Regular water-changes are essential to the wellbeing of aquarium fish, but the task sometimes gets missed, plus it can be difficult to determine how much water should be replaced, and how often. That's where the automated StayrAI Rein system comes in.
Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, StayrAI Rein (pronounced "stay ray rine") is made by German startup StayrAI.
At the heart of the setup is the main Rein device – rein is German for "pure." Located beside the aquarium, it's connected to two pumps, two optical sensors, two temperature sensors, and a three-outlet power strip that powers two third-party heaters.
Utilizing an accompanying iOS/Android app, users start off by providing the system with information such as the volume of their aquarium, the type of filtration system it's using, plus the quantity and type of fish (or other aquatic critters) it contains.
An AI-based algorithm then figures out how much water should be replaced, plus it sets up an automatic-water-change schedule for itself to follow. That said, users can also program in a custom schedule based on their own fish-keeping expertise. They can also manually initiate an unscheduled water change at any time, if needed.
The Rein uses one of the two pumps to remove water from the aquarium, which goes either straight down a nearby drain or into a separate vessel for dumping. The other pump is used to draw clean dechlorinated water out of an adjacent reservoir and into the aquarium. So yes, users still do have to regularly refill that reservoir.
The two optical and temperature sensors, one of each located in the aquarium and the reservoir, monitor water levels and temperatures in both – the two heaters are independently controlled (via the power strip) to ensure that the incoming clean water is the same temperature as the water already in the aquarium.
Assuming the StayrAI Rein reaches production, a pledge of €799 (about US$878) will get you a system. The planned retail price is €1,600 ($1,759). A lower-spec'd Lite model is also available for a pledge of €399 ($439) – it should retail for €1,000 ($1,099).
There's more information in the video below.
Sources: Kickstarter, StayrAI
