Inexpensive Aquarium Monitoring
I haven't seen this posted anywhere else, so I thought I would mention it in case anyone was working on a budget but still wanted to be able to remotely monitor their aquariums.
What I'm talking about is the use of smart plugs, specifically the smart plugs produced by Emporia Energy, a Colorado-based firm. As with most smart plugs, you simply plug them into a standard power outlet and then plug your electrical device into the smart plug. They have an app that you can download to your phone and use to turn the smart plug (and anything plugged into it) on or off. You can also create schedules for them to turn things on or off at specific times, which can come in handy if your lights don't have this feature. All smart plugs typically have these capabilities.
But where the Emporia Energy smart plugs differ is in their remote power monitoring. Not only can you use the app to determine if they are on or off, but they also report the current power draw. They even track the power usage over time. This can be extremely useful to see if certain equipment is running correctly or not. Here is an example from one of my plugs:
This view is from a smart plug that my backup power station is currently plugged into. All of my aquarium equipment is plugged into the power station. The big spike at the beginning represents the heater turning on (it's hot right now, so it doesn't usually turn on except in the morning). The raised portion indicates the period when my lights were on. The little spikes are likely the ATO turning on periodically. In addition to this level of monitoring, the Emporia smart plugs can also send you notifications in the event of a power outage or even if a network glitch causes them to be disconnected from the central servers.
Right now you can order them in packs of 1, 2 or 4 via Amazon for a cost as little as $8.75 per plug. I highly recommend them, even if you already have an aquarium controller (as I do).