Advances in Biological Sciences Research, volume 16

6th International Conference of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource (IC-FANRES 2021)

Design and Implementation of Water Quality Monitoring

System (Temperature, pH, TDS) in Aquaculture Using IoT
at Low Cost
Novita Dwi Susanti, Diang Sagita, Ignatius Fajar Apriyanto, Cahya Edi Wahyu
Anggara, Doddy Andy Darmajana, Ari Rahayuningtyas*
Indonesian Institutes of Sciences, Centre of Appropriate Technology Development, Subang, 41213, Indonesia
*
Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT
This research aims to design and implement a water quality monitoring system in aquaculture that will be implemented
in SME. Subang is a city which has a lot of potential fish farming in ponds, one of them is Rojo Koyo SMEs. The farmer
has a problem, especially in the rainy season, mortality of fish increases and they don’t know why this happens. This
research aims to solve this problem by making a monitoring system to know the water quality in ponds at low cost
because the system will be implemented in SME with small capital. Aquaponics system is an integrated system between
fish farming and cultivation without soil. Aquaponics systems need continuous monitoring of water parameters to
determine the suitability of the type of fish with the type of plant. The author has developed a low-cost IoT system that
can monitor aquaponics system parameters such as temperature, pH and TDS via android platform. Hardware design
using several integrated sensors is water temperature sensor type DS18B20, pH type SKU: SEN0161, sensor TDS type
SKU: SEN0244. Android software design using C Language for programming. The author using an additional
NodeMCU ESP8266 that can transmit data to a smartphone using an internet connection. Data can be accessed using
Android with the Blynk app. The cost requirement to develop this device is low cost which is 83.79 USD. Components
on the device are easily available in the market so that replacement parts can be done easily every 2-3 years

Keywords: Monitoring, Water quality, Low cost, IoT.

1. INTRODUCTION major factor that affects fluctuation of water temperature.

Sunlight heats water on the surface faster than in the dept.
Pond environment as an aquaculture media is an Water density decreases caused by temperature increase
important way to support fish farming successfully. Pond so the water in the surface and in the dept. can mix well.
environments consist of water, and soil in a fish This will cause temperature stratification (thermal
enlargement process has degradation quality because stratification) in the body water, which will form three
several reasons increased waste derived from the rest of layers of water namely epilimnion, hypolimnion and
the feed, faces, and fish excretion [1]. Several parameters thermocline [3].
of water quality that can affect the growth and fish
survival rate consist of temperature, dissolved oxygen, Another important parameter is pH value, pH value
pH and water salinity. In this research parameters that indicates the water neutral, base and acid. pH is a water
have been used to determine water quality covers quality dynamic variable and fluctuation throughout the
temperature, TDS and pH of water. Temperature and day. In common water that is not affected by high
dissolved oxygen is a major factor that affect fish biological activity, pH values rarely reach above 8.5 but
appetite, metabolism, and fish growth [2]. Water in fish or shrimp ponds, water pH can reach 9 or more
temperature is changed by sunlight radiation, air than 8.5 [4].
temperature, weather and location. Sun radiation is a

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 Advances in Biological Sciences Research, volume 16

Figure 1. Block diagram water quality monitoring system

The problem in aquaculture cultivation is that water hardware design, software design and cost analysis of
quality checks are still done directly and manually. Water water quality monitoring system.
quality is an important factor that has an impact on the
success of aquaculture and the importance of continuous 2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
monitoring so monitoring systems have to be made to
monitor water quality. Several research about monitoring 2.1. Hardware Design
systems was designed to develop wireless monitoring
devices for water quality (temperature, pH and dissolved Hardware designed by choosing electronics
oxygen in the water) [5]. This system uses Chip components and sensors that have good quality and
STM32F103 to process data, Zigbee and GPRS to reliability. Monitoring system can monitor water
transmit data, power supply using solar cells and lithium temperature, pH and TDS at aquaculture so several
cells. The research [6], development wireless monitoring sensors needed and related components. Block diagram
system using wireless monitoring sensor EZ430-RF2500 hardware for monitoring water quality can be seen in
type. To detect water quality (pH, temperature, and Figure 1.
dissolved oxygen) can transmit short messages to the user
In Figure 1, it can be seen water quality monitoring
(smart phone) via GSM. In [7] this paper contains a
system using electronic component and sensor such as:
monitoring design system in aquaculture (pH,
Arduino mega, water temperature sensor type DS18B20
temperature and water flow) using Arduino, pH and
with accuracy ±0.5 0C [10], pH sensor type SKU:
water temperature set in range 6-7 and temperature
SEN0161 with accuracy ±0,1 pH (25 0C) [11], TDS
between 25 0C-30 0C, notification message will be sent to
sensor type SKU: SEN0244 with accuracy ±10% FS (25
smart phone via GSM. Research [8] containing 0
C) [12] completely with NodeMCU ESP8266 as a wi-fi
development monitoring and control systems in
shield that can access via android [13]. The data from the
aquaponics (pH, temperature and dissolved oxygen) this
water temperature sensor, pH sensor and TDS sensor will
system using Arduino to transmit measurement
be accepted, processed and calculated automatically by
parameter results to raspberry pi to record. all
the microcontroller. Then the data will display on screen.
information displays in mobile application real-time.
There is a SD card processed by a microcontroller to save
Another research is development monitoring system in
data every 5 seconds. Moreover, the data can be accessed
aquaponics using Arduino and using LABVIEW
by android via the internet. Hardware in the monitoring
program as a tool, monitoring system using GSM to
design system is as shown in Figure 2.
display the data [9].
This research aims to produce a monitoring design
system. That has been used to measure water quality
(water temperature, pH and TDS) in aquaculture with low
cost of implementation and fish farming. To make the
operators easier to monitor water quality in real time,
which can impact on the success of aquaculture. This
research used a design method that was divided into

