Maybe! We'll see.
At least for me... Okay enough of that.

To be blunt, I don't have a lot of hardware experience but I've always had an interest. I'm using aquaponics as my "excuse" to learn how to use computer hardware in order to automate some of the processes and output readings so I know what's going on. In short, I've got 2 or 3 variables in my garden that I would like to have accurate readings for using a couple of different sensors. Being able to read things like pH, nitrate levels, dissolved oxygen, C02, and flow rate are the first things I need to figure out before any additional automation can happen.

I don't have the expertise to do anything in the way of customized PCB, so I've been looking into Raspberry Pi and Ardunio boards for i/o over serial connections. I've had some success but I think that the Teensy-LC would be perfect for this while keeping the overhead of costs and power down. Having three serial connections in such a small package is awesome. I was considering buying a more expensive Arduino 2560, but after learning about this it could be exactly what I need at half of the cost. If possible I would like to set this up with multiple sensors, have it output to an RPi and push that information on to the internet where I can keep track of everything on my phone while I'm away. If I get to the point where this is all up and running the next step would be controlling it remotely, features like changing the water pump timing, light control, flow rate control, feeding times and levels, C02 release, and an emergency shutoff.

So you know, big dreams and lots of work ahead!

Bonus Garden update:

When I was having issues with leaks I wasn't running the pump as much, seriously stunting the growth of my new tomatoes. However since my last update 2.5 weeks ago they've almost doubled in height, my tallest plant (closest to the window) measured in at around 12-14 inches last time and now it's up to 23! I'll be trellising them up on the ceiling which should look pretty cool in about a month, I honestly may be in over my head here (puns win hackaday contests, right?). I don't have sensors at the moment so I have no idea what the nitrate or ammonia levels are like, but apparently it's working.