Timers for Aquarium Lights

Does anybody have any recommendations for timers to control aquarium lighting? I would like to automate my lighting, as I know many here already have, to more accurately simulate day and night cycles. I need something better than walking around the house a couple times a day turning switches on and off. To me, the ideal timer would be digital and programmable. It would not lose its setting during power outages (as rare as they may be here), perhaps by a battery backup. Ideally, it would be able to automatically change the length of the day according to the time of year, so the fish would get seasons as well as day and night cycles. Somehow, I doubt I'm going to find that one, and I expect that I will have to occasionally reprogram a timer every so often to accomplish that. But if there is a timer that can adjust for the seasons, that would be great!

As another alternative, is there some sort of switch that can respond to a remote sensor of some sort. The remote sensor might be placed outside, or in a window, and automatically sense dawn and dusk, triggering a switch accordingly. There would be no need to program it, it would just respond to natural day and night cycles, which naturally adjust seasonally.

Another question about light timing. Is it always better to have the lights on when it is daylight, and off at night, to match the real day and night cycle? Or can the lights be on and off for the same lengths of time every day, but on in the late afternoon and evening, so that the tanks are lighted when I am home from work and there to observe them?

Any advice as to which timer to buy, and its proper use, would be appreciated.

I bought an outdoor digital timer by Intermatic at Lowe's for about twenty bucks. It has battery backup, which has been tested several times. It says "7 day/7 event" on it, but I haven't fully used all the options. The thing I use most is the override to turn the lights back on after they've turned off. I feed right before lights off so the nocturnal fish get a crack at some food, and sometimes I'm late. I have two of these, and I'm happy with them.

Intermatic Timers

They do make Intermatic timers with photocell eye sensor, so lights go on at dusk off at dawn. Or they sell just the photocell eye sensor. They are used for outdoor landscaping, spot lighting focal points, trees,
shrubs etc.

Edited by octavio, 20 May 2008 - 12:33 AM.

X10 is the market leader in low-budget home automation stuff: http://www.x10.com/activehomepro/ . Beware, though -- you don't want to get on their email list. They market *very* aggressively. If you're trying to automate an entire fish room, I'd guess that a computer as the brain is the way to go. Maybe a good job for an old machine you no longer use? Especially a laptop, as power consumption is much lower.

If you're trying to automate an entire fish room, I'd guess that a computer as the brain is the way to go. Maybe a good job for an old machine you no longer use?

I've thought about that, although I don't know how to make a computer control a 110-volt switch. Is there some sort of USB, serial, or parallel port device that can connect to a power strip? The other thing about that is, it's not "an entire fish room". I've got tanks scattered throughout the house, on every floor. I can't just plug them all into a single control device. It might even be difficult to do for all of the tanks in the same room. Electrical cords running across doorways are a tripping hazard, and a fire hazard. Yes, I know, there are solutions to that problem. But realistically, a single timer cannot control more than three tanks, maybe four if I run an extension cord all the way around a room along the baseboard to avoid crossing a doorway or an area where there would be foot traffic.

I found this at my LFS. It may be the way to go. I would that all of the ports were timer-controlled, though. I would probably need four or five of them.

I've thought about that, although I don't know how to make a computer control a 110-volt switch. Is there some sort of USB, serial, or parallel port device that can connect to a power strip?

That's what the X10 system does. They use your computer as the brain, and they provide wireless modules that turn on and off 110V AC switches. They intend it to be used for lights, entertainment center, etc, but could work equally well for fish stuff.

I was thinking a couple months back that I'd love to have a fully integrated computerized fish room control center -- log temperature, pH, control lights, temperature, flow rate, etc. all from a computer. I'll probably never put it together, but maybe...

I found this at my LFS. It may be the way to go. I would that all of the ports were timer-controlled, though. I would probably need four or five of them.

I had the non-digital version of this. It had four outlets on all the time, two on a "daylight" cycle, and two "nighttime" outlets that were on when the "daylight" outlets were off. If you want a night light, it's a good way to go. Otherwise, I'd go with a plain outdoor digital timer. I have all my tanks in the same room, and only need two timers. One runs two tanks, the other runs 15. It has two power strips plugged into it.

Edited by schambers, 21 May 2008 - 01:06 PM.

Otherwise, I'd go with a plain outdoor digital timer. I have all my tanks in the same room, and only need two timers. One runs two tanks, the other runs 15. It has two power strips plugged into it.

Watch the total wattage if doing something like this. 15 tanks on one timer seems like an awful lot to me. The timers I have say they're rated for something like 200W total, but outdoor versions are probably higher.

