Underwater ROV

I am working on a design for my ROV, here are a couple of pics of my basic design from the front and a pic of the control layout on a PS2 controller.

- Air Cylinder from Soda-stream (Aluminium)
- 12VDC NO Air Valve opens with loss of power to blow ballast.
- EDF electric brushless motor (run immersed in water)
- 2 EDFs in each pod wired together
- Pods are rotatable and reversible for forward/reverse and depth control
- 4 small vector thrusters located on each corner 45 degrees to frame
- 2 roller pumps to change ballest level in main trim tanks
- Camera has pan and tilt
- Arduino Mega for onboard control connected to servo board
- Electronic Compass, Pressure, Leak detection, Battery Voltage
- Weights are washers on all thread
- Frame is drilled to allow water entry
- Dualshock cotroller linked via python to arduino
- All telemetry and control via USB to 50m ethernet cable
- USB hub 4 port- Arduino, Camera A, Camera B
- High RES Still Camera with flash
- Car tyre valves backwards in ballest tanks to allow water to exit

Video of fish tank

Here is a little video of my fishtank, no fish for a few weeks yet.....

CO2 for the fishtank

I added CO2 injection to my fish tank today, this is to help the plants grow. I added 500ml of water to a 2litre softdrink bottle, then added three teaspoons sugar and one teaspoon of bakers yeats. I wanted brewers yeast but the store didn't have any.

Within 15 minutes with it on top of the light on the tank, the warmth had the yeast cranking, I am getting a bubble of CO2 every 1.5 - 2 seconds, I am feeding it in to the pick up tube of the filter pump to disperse it through the tank.

This should help the plants grow quicker..

I got a fish tank for the shack

I found a little 50 liter fishtank at a garage sale on Saturday, it has a Biofilter in the hood and had a heater and light as well. All for the small sum of 15 AUD . Ihave planted it out and have a couple of bits of driftwood.


As yet I havent put any fish in, I am waiting for a month or so to give the plants and bio filter a chance to establish, I put some water from a mates tank in it to get the healthy oranisims for the filter. As there are no fish in there it means no food for the plants so I  have fertilised the tank with seaweed fertiliser. I am hoping this will get algae and plants growing well.

All going well the plants will be enough to control the ammonia when the fish go in, I  havent got any photos yet but once it has settled down and the tank clears up I will take some then.