Looking for a really good timers

[Skimmerking]

ok what are the best timers out there that i can get for the tank to run 3x250's they can be the plug in or the fancy ones that you wire to the wall.

if you have the fancy ones that wire to the wall
how much ?
need 3 of them?

[Aquattro]

My new Apex works great for timing :)

[Smudge]

Digital Aquatics Reefkeeper Lite. $106 at J&L

[The Grizz]

I used the one you wire into the wall boxes for my tank. They work great because if by chance the power goes out they retain there settings. They are a little expensive @ $30 a piece but well worth it.

[Aquattro]

Oh, just buy a controller :)

[Skimmerking]

Oh, just buy a controller :) Brad I had a controller it was a aqua controller 3 however ended up sellingit cause i didntknow how to program and and use it. I would love a reef keeper but they are not recommended for a large setup.

so

[gobytron]

whats the logic beind reefkeeprs not being for large set ups?

[Aquattro]

Brad I had a controller it was a aqua controller 3 however ended up selling it cause I didn't know how to program and and use it. I would love a reef keeper but they are not recommended for a large setup.

so

Once you get the "it's complicated" thing out of your head, it's really quite simple. And it's easy to cut and paste commands into the app. Anything you want to do has been done before, and someone has the code for it. I have trouble with setting clocks on VCRs (or is it DVDs now?) but my Apex was dead easy.

[kobelka]

Quite often I have seen ads for this in bathroom stalls? :redface:
Nyuk Nyuk!!!

[KevinK]

Brad I had a controller it was a aqua controller 3 however ended up sellingit cause i didntknow how to program and and use it. I would love a reef keeper but they are not recommended for a large setup.

so

my reefkeeper lt ($ 104) runs on my 450 / 500 set up, and nothing, realy nothing wrong with it.


I use it for controlling my temp (5 heaters) dosing pumps + some lights.

I also dont se why not on big tanks, you can get PH probes and all other kinds of probesfor it (as with all units, you can build it a fair bit)

thy also have a ad on for controlling LED units, it might not be as fancy as a GHL ore apex, but it dous the job realy well, and it is as simpel as counting 1,2,3

I do beleave thee are brands out there that can do more, but when you want it all but dont have all the $, I dont se where the RK lite would be dangerous for a larg tank.

it could be gust what makes you feel comforteble.

for me, it is 20X better than those darn disc things that always fail, and it contrils the temp of the tank up to the .1 degree

[mike31154]

I prefer individual timers for lighting and plan to use more of the in wall type in the future. Found a couple in the clearance bin at HD a few weeks ago at a really good price. Less than $40 for a two pack. Mind you, they are rated for 600W max each, so this is something you need to keep an eye on when purchasing timers. You would definitely need more than one of those to run 3x250 MH set up safely. They are also available in 1500W flavour, but more costly of course and I didn't see any of those in the clearance bin....

Controllers are great, but there can be an advantage to wiring up several individual timers, that being redundancy. If I'm not mistaken most controllers plug into a standard wall outlet. If that circuit happens to trip, all the goodies on that lone controller cease functioning. With several individual timers, you have the option of wiring them to separate circuits so one circuit tripping doesn't take out most of your gear. This is especially true these days with most of our stuff on GFCI devices which are a little more prone to nuisance trips than your standard circuit breaker.

Of course if you experience a complete power outage, you need to be prepared with back up power.

[KevinK]

I prefer individual timers for lighting and plan to use more of the in wall type in the future. Found a couple in the clearance bin at HD a few weeks ago at a really good price. Less than $40 for a two pack. Mind you, they are rated for 600W max each, so this is something you need to keep an eye on when purchasing timers. You would definitely need more than one of those to run 3x250 MH set up safely. They are also available in 1500W flavour, but more costly of course and I didn't see any of those in the clearance bin....

Controllers are great, but there can be an advantage to wiring up several individual timers, that being redundancy. If I'm not mistaken most controllers plug into a standard wall outlet. If that circuit happens to trip, all the goodies on that lone controller cease functioning. With several individual timers, you have the option of wiring them to separate circuits so one circuit tripping doesn't take out most of your gear. This is especially true these days with most of our stuff on GFCI devices which are a little more prone to nuisance trips than your standard circuit breaker.

Of course if you experience a complete power outage, you need to be prepared with back up power.


the RK lite has standard a bar of 4 outlets of those 4, the 2 middel once are only rated for I think 150 watt, when you later expand (and I think this is with all the brands) you ad another bar, and plug this one in, into a resept. that is wired on a separate braker, when one fails, now everything is down.

it is all gust what you prefer