Hi looking to buy a light timer for my viv, i have a CHE, an arcadia basking lamp and an arcadia uvb tube. can some please advice on what sort of timer I would need and to turn the tube and basking light off at night.they are plugged in separately so maybe I need two timers? Im just worried cuz i have to go away for a few days and don't really have anyone i can trust to look after her.
Many thanks
Aine
Keep it simple - I use these http://hpm.com.au/products/slimline-digital-timer for my UV and basking lamps , and they are essentially set and forget. My lights for 5 tanks are on a powerboard which is connected to a timer. All the lights turn on/off simultaneously. (My set up involves 3x 26W UVB200 for the beardies, 2x 26W UVB150 for the bts, 3x 80W basking lamps (par38 Philips) for the beardies, 2x 60W basking lamps for the bts).
You could use one to control your CHE and thermostat turning them on when the lights are turned off by the lights timer.
my CHE turns on automatically when the basking light is off due to the fall in temperature.just a bit confused as there are so many timers out there and i have very little money to waste buying one that isnt suitable.thanks for your reply
I don't need to use any CHEs as my winters are very warm compared to those most on this board experience.
That said , I am not aware of any CHEs which have builtin thermostats, I presume you have your's connected to a thermostat that automatically turns the CHE on when the tank temperature drops below a preset temperature.
My basking lamps and UV lamps are on a simple timer.
You can easily set your heating up so the lights turn on and off automatically each day , and your CHE's thermostat turns on your CHE at night when needed. I wouldn't waste money on a special reptile timer or timer/thermostat-combo, just a simple timer is all you need.