Seeking Input: Affordable Smart Aquarium Controller - Your Suggestions Wanted!

[fenomatik]

You have my attention.
I am less concerned with the leak detection and more with sump water level, ATO level.

Thanks for reading and showing interest in providing feedback and asking questions.

The idea behind our product is to offer basic functionalities in a small, affordable package. I've gone through numerous iterations from a testing perspective, and I believe it's a robust product in terms of functionality and durability.

One feature I wanted to include is leak detection, which is often offered by larger companies at high prices, despite being remarkably cheap to implement. Our goal is to launch this product and, if successful, expand to offer a version with full functionality in the future.

In my initial prototype, I included features such as temperature monitoring, pH measurement, Salinity, leak detection, TDS monitoring, feeder functionality, ATO (Automatic Top-Off) capability, full RGB light control, and a 6-outlet smart power brick with a local display on the device, along with a fully functional app. However, I made the decision to scale down the features for the initial release to focus on establishing product quality. We plan to release a full version with all these features in the future.

 

[JNalley]

Thanks for reading and showing interest in providing feedback and asking questions.

The idea behind our product is to offer basic functionalities in a small, affordable package. I've gone through numerous iterations from a testing perspective, and I believe it's a robust product in terms of functionality and durability.

One feature I wanted to include is leak detection, which is often offered by larger companies at high prices, despite being remarkably cheap to implement. Our goal is to launch this product and, if successful, expand to offer a version with full functionality in the future.

In my initial prototype, I included features such as temperature monitoring, pH measurement, Salinity, leak detection, TDS monitoring, feeder functionality, ATO (Automatic Top-Off) capability, full RGB light control, and a 6-outlet smart power brick with a local display on the device, along with a fully functional app. However, I made the decision to scale down the features for the initial release to focus on establishing product quality. We plan to release a full version with all these features in the future.

The bigger question I would have here is, if someone bought the smaller unit, and then you release the larger unit, will it be an expansion, or will it be buying a whole other unit? Because that is the differentiator here.. If your larger product makes the smaller one obsolete, there will be little if any need for the smaller one.

 

[19Mateo83]

If you want to get some real time feedback and earn trust in your product, do what IOAOI does here. Offer free products to the reefing community to test out for you and in return you get honest reviews of your products, the good AND the bad. This can really help refine your product and ultimately make it more successful.

 

[SpyC]

How donyou plan on offering all of this for $60? Is this a special initial release price then it will go up? I am confused how you can provide quality parts, 7 day support, and all of the sensors/probes for $60.

 

[fenomatik]

Please take no offense, but I don’t see a viable business here. Maybe a kickstarter run some pocketed money and a bankrupt entity with orphaned customers.

The market is super small and saturated to begin with. Assume you are ordering jobber lots from a china OEM. You are going to easily have $20 cost in each unit. That is $40 net profit per unit. You sell 3,000 units for $120,000 profit. That barely pays for the injection molds, let alone hosting for your web service or ongoing support or compensation for two business owners. If you think you will sell a few hundred thousand of these, I would suggest doing more market research and using realistic variables.

These are single purchase durable goods that will be sold at low margin and relatively low volume with somewhat high overhead and fewer sales each year based on market saturation. There is no RMR but there is ongoing monthly expense per unit sold for the life of the customer.

I am not offended and really appreciate your interest and input. Let me explain why start with basic and how its going to work.
We are both happily employed and this is something we have been wanting to do for a long time , the idea was to launch a product that would easily and happily cater freshwater aquarium market as well as saltwater (to a certain extent based on features offered) and we all know this product is going to cater freshwater very well as it doesn't require too much items to run a tank, I am more than happy to elaborate on that.
The injection mould do not cost $150,000 , I have done my extensive research and worked with manufacturers and its its quiet within our budget to materialize this product with profit.
I agree with the one time sell product , we have designed our backend services efficient enough to not cost us fortune.
We have been working on this for couple of years and have done extensive research before deciding to go forward with this.
Our goal is to offer a solid reliable product to establish the brand and trust from cutomers to anxiously wait for next product in line.

Really appreciate your input with some good point.

Thanks

 

[VintageReefer]

In a future version can you have an accessory port and make an optional attachment wand that reads par somewhat accurately?

 

[fenomatik]

Hmm... I am kind of on the fence about this. I agree with what some others have said; there's probably a limited market for this product. I understand your approach with "basic" but I think both GHL and Apex also have "Basic" models, and to be honest, I rarely see them anywhere. Everyone I know with a controller has the full Monty, and we're not what anyone would consider "wealthy" by any stretch of the imagination. If it were me, I would either do something to completely differentiate yourself, or make a product that competes with Hydros/Apex/GHL/Reef Factory, at a competitive price point.

