Smart aquarium monitoring and control
Programmatic access to HYDROS device management and sensor data retrieval. Build custom integrations, dashboards, and automation workflows for your reef monitoring infrastructure.

API Reference

📡
REST API
Device lookup, real-time device state, polling sessions, and output overrides.
🎛️
Overrides Tester
Interactive tool for testing device overrides. Validate credentials, and send override commands directly from the browser.

Getting Started

Getting an API Key

Every API request needs two credentials:

1. Provider key (issued by CoralVue)

Registered providers receive a provider key from CoralVue. Request one at coralvuehydros.com/api and include a short description of your integration. Individuals wanting scripted or personal API access can request an unlisted provider key through the same form.

2. Device key (issued by the device owner)

Device owners create API keys in the HYDROS app:

  1. Open the device and go to its Device Properties screen
  2. Tap Manage API Keys, then + to create a key
  3. Choose the provider, a label, and a permission level (Read only or Read & write)
  4. Copy the key — each key is scoped to that single device and permission level

Treat API keys as secrets. A key can be revoked at any time from the same screen, which immediately cuts off access for anyone holding it.

Authentication header formats (simple and HMAC-signed) are documented in the REST API reference.

Rate Limits and Usage Policies

Rate limits are enforced per API key on each endpoint. Device lookup and override reads allow 60 requests per minute; device state, override writes, and override metadata allow 10 per minute; polling sessions are limited to 5 per hour. The full per-endpoint table is in the REST API reference.

  • Requests over the limit are rejected, so back off and retry rather than tightening your polling loop
  • Poll no faster than your use case needs; device state updates are not instantaneous, so sub-minute polling rarely gains anything
  • Use one API key per integration so keys can be revoked independently
  • Keys are scoped to a single device, so request a key per device rather than sharing credentials across tanks

Contact / Support

To request a provider key, use the form at coralvuehydros.com/api.

For API questions or to report a problem, visit support.coralvue.com. Include your provider key id (never the key itself) and an example request when reporting API issues.

There is also a public HYDROS Developer API forum for discussing integrations with other developers and the HYDROS team.