Automated Aquarium Control & Monitoring system
Mechatronics | embedded systems | Fluid Systems
Project Overview
I designed and built an automated aquarium control and monitoring system to reduce the manual labor involved in the maintenance of an aquarium while also serving as a real-time monitoring hub for essential water quality parameters. The system automates water changes, reservoir filling, water transfer, and circulation equipment while monitoring water parameters.
The system integrates ESP32 microcontrollers, pumps, and other electromechanical devices which can be controlled from integrated touch screens and remotely through a website.
1) Automate aquarium draining and refilling.
2) Automatically fill and tranfer water between reservoirs.
3) Monitor water temperature, pH,TDS and Reservoir levels.
4) Control pumps, valves, heaters, and other equipment.
5) Provide local control interface.
6) Have remote control capability.
7) Prevent overflow and mantain safe levels.
The system needed to:
Design Requirernments
System Architecture
Visuals
Challenge 1: Electromagnetic interferance
Problem: Switching pumps caused the TFT display to reset and become corrupted.
Solution: I investigated inductive load suppression and modified the electrical system using suppression components to reduce transient loads reaching the ESP32 circuits.
Result: Display and sensors became stable during normal equipment use.
Challenge 2: Uncontrolled Siphoning
Problem: Automatic top off system syphoned water into the aquarium after pump was turned off.
Solution: I analyzed the flow paths and installed vacuum breakers and check valves at critical locations to prevent back flow and unintended syphoning.
Result: Flow stopped predictably after pump was disabled.
Challenge 3: Sensor signal integrity
Problem: Sensor readings became unreliable when nearby high current equipment was energized.
Solution: I tested different wire configurations and re-routed sensor wiring away from AC conductors, improved cable grounding, and added ferrite cores where necessary.
Result: Noise was reduced and sensor diata became reliable under normal operation.
Challenge 4: Controller communication & state synchronization
Problem: The system uses to ESP32 controllers with different responsibilities. One controls sensor reading, cloud communication, while the other controls the electrical devices. Both controllers needed to communicate reliably.
Solution: I developed structured data sending/receiving functions so that sensor data, device states and user commands remain synchronized.
Result: controllers are able to communicate with eachother and the cloud through WIFI. Control of any part of the system can be done through all interfaces