Thanks for reading and showing interest in providing feedback and asking questions.

I agree with it and fully understand buying something that would offer all for a competitive price and trust me thats coming soon too.
The idea is to launch a product that would easily and happily cater freshwater aquarium market as well as saltwater (to a certain extent based on features offered) and we all know this product is going to cater freshwater very well as it doesn't require too much components to run a tank, I am more than happy to elaborate on that.

In my initial prototype, I included features such as temperature monitoring, pH measurement, Salinity, leak detection, TDS monitoring, feeder functionality, ATO (Automatic Top-Off) capability, full RGB light control, and a 6-outlet smart power brick with a local display on the device, along with a fully functional app. However, I made the decision to scale down the features for the initial release to focus on establishing product quality. We plan to release a full version with all these features in the future.

Thanks again

 

[fenomatik]

In a future version can you have an accessory port and make an optional attachment wand that reads par somewhat accurately?

Thanks for reading and showing interest in providing feedback and asking questions.

In our initial prototype, we included features such as temperature monitoring, pH measurement, Salinity, leak detection, TDS monitoring, feeder functionality, ATO (Automatic Top-Off) capability, full RGB light control, and a 6-outlet smart power brick with a local display on the device, along with a fully functional app. However, I made the decision to scale down the features for the initial release to focus on establishing product quality. We plan to release a full version with all these features in the future.

We are adding this to the list of features for next version.

Thanks for the great reminder !

 

[fenomatik]

How donyou plan on offering all of this for $60? Is this a special initial release price then it will go up? I am confused how you can provide quality parts, 7 day support, and all of the sensors/probes for $60.

Thanks for reading and showing interest in providing feedback and asking questions.

The suggested price mentioned is not confirmed for our first release; rather, it's to gauge interest within this price range. Also I've noted in the topic that the pH probe is sold separately and we're picking a top notch precise pH probe to work with our controller.

Regarding the quality of the product, we're ensuring the use of the best parts (electronics/electrical/casing) to maintain standards and gain customers' trust, with the aim of delivering more and better products in the future.
Although we plan to offer 7-day support for our products, we're also ensuring that our hardware is solid and our backend services are efficient and stable.

All of this has required a lot of hard work and due diligence over the last couple of years so that we can deliver the best.

Thanks again.

 

[fenomatik]

Is this 110Vac only or will it support 220vac? 3/4 of the world runs on 220vac.

Thanks for reading and showing interest in providing feedback and asking questions.

Our initial release is going to be for U.S. only , as you are aware it would require design changes due to the difference in outlet design. If we are successful and I believe we will be, our next iteration is going to be for global market too.

 

[fenomatik]

Go for it, fenomatik, you will not be sorry! Let this only lead to ever greater things. Just be careful with CapEx, then value-added to the parts will pay back, if slowly. I'll buy one and glad to help the effort. Do not freeze the design until the last moment. Do many beta-test iterations with extreme exception events. Fix every flaw. Integrate AI, to give it something useful to do.

How about running them in tandem for superior reliability?

Thank you so much for your encouraging words and support! It means a lot to receive such positive feedback. Your advice on CapEx and value-added parts is duly noted, and we'll ensure to strike the right balance to maximize long-term benefits. Your commitment to purchasing one and aiding our efforts is truly appreciated.

We absolutely agree with your suggestion about not freezing the design prematurely. We're committed to conducting thorough beta-test iterations to address any flaws and ensure a top-notch product. Integrating AI is an intriguing idea, and we'll explore ways to incorporate it to enhance functionality.

Can you please elaborate on your "Tandem" idea ? Did you mean if you can run two of these on a single large tank ?

Once again, thank you for your invaluable support and guidance. We're excited to continue this journey and strive for ever greater achievements.

 

[fenomatik]

The bigger question I would have here is, if someone bought the smaller unit, and then you release the larger unit, will it be an expansion, or will it be buying a whole other unit? Because that is the differentiator here.. If your larger product makes the smaller one obsolete, there will be little if any need for the smaller one.

You will always be able to re-use or migrate the probes to newer unit and as far the controller is concerned you can always use it as a smart power strip to control any thing you want in your cabinet. Remember this is offering a limited number of features , imagine how many hobbyist just buy inkbird (WiFi) or $50 which only manager hater, for a little extra cost you'll be getting 4 smart power outlets fully customizable , temp monitoring , LEak detection, grounding probe and pH monitoring.
Would you find hobbyist who have multiple tanks or small nano tanks to spend $$$ on Neptune or Apex ?
I think its a solid use case for entry level and small tanks

 

[VintageReefer]

You will always be able to re-use or migrate the probes to newer unit and as far the controller is concerned you can always use it as a smart power strip to control any thing you want in your cabinet. Remember this is offering a limited number of features , imagine how many hobbyist just buy inkbird (WiFi) or $50 which only manager hater, for a little extra cost you'll be getting 4 smart power outlets fully customizable , temp monitoring , LEak detection, grounding probe and pH monitoring.
Would you find hobbyist who have multiple tanks or small nano tanks to spend $$$ on Neptune or Apex ?
I think its a solid use case for entry level and small tanks

Make sure the heater temp probe is replaceable. These get covered in coralline or sometimes just wear out. People should be able to replace this temp probe.

