AquaStudio Pro is an independently developed software and hardware platform created from two things that have been part of my life for many years: aquariums and software development.
What started as a practical need for better aquarium lighting control has grown into a platform combining desktop software, embedded systems, databases, automation, APIs and hardware analysis.
Aquariums have been part of my life for many years. Earlier I was involved in breeding Betta fish. Today my focus is primarily on Malawi aquariums and the technology around them.
Lighting became one of the areas where the possibilities of modern hardware became particularly interesting.
Modern LED controllers can do considerably more than simply switching lights on and off. The problem is that the software does not always provide the flexibility, transparency or platform independence an experienced user expects.
AquaStudio is being built to make capable aquarium hardware more useful, configurable and understandable.
AquaStudio did not start with AquaStudio. It is the result of many years of building software, databases, automation and complete systems for very different use cases.
One of the early larger projects was a complete video archiving system written in Turbo Pascal, including structured organisation and search functionality.
Later development moved into web-based systems using PHP and MySQL. Among other projects, complete league systems were developed for NovaLogic games.
Custom World of Warcraft addons followed, including Lua-based raid loot distribution together with supporting PHP, MySQL, JavaScript and API systems.
Custom Discord bots and administration dashboards were developed for gaming environments, connecting bots, databases, web interfaces and external APIs.
Python became an important tool for automation and data processing, including software that retrieves structured information such as Best-in-Slot lists, processes it and integrates it into databases.
Linux has been my primary operating system for development and everyday computing for years.
It is also the platform I use for my own computing and MMORPG gaming. This Linux-first approach is reflected directly in AquaStudio's development and testing.
Software development eventually expanded beyond individual applications into a private homelab environment using compact server hardware, Proxmox, virtual machines and containers.
Network infrastructure is managed using OPNsense together with reverse-proxy infrastructure. This provides control over hosted services, incoming traffic and an additional security layer against unwanted traffic and attack attempts.
The development experience spans desktop applications, web interfaces, databases, APIs, embedded systems and infrastructure.
AquaStudio combines multiple technologies across desktop software, web services, databases, APIs and embedded hardware.
Desktop software, automation, hardware analysis and system tools.
Structured data storage, application databases and automated processing.
Web backends, server-side applications, APIs and database systems.
Web interfaces, dynamic components and administration dashboards.
Game addon development and integration with external systems.
Embedded controller software running directly on ESP32 hardware.
Integration between applications, databases, services and controllers.
Network communication between software, services and embedded hardware.
AquaStudio combines practical aquarium experience with years of software, automation and systems development.
The aquarium provides the real-world problem. Software provides the tools to solve it. Embedded hardware connects the two.
The result is a platform designed to give aquarium owners more control over their lighting and automation while understanding the hardware underneath it.
AquaStudio desktop application and graphical user interface.
Hardware detection, controller profiles and hardware analysis.
Firmware selection, deployment and controller installation.
Embedded controller software running on supported ESP32 hardware.
Wi-Fi and network communication between controller and software.
Lighting, timelines, controller functions and automated workflows.
The current reference hardware is the QuinLED Penta Mini using an ESP32-C3. It has already been examined during development, including its hardware characteristics and channel mapping.
AquaStudio uses controller profiles so hardware-specific information can be maintained separately from the main application logic.
The long-term goal is to support controllers actually used by aquarium owners rather than locking AquaStudio to a single hardware platform.
AquaStudio is currently developed primarily on Linux. The first serious release target is a stable Linux beta.
Windows will follow once the Linux version is stable and the core platform has reached a reliable beta state. macOS is a longer-term portability target.
I prefer systems that I can understand, control and improve myself. That philosophy has followed my development work from the earliest software projects through databases, APIs, gaming systems, infrastructure and embedded hardware.
AquaStudio is the result of bringing all of those experiences together with a hobby that has been part of my life for many years.