# timer with multiple outlets/timer settings?



## jasonp

I have a light fisture with 4 sets of bulbs on seperate plugs. I would like to get something which isnt super rigged so i could set on/off for each set. 

I wanted to do something like: first set from 9-10, first and second from 10 - 11, first,second, and third from 11 -12, all bulbs from 12 - 3, then first, second, and third set from 3 - 4, first and second from 4 - 5, then last set from 5 - 8

What do you think? Any one know of a single product which would have 4 outlets on individual timers?

Thank you for any advise,
Jason


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## TypeYourTextHere

I looked into this a while back and the only thing I could find were power strips that had day/night settings or timers that cost hundreds of dollars. There were only two sets of outlets that were on the timers and they are about $40. your best bet is to get these
Shop Utilitech Indoor Digital Bar Timer at Lowes.com
They are pretty cheap and accurate. Four of them will cost you as much as one of the power strip types.


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## jasonp

TypeYourTextHere said:


> I looked into this a while back and the only thing I could find were power strips that had day/night settings or timers that cost hundreds of dollars. There were only two sets of outlets that were on the timers and they are about $40. your best bet is to get these
> Shop Utilitech Indoor Digital Bar Timer at Lowes.com
> They are pretty cheap and accurate. Four of them will cost you as much as one of the power strip types.


Yeah, i could do 4 of those. It would be ncie to have a nice elegant package for doing what we want.


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## jrman83

I think you try to make it more difficult than it needs to be? Why all the on/off, on/off? Don't get it. I have plants in all of my tanks and 2 on/off times, but it is in no way as hard as you are trying to make it.


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## jasonp

these are 8 80 w t5 bulbs... thats 640 w of light that i dont want to just turn on in the morning, then turn off at night. I would think that would sort of shock the fish. I am trying to sort of emulate the day.. gradually getting more intense. Plus, it can save on energy costs.


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## jrman83

640 watts? Shouldn't you be in the reef section? What size tank is this?


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## TypeYourTextHere

All I do is use the stock light from 7am to 10pm, My T5HO from 11am to 7pm and my moonlights from 11pm to 7am. So far it has worked out great.


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## jasonp

jrman83 said:


> 640 watts? Shouldn't you be in the reef section? What size tank is this?


210g


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## jrman83

Well, that's better. If you're using all 8 bulbs, I hope you have it above the tank around 3ft. Otherwise, it will just be an algae farm. Is it planted?


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## jasonp

jrman83 said:


> Well, that's better. If you're using all 8 bulbs, I hope you have it above the tank around 3ft. Otherwise, it will just be an algae farm. Is it planted?


it is planted. right now its sitting right on top the glass lids. But i don't have a timer, so i only bother turning one set of 80w bulbs on during the day. The light is enough to sustain my plants, but theyre not growing (which is expected).. i dont have my co2 set up or a proper filter system (still in the process of setting it up)


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## jrman83

I wouldn't plan to run all bulbs unless it is hanging. That is WAY too much for that close to the tank. You'll have a BBA grow tank.


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## jasonp

jrman83 said:


> I wouldn't plan to run all bulbs unless it is hanging. That is WAY too much for that close to the tank. You'll have a BBA grow tank.


Whats the diff between my old 29g with 96w vs 210g with 640w? Its actually a lower ratio. I never had any algae problems before in my 29


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## SuckMyCichlids

that sounds waay too complicated.. and i dont see how that could save energy as turning them on uses more power and your setup is constantly turning off and on..


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## jasonp

SuckMyCichlids said:


> that sounds waay too complicated.. and i dont see how that could save energy as turning them on uses more power and your setup is constantly turning off and on..


I dont know if your logic makes sense.. its still on/off twice a day for each bulb.. there are 4 different ballasts each connected to 2 lights.. 4 seperate plugs.. 1 set goes on/off at 9am - 8pm, another goes on/off from 10am - 4pm, another from 11am - 12pm, and the last one from 12 - 3... 

If i turned them all on and all off at the same time, wouldnt that be the same thing?

