Development of an Automated Aquarium Monitoring System with an IoT Interface using Google Sheets

Abstract

This paper presents the development of an automated aquarium monitoring system with an IOT interface using google sheets; the system autonomously monitors key water quality parameters temperature, pH, and turbidity while automating fish feeding and water replacement functions. An ESP32 microcontroller serves as the system’s core, control unit which is programmed using C++ to transmit environmental data to a cloud-based Google Sheet. A servo motor dispenses feed precisely every 12 hours, while two DC pumps are triggered automatically when turbidity exceeds 50 NTU, ensuring proactive water quality management. The designed system is powered by a 30W solar panel and a charge controller coupled with a 12V lead-acid battery, allowing continuous operation in off-grid locations. The system performance test was conducted over a period of five days and was validated by comparing the sensor outputs with results of the manual measurements obtained by using laboratory-grade instruments. The results demonstrated high accuracy, with average deviations of only 1.95% for temperature, 2.09% for pH, and 1.96% for turbidity when compared with the result obtained from the manual measurement. Also the automated feeding and water replacement mechanisms operated with 100% reliability by being able dispense the feed from the hoper at every 12 hours interval and changing the water once the turbidity is equals or above 50 NTU. Hence the proposed system successfully enhanced automation, real-time cloud integration, and renewable power supply for improved fish aquarium management, thereby offering a compelling alternative to labour-intensive and manually operated systems while laying the groundwork for intelligent, data-driven fish farming practices.