I need some creative advice from this community, please. I have zero experience with code or electronics, so if you are game to help me, please explain it to me like I'm 5.
I am building a training gym for my beta (small pet fish). The goal is that he will receive a food pellet by completing a task such as swimming through a hoop or pressing a button. My problem is in finding a sensor or switch that:
a little fish is strong enough to activate
can work under water, or by extending into the water by a long lever, or can detect through the glass of his tank.
won't hurt Fishessence (that's his name). A laser emitter might hurt his eyes for example.
Please put your collective genius to work in helping me come up with a workable solution to this very important and pressing fish situation. I get the feeling that Fishessence feels demoralized by having to wait for a person to feed him, and I really think this will give him a sense of empowerment. Any and all suggestions are appreciated.
The cheap side mounting float switches you see on Ebay can be used as push up or push down switches. You can add weights to the float to make it more neutrally buoyant so it needs less force to make it move.
Adafruit sells flex sensors. They are pretty flexible. Not sure if they are waterproof.
FishTrainer:
That's very flattering, but I assure you; I am humbly requesting your advice with the utmost seriousness.
Yes I'm sure you are, and didn't mean to imply otherwise. I just could not help but see the link to Monty Python's "cat detector van" in the "fish licence" sketch.
Of course, whether or not fish can feel demoralised or empowered is beyond the scope of this forum