Plug-N-Play Feed Mode recommendations

[BeejReef]

Hey all,

I haven't forgotten to turn my powerheads and return pump back on when heading out to work in a few months. It's a matter of time.

What does anyone use on a basic system with no controller or automation to speak of. I'm looking for some sort of gadget or timer I can plug the powerheads and return into, and press a button for a set amount of time.... like a hardware wall timer, but less elaborate. I see some of the smart sockets and such. Could go that route. I'd prefer something analog and old-school though. It's not like I feed the fish at the EXACT same time every day.

 

[reef lover]

Bump!

 

[txrdnk]

back in the day i used a reverse acting timer. set for desired amount of time, it turns off the power to whatever you hooked it to and at the end of set time it turns all electrical back on. i also used for feed mode, worked flawlessly

 

[mike550]

Couldn’t you do this with a traditional light timer? Just have it turn off and back on during the window of the day when you’re likely to feed. Careful if you turn off your return pump though. You might trigger the alarm on your ATO.

For what its worth I have my power head plugged into a Kasa Smart WiFi plug. The powerhead turns off at 1:55 and back on at 2:10. My eheim auto feeder is set to feed at 2:00. The fish have figured out if the power head goes off then it’s close to feeding time, and they start to congregate by the feeder.

 

[BeejReef]

Bump!

Ty

 

[BeejReef]

back in the day i used a reverse acting timer. set for desired amount of time, it turns off the power to whatever you hooked it to and at the end of set time it turns all electrical back on. i also used for feed mode, worked flawlessly

That's the idea. Ty, I will Google that. Feeding time is the same 85% of the time, but try to sleep in a bit on weekends. Ofc, the fear is leaving for work and neglecting to turn back on.

 

[BeejReef]

Couldn’t you do this with a traditional light timer? Just have it turn off and back on during the window of the day when you’re likely to feed. Careful if you turn off your return pump though. You might trigger the alarm on your ATO.

For what its worth I have my power head plugged into a Kasa Smart WiFi plug. The powerhead turns off at 1:55 and back on at 2:10. My eheim auto feeder is set to feed at 2:00. The fish have figured out if the power head goes off then it’s close to feeding time, and they start to congregate by the feeder.

Ty, I gave that some thought. Have done similar when away for a week using auto feeder. RL schedule is a bit more varied though.