control of the aquarium ecosystem is not a good idea, but I have a particular interest in leak detection strategies.

For probably irrational reasons, I have a fear of leakage of water from my aquarium. I’d like to set up some Smartthings methods to detect (and maybe control) leakage if it occurs. As a new aquarium owner, I’ve come across a number of horror stories of failed tanks and of overflow of the filter systems if the filter media blinds with debris.

Two ideas I’ve had:

  • Water sensor underneath the aquarium to detect any leak.
  • Water sensor in the hang-on-the-back filter (or immediately outside the filter) to detect overflow, potentially tied to the electrical outlet for the filter pump to shut it off in the event of a leak detected.

My aquarium is on a steel stand in the corner of a carpeted room. I’m not sure how I’d get good leak detection on the carpet, other than to have some sort of catch pan under the aquarium in to which I can drop the leak detector leads.

Thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks!

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There are a few off-the-shelf products out there that does leak detection. I did the DIY version though and I use it also for my aquarium.

I have 2 filters and 2 banks for lights connected to a zwave strip. The lights are on a schedule but not the filters. I do use a minimote for the filter so I can turn it off and automatically turn it back on after 10 minutes when feeding :fish:

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There have been a few project reports on aquariums, not too many, though. You can find them by using the quick browse lists in the community – created wiki. There’s a list in the project reports section for pets that includes the aquarium projects.

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=How_to_Quick_Browse_the_Community-Created_SmartApps_Forum_Section#Quick_Browse_Links_for_Project_Reports.2FQuestions

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I’ve created DIY leak detectors, but simply used two wire leads that drop to the same level in a sump.

I may try to create the style wrapped around a narrow diameter rope. This would allow the sensor to cover a much broader area.

Since it’s on carpet, I might still need a tray or something under the stand to catch the water if it leaks, and place the sensor in that tray.

The z-wave power strip sounds like a cool idea. I could turn things on/off if I chose, but only if I had confidence that the power strip would return devices to their former power state after a power outage.

Getting some ideas, thanks!