I really didn't think this was that complicated... i really dont want 640w on my system all day long.. i just want it to peak during mid-day..

but i am guessing by the responses (questioning my setup vs my actual question) that no one can think of an all in one product for this


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## TypeYourTextHere

jasonp said:


> I dont know if your logic makes sense.. its still on/off twice a day for each bulb.. there are 4 different ballasts each connected to 2 lights.. 4 seperate plugs.. 1 set goes on/off at 9am - 8pm, another goes on/off from 10am - 4pm, another from 11am - 12pm, and the last one from 12 - 3...
> 
> If i turned them all on and all off at the same time, wouldnt that be the same thing?
> 
> I really didn't think this was that complicated... i really dont want 640w on my system all day long.. i just want it to peak during mid-day..
> 
> but i am guessing by the responses (questioning my setup vs my actual question) that no one can think of an all in one product for this


There are All-in-one products for things like this, but they cost a lot. As I suggested before you are better off getting 4 separate timers. 
As far as all of your on/off times go you should probably heed some of the advice that you have been given and uncomplicate things. There really is no reason why you should have multiple on/off times like you are wanting. As long as the aquatic life you are trying to support is getting the proper required amount of light it needs then there should not be a problem... Just my opinion.


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## jrman83

jasonp said:


> Whats the diff between my old 29g with 96w vs 210g with 640w? Its actually a lower ratio. I never had any algae problems before in my 29


I don't know. Who makes each light fixture? Ratios? Ratios/WPG are not considered when it comes to T5HO lights and they don't work. Some have the effectiveness of 3-4 times their rated wattage. WPG works for T8/T12 bulbs only.


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## dvanbramer88

petsmart has a power strip where you can set each outlet on a different timer, its all digital with a display screen


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## TypeYourTextHere

dvanbramer88 said:


> petsmart has a power strip where you can set each outlet on a different timer, its all digital with a display screen


If you are refering to this timer 24/7 Digital Power Center - Humidity Control - Reptile - PetSmart Then you you are incorrect. That timer has two timers on it, one for the day time and one for night time. Basically if the yellow outlets are operational then the blue ones cannot be and vice versa. This is one of the timers I actually owned and I took it back immediately after purchasing it for this exact reason.


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## dvanbramer88

TypeYourTextHere said:


> If you are refering to this timer 24/7 Digital Power Center - Humidity Control - Reptile - PetSmart Then you you are incorrect. That timer has two timers on it, one for the day time and one for night time. Basically if the yellow outlets are operational then the blue ones cannot be and vice versa. This is one of the timers I actually owned and I took it back immediately after purchasing it for this exact reason.


They have another one, Looks very similar to that one in the fish department. It's an 8 outlet strip with the digital controls. 4 of the eight can each be set with their own timers and the other 4 are always on.


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## TypeYourTextHere

I wish they would have told me that when I initially asked about timers.


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## jasonp

dvanbramer88 said:


> They have another one, Looks very similar to that one in the fish department. It's an 8 outlet strip with the digital controls. 4 of the eight can each be set with their own timers and the other 4 are always on.


Do you have a model number? Have you tried it?


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## dvanbramer88

I don't have a model number and i have never tried it, BUT i do work there in the fish department. I will grab a model # for you guys tonight at work.


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## dvanbramer88

It's made by Corallife. 

Coralife Aqualight Digital Power Center - - PetSmart


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## jrman83

I use those. They don't have as much control as you may think. The right outlets are on all the time, the 4 the left are on timers. When the top two are on, daylight outlets, the bottom two, nighttime outlets, are off and vice-versa. You cannot program out the action of the night vs day outlets.


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## sschreiner5

jrman83 said:


> I use those. They don't have as much control as you may think. The right outlets are on all the time, the 4 the left are on timers. When the top two are on, daylight outlets, the bottom two, nighttime outlets, are off and vice-versa. You cannot program out the action of the night vs day outlets.


Yup I have one of these and its really only 1 timer. When one the blue ones are on the yellow ones are not, they can't both be on or off at the same time. On the package it talks about multiple program settings or something but what they really mean is you can have it turn the yellow ones on at 7 on Tuesday but on Wednesday they come on at 6 and Friday they come on at 5. So their 7 program settings are just one program for each day of the week. Its a pretty good timer so far though.


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