# Light Timers



## jmowbray (Dec 7, 2009)

Currently I have my main light system in a cheap walmart timer and on a second timer is a little LED light. I'm having some problems because the I can't plug both timers into the wall at the same time. Therefore, the heater takes up one wall socket and the other goes to an extension cord with the other timer in one outlet, another timer in another, and the filter in the other free outlet. Currently they are balancing in a stuff animal because if it tilts one way the main light timer stops because the wheel can't turn, or if it tilts the other way the led light is off sync. 

I would get a Aqualight Power Center strip but my lights don't cycle on a day/night cycle. I want my florescent to come on in the morning and stay on until night. But, my fish clearly sleep at night. In the morning I get up and pretty my walk out the door. I don't have a lot of time to get from home to work and I'm NOT getting up any earlier. Therefore I can't wait for my fish to "wake up" and start swimming around. I want for them to get active so when I feed them they are aware and not sitting at the bottom of the tank thinking it's night yet and letting the food settle into the rocks. 

Sorry for the over the top explanation but I wanted you guys to under stand what was going on. I'm almost down though.

My ideal set up is that I want my LED light to come on about an hour before the main lighting. Therefore the fish are active when it's time to feed. Then I want the florescent to come on and stay on all day, but I want the LED to turn off shortly after the florescent come on. I don't want to have to leave the LED light on all night in order for them to be on in the morning, and them put the florescent on during the day (Which the Aqualight Power Center does). 

Is there any timer that will let me chose what time I want the lights to go on and off independently, and not just set lights for all day, or all night.


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## aquatic_clay (Aug 17, 2009)

I'm not 100% sure on this but... I think corallife makes a timer that you could do that with.


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## mikaila31 (Feb 24, 2006)

Yeah a timer or unit that could program multiple outlets at the same time would be nice. You think they would make more of them, for like household use.


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## jmowbray (Dec 7, 2009)

aquatic_clay I was looking at it, and the description seems misleading to me anyway. Here's the link to the coralife timer. Let me know what you guys think it's trying to say.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=11379



There is also this website http://www.aquatichouse.com/Maintenance_files/Power%20Center.asp


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## ObiQuiet (Oct 9, 2009)

I accomplish this with a couple of these cheap-but-flexible timers:
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053

plus those short 6" extension cords that are now available, so that they don't block each other's outlets. One could use a "power squid" type power strip too. I've seen off-brands of those for not much $. (There's a current thread in the El Natural forum ("Lights and Siesta") where the pros and cons of two-wire vs. grounded vs. GFCI timers is/was debated.)

I gather you're looking for an all-in-one strip and timers, which I agree would be better, more compact, and easier to deal with. For $$$, an X10 automation kit would remove the bulk of all those separate timers.

-ObiQuiet


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## ObiQuiet (Oct 9, 2009)

There's a dual timer power strip here: http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/235225/i/1/product.web

From the "instructions" overview, it seems to have the ability to handle:
Light A: On/Off anytime, 15 minute intervals.
Light B: Off when Light A is On, and vice-versa.
Light C: On/Off anytime, 15 minute intervals, independent of lights A and B.

From your description, sounds like you would want A and C.

-Obiquiet


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## aquatic_clay (Aug 17, 2009)

From the description on Dr F & S it looks like that strip won't work for what you're needing. I think the best and cheapest way to do it is to get one of the extention cords that will split 1 outlet to 2 outlets and use 2 of the cheap timers from home depot.

Clay


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## addicted2reefin (Oct 2, 2009)

get a reefkeeper light for 99 bucks. ull get heat control, light timers and more! it comes with 4 controllable outlets. for 100 more bucks u can get ph control!


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## Brendan Redler (Jun 1, 2008)

I use two cheap-o timers and a power strip. Just check around and you'll definitely find a power strip like mine that has several outlets in a row that are spaced out for adapters and the timers fit fine. The other side has normal spaced outlets so you can plug more stuff into it. I have my lights and CO2 on two timers and my heater and filter pump plugged into the other outlets with a couple left-over.


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