Our lab is considering investing in a security camera system that would enable us to remotely observe the behaviors of cichlids (~2-13 cm standard length) in a varying subset of our aquariums. In addition to daytime activities, we're interested in dusk, nighttime, and dawn behaviors, and would prefer far infrared cameras over systems using illumination in the human-visual or near-infrared spectrum. We do not currently have plans to use an automated analysis system, but would nonetheless prefer color images with a high enough resolution for the identification of individual adults, and a high enough frame rate to identify even rapid behaviors. Wireless cameras that could endure a warm, humid environment and perhaps even the occasional splash would be ideal.
Does anyone have experiences in any or all of these challenges? We would be grateful for your input and for any specific hardware and/or software recommendations you might make.
Dear Cynthia O'Rourke,
The scheme is not clear. Do you want to use long wave IR camera with environment protection housing.
Chakraborty
Dr. Chakraborty,
No, I've just looked at that type of camera and they would be cost-prohibitive for us. It looks like we'd be settling for traditional IR "night vision" digital video cameras. I think that anything equipped for outdoor surveillance would be sufficiently protected for our wet lab environment.
Thank you,
Cynthia
Dear Cynthia!
I have installed and used IR cameras for exatcly this purpose a few times. The one we have used is the DCS-933L Day/Night Cloud Camera (D-Link). It works, but the resolution might be a bit low for night time observations of smaller fish like yours. I would recommend adding extra IR light to the setup (since it easily bounces of the aquarium glass) and make shure to get rid of reflections and it might work. Proximity of camera (closer) and tank complextiy (less complex) are probably other factors as well. You will not get color if using IR.
The one negative side with this camera is the software that comes with it. It is designed to hook up to multiple cameras and control them with regards to recording etc, but also for playback. The main problem with this software is that it doesn't store the video as a regular video file usable in VLC, QuickTime or any other viewing software. The file can only be accessed and viewed from D-Links own software, However, there is a function in the D-Link software which allows you to convert the file (after it has been recorded) into a .avi file.
Though a little bit messy, this system is very inexpensive.
If you have any questions regarding this system I'll gladly answer them!
Best Regards,
Leon
Thank you, Leon! That gives us a starting point to work from. What species and behaviors were you observing with the set-up you have? I'd like to get an idea of how much of a bump in resolution and/or frame speed we'll need to scale down to cichlid size and our behaviors of interest (aggression, courtship, parental care.)
Also, how bulky were the video files that that camera produces - e.g., how much storage space did you need to store X duration of footage at the default resolution?
Thanks again for your help!
- Cynthia
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