Edited by jase, 21 May 2008 - 01:15 PM.

Why go digital at all? I use these timers that have little plastic on/off switches that you move around. No need to worry about reprogramming after a power outage - you just rotate the dial back to the correct time. No settings to lose. No programming to do - just move the little plastic things. Why use a sledgehammer to swat a fly??

Why go digital at all? I use these timers that have little plastic on/off switches that you move around. No need to worry about reprogramming after a power outage - you just rotate the dial back to the correct time. No settings to lose. No programming to do - just move the little plastic things. Why use a sledgehammer to swat a fly??

Well, the digital ones are probably going to have a battery backup, so you don't need to reprogram after an outtage or whatever. I think it depends on scale. Those standard old-school ones with the plastic "switches" only handle a few hundred watts, max. If you're doing a full fish room with lots of tanks and multiple desired schedules, the "sledgehammer" solution might be warranted. -Jase

The real fun would be in designing and building the control system. Just buying a bunch of stuff and plugging it into a computer - that's not fun at all.

Here is a good place to start: http://en.wikipedia....iki/BASIC_Stamp

Yup, I really am a high-tech kind of guy. When it's warranted.

The real fun would be in designing and building the control system. Just buying a bunch of stuff and plugging it into a computer - that's not fun at all.
Here is a good place to start: http://en.wikipedia....iki/BASIC_Stamp
Yup, I really am a high-tech kind of guy. When it's warranted.

Bah! I already own an OOPic microcontroller. BASIC is for suckers! Object-oriented is the way to go. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OOPic

Just regular dial timers that you'd get in the electrical dept. at walmart or where ever work just fine. No point in wasting money on unnecessary gadgets(unless you just got to have the gadgets)

Just regular dial timers that you'd get in the electrical dept. at walmart or where ever work just fine. No point in wasting money on unnecessary gadgets(unless you just got to have the gadgets)

Yes, but like I keep saying, watch the wattage. It's easy to run 60-100 Watts per tank with fluorescent lighting. Someone earlier suggested two full power strips plugged into a single timer. That sounds like a recipe for a house fire to me. Those timers are really designed to just run a lamp or two on them, not half a fish room. Also, many of the el-cheapo timers don't do a grounded (3-prong) plug.

Yes, going the route of electronics and computer control is *way* overboard for a tank or two. But if you're looking at running dozens of tanks on differing schedules, it might be just the ticket. Or... you might be in it for fun (as I would be, and I suspect Irate, too...)

I'm not sure what simple timer y'all have available but I'm running 15 amp/1800 watt timers in my fishroom. Seems to be standard super cheap. Old stuff and easy to operate.

Why go digital at all? I use these timers that have little plastic on/off switches that you move around. No need to worry about reprogramming after a power outage - you just rotate the dial back to the correct time. No settings to lose. No programming to do - just move the little plastic things. Why use a sledgehammer to swat a fly??

I guess I just love gadgets. I used the cheap ones and I grew to hate them. The time seemed to drift off after a while and I could never get them set just right to suit me. Mine I set up and then I don't have to fool around with them. They just work.

And yeah, the outdoor ones are heavier duty than the others. I'd never plug more than one or two lights into one of the cheap ones. Though 15 lights does seem like a lot, maybe I'd better calculate the wattage and make sure it's really okay . . .

And yeah, the outdoor ones are heavier duty than the others. I'd never plug more than one or two lights into one of the cheap ones. Though 15 lights does seem like a lot, maybe I'd better calculate the wattage and make sure it's really okay . . .

Check out the Kill-a-Watt electricity usage meter: http://www.amazon.co...r/dp/B00009MDBU I have one I bought a few years ago to track down excess power usage in my apartment. I test things and then write the actual wattage consumed on them with a Sharpie marker. It's nice to see that HOB filters and bubblers use *very* little power. Using one of these would let you calculate your wattage very easily and more accurately than just adding up what the manufacturers *say* your various lights and other equipment uses.

Check out the Kill-a-Watt electricity usage meter: http://www.amazon.co...r/dp/B00009MDBU I have one I bought a few years ago to track down excess power usage in my apartment. I test things and then write the actual wattage consumed on them with a Sharpie marker. It's nice to see that HOB filters and bubblers use *very* little power. Using one of these would let you calculate your wattage very easily and more accurately than just adding up what the manufacturers *say* your various lights and other equipment uses.

Good advice! Thanks.

Bah! I already own an OOPic microcontroller. BASIC is for suckers! Object-oriented is the way to go. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OOPic

Before there was such as thing as OOP, people actually had to write tight, efficient code. Gone are the days...