Canreef Aquatics Bulletin Board  

Go Back   Canreef Aquatics Bulletin Board > General > Product Review and Equipment Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10-16-2013, 06:09 PM
Magickiwi's Avatar
Magickiwi Magickiwi is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Calgary, AB
Posts: 613
Magickiwi is on a distinguished road
Default Coralife Dual Timers

Has anyone else used these? I bought two through Pets and Ponds and they both don't work worth a damn. One or both of the dials lose time some how and then my one of my light cycles doesn't start and I get no daylight or actinic.

These things would be golden if they actually worked because I'd love to remove one more timer power bar from the tangle that is my power cords. I paid around $45 each instead of the $70-$80 I've seen them for at Pieces or Al's. Which is one blessing.

Currently I need to use one of the single digital timers for one cycle and another for the other cycle.

Anyone else had similar experiences?

Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10-16-2013, 06:44 PM
Coasting's Avatar
Coasting Coasting is offline
Follows the rules!
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: BC - PoCo
Posts: 677
Coasting is on a distinguished road
Default

I have one of their digital power bars, doesn't keep time worth a damn.
I also have 2 of their single analog power bars, and those work really well, haven't had an issue, but never used the dual analog powerbar like you show. But it seems fairly common that their products don't work as well as their should.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10-16-2013, 07:29 PM
Sunee Sunee is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 158
Sunee is on a distinguished road
Default

I used one of the dual timers that you have pictured for five years. The only issue I had was a couple of the "on" tabs on the dial I used for the actinic stopped working in the last year (the light would go out until the time got past the tab). I've packed it away as I shut down the biocube it was used for.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 10-16-2013, 07:39 PM
Jakegr's Avatar
Jakegr Jakegr is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Posts: 264
Jakegr is on a distinguished road
Default

They don't keep accurate time (my lights kept turning on/off later and later in the day), and one of the dials failed to turn my lights off after about 8 months of use. I can't recommend using one.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10-16-2013, 07:41 PM
Sunee Sunee is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 158
Sunee is on a distinguished road
Default

I must have got the one "good" one they produced. Too bad they can't make them better, the design is great for a small aquarium.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 10-16-2013, 07:58 PM
Delphinus's Avatar
Delphinus Delphinus is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Calgary
Posts: 12,896
Delphinus has a spectacular aura aboutDelphinus has a spectacular aura aboutDelphinus has a spectacular aura about
Send a message via MSN to Delphinus
Default

I bought one of those so I could stagger my light cycle over my planted FW.

But the one light timer more or less only works when it feels like it, which as it turns out is "not very often."
__________________
-- Tony
My next hobby will be flooding my basement while repeatedly banging my head against a brick wall and tearing up $100 bills. Whee!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 10-16-2013, 09:06 PM
Magickiwi's Avatar
Magickiwi Magickiwi is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Calgary, AB
Posts: 613
Magickiwi is on a distinguished road
Default

Why are reputable companies still selling this piece of garbage? I can't believe that J&L, Pets and ponds, reefsupplies.ca etc haven't heard of the ongoing issues with this product.

Well looks like they were the last Coralife product I'll buy. I talked to their customer service line and they offered to replace them for me if I sent them to them (Shipping costs on me...). The shipping alone would be worth more than these POCs.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10-16-2013, 11:38 PM
Treebeard Treebeard is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Strathmore, Alberta
Posts: 665
Treebeard is on a distinguished road
Default

i have two of them. One of them works OK and the other one is a pos.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 10-18-2013, 04:19 PM
Magickiwi's Avatar
Magickiwi Magickiwi is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Calgary, AB
Posts: 613
Magickiwi is on a distinguished road
Default

Well to hell with Coralife and their products. I bought an APEX Jr. from Reefsupplies.ca and I'm going to use the four outlets to controll my lights. Comes with a temperature probe too which will live in my sump for no other reason than to use it. My JBJ heater came with a controller but at least I can use the APEX one to graph my temperatures.

I'll eventually pick up the pH and salinity probe modules but as I already have devices to monitor them I'm in no hurry. I don't anticipate using the APEX to control anything as I don't have pH issues and I mostly use powdered supplements anyway. My ozone gen has a built in ORP controller which is probably a better idea since the APEX would only control an on/off state vs. amount of ozone, ORP set point etc.

I'm done with timers on power bars, it's very weird that there aren't more choices available on the market.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 10-18-2013, 04:37 PM
kewi kewi is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Surrey, British Columbia
Posts: 5
kewi is on a distinguished road
Send a message via MSN to kewi
Default Coralife Dual Timers

I have had no issues with them. I used them for from Dec/2005 till Oct 2012, when I switched to AI LEDS.
May be separate inividual timers will help, which you can get at Home Depot.
They will be on sale now that the Holiday Season is approaching.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 10:47 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.