Smart Power Management for Your Aquarium

Every aquarium device — lights, heaters, pumps, filters, feeders — plugs into power. Smart plugs and power strips let you control each one individually, monitor energy consumption, detect failures, and automate power recovery after outages.

What You'll Need

• Tuya WiFi Smart Power Strip — 4 individually controllable AC outlets + USB ports
• Shelly Plus Plug S — for high-draw devices (heaters, canister filters) with power monitoring
• Shelly Plus 1PM Mini — for hardwired/in-line equipment (optional)
• Home Assistant — already set up (see getting started guide)

Which Plug for What?

Step 1: Tuya Smart Power Strip Setup

The Tuya power strip gives you 4 independently switchable outlets from one unit:

1. Plug the strip into a GFCI-protected outlet (critical for aquariums)
2. Add to the Tuya/Smart Life app
3. Home Assistant discovers it via the Tuya integration

# Entities from a 4-outlet Tuya power strip
switch.tuya_strip_outlet_1    # → Aquarium light
switch.tuya_strip_outlet_2    # → Air pump
switch.tuya_strip_outlet_3    # → Auto feeder
switch.tuya_strip_outlet_4    # → UV sterilizer
switch.tuya_strip_usb         # → USB devices (LED strip, etc.)

Step 2: Shelly Plug Setup for High-Draw Devices

Shelly plugs work locally — no cloud required — and provide real-time power monitoring:

1. Plug the Shelly Plus Plug S into a GFCI outlet
2. Connect to the Shelly's WiFi AP to configure
3. Set your home WiFi credentials
4. Home Assistant auto-discovers it via the Shelly integration

# Entities from a Shelly Plus Plug S
switch.shelly_plug_heater           # On/off control
sensor.shelly_plug_heater_power     # Current wattage (W)
sensor.shelly_plug_heater_energy    # Cumulative energy (kWh)
sensor.shelly_plug_heater_voltage   # Line voltage (V)
sensor.shelly_plug_heater_current   # Current draw (A)

Step 3: Energy Monitoring Dashboard

Track how much each device costs to run:

type: vertical-stack
title: "Energy Monitor"
cards:
  - type: entities
    entities:
      - entity: sensor.shelly_plug_heater_power
        name: "Heater"
        icon: mdi:fire
      - entity: sensor.shelly_plug_filter_power
        name: "Canister Filter"
        icon: mdi:water-pump
      - entity: sensor.shelly_plug_heater_energy
        name: "Heater (Total kWh)"
        icon: mdi:flash
  - type: history-graph
    entities:
      - entity: sensor.shelly_plug_heater_power
        name: "Heater Watts"
      - entity: sensor.shelly_plug_filter_power
        name: "Filter Watts"
    hours_to_show: 24

Step 4: Power Failure Detection

Detect when a plug goes offline (internet or power outage):

automation:
  - alias: "Power Failure Alert"
    description: "Notify when any aquarium smart plug becomes unavailable"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id:
          - switch.shelly_plug_heater
          - switch.tuya_strip_outlet_1
          - switch.tuya_canister_filter
        to: "unavailable"
        for:
          minutes: 2
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app_your_phone
        data:
          title: "Aquarium Power Alert"
          message: "{{ trigger.to_state.name }} is offline! Check power and network."
          data:
            priority: high

Step 5: Auto-Recovery After Power Outage

After a power outage, smart plugs may come back in the wrong state. This automation ensures critical devices turn back on:

automation:
  - alias: "Post-Outage Recovery"
    description: "Ensure heater and filter are ON after power restoration"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: switch.shelly_plug_heater
        from: "unavailable"
        to: "off"
    action:
      - delay:
          seconds: 30
      - service: switch.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id:
            - switch.shelly_plug_heater
            - switch.tuya_canister_filter
            - switch.tuya_air_pump
      - service: notify.mobile_app_your_phone
        data:
          title: "Power Restored"
          message: "Aquarium devices back online. Heater, filter, and air pump turned ON."

Step 6: Heater Failure Detection

A Shelly plug monitoring the heater can detect failure by watching power draw:

automation:
  - alias: "Heater Not Cycling Alert"
    description: "Alert if heater draws 0W for too long (possible failure)"
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.shelly_plug_heater_power
        below: 1
        for:
          hours: 3
    condition:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: switch.shelly_plug_heater
        state: "on"
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app_your_phone
        data:
          title: "Heater Check"
          message: "Heater hasn't drawn power in 3 hours while plugged in. It may have failed or the room is very warm."

Step 7: GFCI Protection

Critical safety note: All aquarium electrical equipment should plug into a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) outlet. This protects you from shock if water contacts electrical components.

• Most bathrooms and kitchens already have GFCI outlets
• For other locations, use a GFCI power strip or have an electrician add a GFCI breaker
• Smart plugs go after the GFCI, not before
• Test GFCI outlets monthly with the test/reset buttons

My Setup

I use one Tuya 4-outlet smart strip per tank for low-draw devices (light, air pump, feeder, UV sterilizer). The heater and canister filter each get their own Shelly Plus Plug S for power monitoring. The Shelly energy data goes into a Home Assistant history graph — I can see exactly when the heater cycles and how much power it uses per day.

My 75-gallon tank draws about 200W at peak (heater + filter + light + air pump) and about $12/month in electricity. The Shelly energy sensors let me track this precisely.

The power failure detection has alerted me twice — once during a real power outage and once when my GFCI tripped from a splash.

Tips

• Don't overload a single circuit — multiple tanks with heaters can approach 15A circuit limits
• Label your smart plug entities clearly in HA — "Shelly Heater 75gal" not "Shelly Plug 1"
• Set Shelly plugs to "always on" after power restore — in the Shelly web UI, set the power-on state to "ON" for critical devices
• Keep a battery backup air pump (Hygger USB) for extended outages

What's Next?

• Temperature Monitoring — heater control + alerts
• Scene Control with Lutron Pico — one-button power modes
• Build Your Dashboard — the complete aquarium dashboard