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Figure 2 Electronics system and sensor

Figure 3. Flow diagram communication device to Blynk

2.2. Software Design

In this research software needed to turn on the
hardware, microcontroller Arduino Mega using C
language. The output of the sensor is analog voltage and
digital will be processed by microcontroller and will
display on screen and will be sent to NodeMCU ESP8266
to display on android. Data can be accessed using android
via the internet. To access the applications needed
authentication, so users can access system aquaponics
that connect with application Blynk.

Figure 4 Program used in the aquaponic system

2.3. Concept of Architecture System

In this research software needed to turn on the
hardware, microcontroller Arduino Mega using C
language. The output of the sensor is analog voltage and
digital will be processed by microcontroller and will
display on screen and will be sent to NodeMCU ESP8266
to display on android. Data can be accessed using android
via the internet. To access the applications needed
authentication, so users can access system aquaponics
that connect with application Blynk.

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The system can function and work well, the system 3. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
needs synchronization between hardware and software.
As shown in Figure 1, communication needed so the data 3.1. Implementation Monitoring System in
can access using android platform via internet. To access Aquaculture
application authentication users needed so users can
access aquaponics systems that connect with application Water quality monitoring system can implementation
Blynk. The steps are as shown in Figure 3. The list at aquaculture, system can read water temperature, TDS
program with C programming is as shown in Figure 4. and pH water aquaculture implementation are done 10
The Blynk system application and the LCD can be seen times in 5 hours-time period, between 8 AM to 1 PM
in Figure 5. GMT+7 using sensor experiment (Figure 6) and the data
of the reading are as shown in Table 1.

3.2. Cost Analysis

The advantage of using this device is that the user or
owner can observe water conditions without having to be
in the cultivation location. In addition, the overall cost of
producing the device is very low, so it can be used in any
area, including rural areas. The component parts in the
device are easily available so that replacement of spare
parts can be done easily every 2-3 years. The cost
analysis of the monitoring device prototype is shown in
Table 2. According to table 2 to design this system only
costs 83.79 USD, cheaper than [14].
Table 1. Sensors reading for water temperature, pH dan
total dissolve solid (TDS)

Reading Temp pH TDS (ppm)

Number (C)
1 25.37 6.74 27.11
2 25.41 6.88 27.70
3 25.44 6.97 27.75
4 26.04 6.99 27.88
Figure 5 Monitoring system display at Blynk android 5 26.37 7.02 28.24
(top) and the LCD display (bottom) 6 26.41 7.07 28.24
7 26.98 7.12 28.44
8 27.11 7.34 28.87
9 27.98 7.61 28.87
10 28.12 7.9 28.89

4. CONCLUSION
In this research a water quality monitoring system has
been done (water temperature, pH, and TDS) in
aquaculture, with a low cost around 83.79 USD. This
device is completed with a water temperature sensor, pH,
TDS. Integrated sensors can monitor remotely using an
android platform so water quality can be monitored
Figure 6 Implementation monitoring system at without on the site. The advantage of a real time
aquaculture pond monitoring system via smartphone brings success for fish
farming. Water parameter data record and save in the
memory card so can be reference and feedback for
business owner to determine appropriate water quality.

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Table 2. Cost analysis of the device prototype

No Components Quantity Unit Price ($) Total Price Useful life

($) (year)
1 Temperature sensor DS18B20 1 piece 1.38 1.38 2
2 pH sensor SKU: SEN0161 1 piece 13.79 13.79 2
3 TDS sensor SKU: SEN0244 1 piece 11.72 11.72 2
4 Jumper cable 1 set 1.38 1.38 3
5 LCD (I2C 20X4 character) 1 piece 6.90 6.90 2
6 Arduino Mega 1 piece 6.90 6.90 3
7 NodeMCU v3 CH340G ESP8266 1 piece 4.83 4.83 3
8 Modem Wifi 1 piece 20.69 20.69 3
9 MicroSD card 1 piece 5.17 5.17 3
10 SD card shield Arduino 1 piece 3.45 3.45 3
11 Power Supply 1 piece 3.45 3.45 3
12 Box panel 1 piece 4.14 4.14 3
Total Cost 83.79

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