# Extremely accurate appliance timer? One that can work in seconds



## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

I need an appliance timer that can turn a peristaltic pump on for 1-10 seconds. I have seen many many peristaltic pumps online for sale but they all seem to pump over 50 mL per minute which is more then I'd like in one dose. 

I wouldn't mind using smaller tubing but I have no idea where to buy the correct thickness tubing for peristaltic pumps. Or possibly even building an appliance timer myself.

I'm feeling very frustrated with trying to get a fully functional dosing system operational mainly because the pumps are available but the timing systems and tubing is not.

Ideas anyone?


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## xJaypex (Jul 22, 2009)

Hey, Zapins. Idk if youve seen these but i have two of them that i used for auto dosing my 120p.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store...ories/brs-2-part-doser-1-1-ml-per-minute.html

I dose using the PPS Pro and have it on a timer for 3 minutes every day when lights turn on.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Hmm... those seem wonderful, but they are pricey... $90 per pump + whatever shipping is + $15-20 for a digital timer puts each pump at over $120 per pump. I was hoping for around 50-80 bucks per pump including the timer. I'd like to get at least 3 pumps for my 125g tank. One for all the macros (KNO3, K2PO4, K2SO4, etc...) one for flourish excel, and one for a commercial liquid trace mix. 

I'll keep your link for the future though in case they ever do a special on them, or perhaps if I can get a group order going with my club.

Where do you buy replacement peristaltic tubing?


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## xJaypex (Jul 22, 2009)

Im guessing you get it from them, it says it lasts about a year when used 4 hours a day. I only use it for 3 mins so it better last me a long time .

True they are on the pricey side. I paid 185.93 for both of my pumps shipped priority, oh and i use a digital timer that lowes had on clearance.


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## khanzer22 (Nov 30, 2009)

Hmmm, we're planning to go out on vacation soon (for 2-3 weeks) so I've been thinking of setting one up in my tanks... Hey Zapins, if you're planning to order, count me in! And maybe we could get a discount for bulk orders  

xJaypex - Just to confirm, your just using 2 pumps on your 120p, am I right? 1 for Macro and 1 Trace? DO you mix some additional Fe on your Trace solution?


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

I've used these LMI pumps for years on water treatment for cooling towers and other mfg applications. See link: http://www.lmipumpcatalog.com/?gclid=CMGopc_zi6MCFYxU2godiXeBeA

You can dial in quite precicley the amount you want to feed and they come in different sizes.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

If you can't find a digital timer that is accurate to the second, then you are stuck with a timer where you can only set it to the nearest minute. However, if you have a pump that delivers only very small amounts per minute, you may be able to deliver the amount you want. I have been looking at digital timers recently, and have not seen any that go to the nearest second. There may be timers like that at scientific supply companies, but I'll bet they are very expensive. 

If anybody has seen a digital timer where you can store more than one countdown schedule at a time, I would like to know about it. I can't work with countdowns that start at specified times. You can store lots of those on a digital timer. I would like to have a timer where I can store several countdown schedules that I can initiate at any time I want.


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## CraigThor (Aug 5, 2007)

You can get a Mist King timer from MistKing.com they are a seconds based timer that works great. Only about $30 I think. I have one for my misting system and it is very accurate.

Craig


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## Andy Ritter (Nov 26, 2008)

Or you could just buy one of these Gemini PC-4 infusion pumps.

This would give you four very accurate linear peristaltic pumps, electronically programmable, with a battery back-up, all built in. No timer necessary. You would need to buy proprietary tubing sets, but you should be able to get everything you need to pump four different fluids for about $130.

You can check out my experience with my PC-2TX here (although technically Zapins you've already seen this thread since you posted in it). I'm still loving mine.

Good luck figuring out what you want to do.

Andy


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## wearsbunnyslippers (Feb 18, 2008)

why dont you just decrease the concentration of your solution, then 50ml doses should be fine...

the excel might be a problem though, not sure if this can be diluted...

i know this is like the rolls royce solution, but check out what fluo did

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquascaping/47060-your-opinion-3.html#post352374


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## xJaypex (Jul 22, 2009)

khanzer22 said:


> Hmmm, we're planning to go out on vacation soon (for 2-3 weeks) so I've been thinking of setting one up in my tanks... Hey Zapins, if you're planning to order, count me in! And maybe we could get a discount for bulk orders
> 
> xJaypex - Just to confirm, your just using 2 pumps on your 120p, am I right? 1 for Macro and 1 Trace? DO you mix some additional Fe on your Trace solution?


Hey, I do only use to pumps. One is for macro and the other for trace without adding Fe 'cus i dont have any


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## khanzer22 (Nov 30, 2009)

Gotcha... Thanks for info


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

I still need to go back and thouroughly read all the posts but I just finished emailing a retailer that usually stocks peristaltic pumps that can pump 3 mL/minute, they sell for $50 each and run on 6 volts DC. He also currently has another pump that does 50 mL/min for $50 as well.

If people are interested (particularly those in CAPE) I think this would be a great item to do a group order on. We could probably get a good discount on them if we bought enough. I need at least 3 pumps, probably more in the near future.


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## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

Can you post a link to the pumps/retailer?


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Andy, the link you posted is interesting. But the auction is selling them AS-IS, so there is no guarantee that they will work. If they did work 130 bucks for 4 pumps would be perfect especially since they have more then 10 to sell at 50 bucks a pop. I'm just a bit concerned about the as-is sign.

bunnyslippers - I could dilute the fertilizers, but that would mean I have to have large reservoirs of fertilizer, which takes up a lot of space. Also, as you said I can't dilute some chemicals down enough.

Craig - those Mist King timers look amazing! I can't believe you found a timer that does seconds! I've been looking for one like that for about 6 years, I even bought a 10x home automation system to get second accuracy (it didn't work out unfortunately). A smidge pricey if I was going to get 1 per pump, but overall not bad at all! I could probably connect 1 timer to 3 pumps in different tanks that way it would work out to $10/pump and be much more economical.


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