Power strip/light timer?

[Super Six 5]

For the past two days I've been setting up my 90 gallon tank and everything is coming along nicely.

I'm looking for a power strip that has the ability to program when the day lights and night lights go on and off. I've noticed several different kinds on various websites, but I'm wondering if anyone can recomend(or advise against) any one in particular.

 

[forrestcook]

I just got one in the mail from drs foster smith... ahven't plugged it in yet though. It's prob going to be set up tomorrow.

 

[Super Six 5]

I just got one in the mail from drs foster smith... ahven't plugged it in yet though. It's prob going to be set up tomorrow.

Let me know what you think of it. *thumbsups

 

[Orion]

I've seen some with the timer built into the power strip, but those seem way over priced when you can get a simple plug in timer from Walmart for $5. I think the digital timers are around 10-15.

 

[Avalon]

Coralife makes this one: Coralife Aqualight Digital Power Center at Big Al's Online

I have one and I highly recommend it. It's a very nice strip and has a battery back-up so if the power goes off it won't lose time (it will not keep your equipment running). I had mine plugged into an APC battery back-up unit that will keep everything running if the power goes out.

 

[Orion]

Yeah, but does a $25 timer trump a $5 one? I've always used the cheap ones with the dials, and they've served me just fine.

Granted, I have an overabundance of powerstrips, so I can overlook that in to the equation of the purchase price. But if I were to buy one of those for each tank I had, I would be spending over $200, but with the cheap ones, $40. That's enough of a difference for me. Then again, I'm the guy who didn't want to spend $10 for the heavy duty dial timer with the ground plug.

 

[Avalon]

Depends on your needs/wants. I've used the cheapies for years. They work. Some fail. And I hate it when the power goes out, they lose time. Trivial, yes, but there are some things that just irk me. I like the fact that the strip has a lot of plug-ins and how they are facing vertical and not horizontal so you can plug more than one of those big plugs in on a strip without covering up the other holes. I also like the fact that it has alternating plugs so you could plug in an airstone to come on at night and not suffocate your fish with CO2. I found this to be pretty handy...I could run CO2 higher during the day, while off-gas it at night for the fish.

Is it necessary? No. Handy to have? Yeah. Would I buy one for every tank? Lord no. $25 does sound like a lot...I don't think I paid that much for mine.

 

[Airborneguy]

I have a nice digital timer which runs my lights. They are the only thing I have on a timer right now.

 

[Orion]

I have no argument to give for the power outage. That always ticks me off. I don't even bother to fix mine anymore unless they get really, really bad out of whack. I didn't even rest mine last weekend for the time change.

One mans trash is another ones treasure!