Is the probe metal or plastic encased ?

 

[fenomatik]

Make sure the heater temp probe is replaceable. These get covered in coralline or sometimes just wear out. People should be able to replace this temp probe.

Is the probe metal or plastic encased ?

These are absolute stainless steel tell and have been tested for corrosion for safety. And yes they are replaceable

 

[SpyC]

Thanks for reading and showing interest in providing feedback and asking questions.

The suggested price mentioned is not confirmed for our first release; rather, it's to gauge interest within this price range. Also I've noted in the topic that the pH probe is sold separately and we're picking a top notch precise pH probe to work with our controller.

Regarding the quality of the product, we're ensuring the use of the best parts (electronics/electrical/casing) to maintain standards and gain customers' trust, with the aim of delivering more and better products in the future.
Although we plan to offer 7-day support for our products, we're also ensuring that our hardware is solid and our backend services are efficient and stable.

All of this has required a lot of hard work and due diligence over the last couple of years so that we can deliver the best.

Thanks again.

I thought you sated it came with a temperature probe. Is that no longer the case?

 

[BeanAnimal]

I am not offended and really appreciate your interest and input. Let me explain why start with basic and how its going to work.
We are both happily employed and this is something we have been wanting to do for a long time , the idea was to launch a product that would easily and happily cater freshwater aquarium market as well as saltwater (to a certain extent based on features offered) and we all know this product is going to cater freshwater very well as it doesn't require too much items to run a tank, I am more than happy to elaborate on that.
The injection mould do not cost $150,000 , I have done my extensive research and worked with manufacturers and its its quiet within our budget to materialize this product with profit.
I agree with the one time sell product , we have designed our backend services efficient enough to not cost us fortune.
We have been working on this for couple of years and have done extensive research before deciding to go forward with this.
Our goal is to offer a solid reliable product to establish the brand and trust from cutomers to anxiously wait for next product in line.

Really appreciate your input with some good point.

Thanks

Sure, not $150,00 - but $60K to $80 at the drop of a hat when all iterations, samples, and discards are considered. Even if it was $10K the point was the difference in margin vs overhead in context to the product deployment, life and support cycle.

This is a tough niche (fresh or salt) for a specialized engineered product with no RMR.

Best of luck - I do hope you find success.

 

[fenomatik]

I thought you sated it came with a temperature probe. Is that no longer the case?

It will be sold with all sensors included in the package except pH probe (pH probe is sold separately)

 

[fenomatik]

Sure, not $150,00 - but $60K to $80 at the drop of a hat when all iterations, samples, and discards are considered. Even if it was $10K the point was the difference in margin vs overhead in context to the product deployment, life and support cycle.

This is a tough niche (fresh or salt) for a specialized engineered product with no RMR.

Best of luck - I do hope you find success.

I am more than happy to discuss the business plan privately, don't want to share my plan publicly.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I am more than happy to discuss the business plan privately, don't want to share my plan publicly.

Fully understandable and I would not expect you to.

The fact that you appear to have one is a step in the right direction.

I don't need to be privy to your plans and am certainly no interested in being a consultant (not that I would be qualified if asked) . I Just see a lot of prospective business fail in this hobby due to gross overestimation of the market size and gross underestimation of the operating cost, both upfront and recurring.

Take other players in this controller space. Their platforms are hosted, and easily costs 10s of thousands per month just for hosting. Every device sold adds to this cost, as well as the support footprint. Without RMR on consumables or subscriptions, it becomes an internal pyramid scheme. Sell more devices to fund more orders, pay hosting bills and paychecks, but more devices increase hosting bills and support costs. Also at some point competition and market saturation drastically slow device sales, but support and hosting costs remain high.

Consider that some of the biggest names you may know or remember in this hobby may have appeared to be public facing Goliaths, but were actually robbing from one hand to pay the other to keep the lights on for years. (cough... IceCap before the aquisition of the name).

Best of luck - I am sure plenty of people will be watching to see how this works out!

 

[Cheesus]

I would give it a shot. Would work great for a frag tank or something. Already spend money on inkbirds. Non-contact water level sensors would be sick though. I miss that about my reef-pi.