IoT framework / dashboard with time lapsing capabilities and reusable device definitions?

Question

I would like to implement a dashboard for monitoring device states based on elapsed time.

This sounds strange, but actually it's about my fish tank.
The filter contains of several materials, each of them lasts for particular time and has to be replaced afterwards. Since you can hardly measure filter material condition with a sensor, I want to make predictions based on time lapsed since I deployed the filter. There is an ESP32 with pH probe and water level sensor, where some data could be stored on (like the date of deployment).

I could achieve that with Thingsboard by creating custom HTML widgets and copy-pasting LOTS of code every time, but this does not seem to be the right way to me. My approach requires a framework or dashboard, where I can create reusable custom definitions (e.g. "sponge filter - life span 2 weeks", "carbon filter - life span 10 weeks", ph probe also needs to be replaced every year) and some kind of a rule engine for measuring elapsed time.

Anyone knows something like this?
It has not necessarily to be a plug&play solution, any extendable js or PHP framework would do the job, too. ( I'm PHP developer and this should be part of my "diving deeper into IoT" learning project. )

Proper terminology for those functionalities, that I could type into Google
and other ideas for achieving this are also welcome.

Answer 1

I've done something similar with my pool. I have a Temp/Ph/ORP sensor package that sits by the pool with its sensors in the water. I send the data over WiFi and MQTT to a Node.JS/Express program running on my Docker server. From my desk, I connect to the web interface of the Node.JS/Express program to see what my pool is doing. If the Ph or ORP get to a level that I need to do something about, the Node.JS/Express program sends out a notification to my desktop. So there are three components involved: The Sensors, MQTT Broker, Data Analysis & Display program. I have several display nodes of various types around the house that tap into the Pool Temp data as well -- just to show what the pool temp is.

I think it's an IoT best practice to have the sensors busy just sensing and sending data, use something like MQTT where multiple programs can tap into that data and do something with it. Keep the display/analysis part of the solution seperate. I can change my back-end components to do something else with this architecture, while leaving the 'sensing' part alone....very handing when your sensors are in a hard to get to place...like a roof for weather sensors :)

Lots of articles out there: Open Aquarium

Just Google "fishtank ph sensor arduino" for more examples.