Apparatus and methods for controlling a habitat environment

A method of controlling an aquatic habitat comprising:

• providing a system for controlling an aquatic habitat, comprising:
• an aquatic habitat environment comprising a pair of sidewalls, a pair of end walls and a bottom wall, portions of the aquatic habitat environment being made of a transparent material;
• a user interface configured to receive an indication of a habitat specification, wherein the habitat specification comprises at least one of a shape of the habitat, a content of the habitat, a type of component within the habitat, and a number of habitat components within the habitat, the habitat components comprising a main pump and a dependent pump being in communication with the main pump;
• a server comprising a database containing information associated with the main and dependent pumps and a server communication interface for transmitting operating data for the main and dependent pumps, the server being configured to receive the indication of the habitat specification from the user interface and wherein the operating data is generated based on the indication of the habitat specification and the information associated with the main and dependent pumps;
• and
• a bridge having a first communication unit configured to communicate with the server communication interface and transmit the operating data received from the server to the main and dependent pumps;
• the main pump having a second communication unit for receiving the operating data from the bridge;
• the bridge providing the operating data to the dependent pump through the main pump;
• the operating data related to the main pump transmitted to the main pump includes instructions to operate at a first operational mode during a first time period and a second operational mode different from the first operational mode during a second time period;
• the main pump is controlled to operate at the first operational mode during the first time period and the second operational mode during the second time period;
• the main pump operating during each of the first and second operational modes thereof;
• inputting environmental information associated with the aquatic habitat to a user interface;
• transmitting the environmental information from the user interface to the server;
• preparing the operating data related to the main pump associated with the aquatic habitat;
• transmitting the operating data related to the main pump from the server associated with the aquatic habitat;
• and
• transmitting the operating data related to the main pump to the main pump.