This repo contains control software for an Adafruit Feather RP2040, which is used to automate an aquaponics system. The goal of this project is to use nitrate rich water from a fish aquarium to fertilize plants in a tank above the aquarium, and then to return the purified water back to the fish tank. Its a complete and self contained ecosystem (minus the fish-feeding part)!
Here's the setup:
The RP2040 cycles the water in a simple fashion:
- Check the water level of the plant aquarium bed using an eTape
- If the level is sufficiently low, trigger a relay to pump water into the plant tank until the eTape registers it as full (or a cutoff time is reached). This step also temporarily turns off the fish tank pump to prevent it from taking up too much air from the sudden decrease in water volume.
- After 15 minutes of irrigation, trigger a second relay to pump the water back into the fish tank
- Wait a predetermined amount of time (~6 hours) and repeat
The repo also includes a custom STL file for a 3D printed tank water strainer, which improves water flow such that draining the tank rapidly doesn't cause issues with the fish aquarium pump.
Some bonus videos/photos