Lighting timers

[Nooey]

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I am considering getting a lighting timer/controller for my terrarium, as I have started back at university and may not be around some days to turn the light on/off at the correct time. Any suggestions of good brands/types of timer? I have an Exo Terra lighting canopy, do I need a specific timer that correlates with that canopy?

The Vivarium ECO Mechanical Timer is the timer I've been looking at, and that comes up most on reptile supplies websites -any good?

[cassicat4]

Personally, on all of my enclosures, I just use basic household timers that you can purchase at Walmart for $6-$12, depending on how technical you want it to be. Heck, I even have two timers that came from the dollar store for $2!

They serve the exact same function and look very similar to most reptile timers seen at pet stores.

A timer is nothing fancy; it's just a switch that you can program to turn on and off at a certain time. Most are designed to handle high wattages, so they'll be fine to use on your enclosures. If you'd be more comfortable buying a "reptile" timer, that's fine...but I've seen some that are in excess of $20, which is way too much IMO.

[Nooey]

Thanks, that's great to be honest because my recent spending on gecko equipment has left my bank account in a sorry state! In my gecko ignorance (and my desire to get everything exactly right!) I assumed that you'd need a specific reptile timer, but I'm glad to hear that normal timers will be OK too. Makes my life a whole lot easier, and cheaper!

[Corwin's Keeper]

I second that, just a regular old timer from the harware store is what I use.

[cricket4u]

I'm not sure what price range you're looking for, but I have used one of these for my smaller reptile room for at least 3 years and I haven't had any problems with it.

Zilla - Where Reptiles Rule » 24/7 Digital Timer Power Center | Products | Specialty Equipment

[Aimless]

I have used the same household dial-style timers as I use on lamps. I've also used power-strip timers from the hardware store; these are great if you have multiple bulbs or heat-sources that need to be on/off at the same times.

[thorrshamri]

I agree. Unless you want to schedule very short periods, for example for spraying units, a supermarket timer is what you need. A 15 minutes precision is fairly enough for a crested gecko's lighting control.
Just wondering when some pet shops and pet suppliers will stop making products completely similar to their equivalents in supermarkets and other stores. Maybe once people will all have realized the "for reptiles" label is just a justification for a higher price...

[cricket4u]

I agree. Unless you want to schedule very short periods, for example for spraying units, a supermarket timer is what you need. A 15 minutes precision is fairly enough for a crested gecko's lighting control.
Just wondering when some pet shops and pet suppliers will stop making products completely similar to their equivalents in supermarkets and other stores. Maybe once people will all have realized the "for reptiles" label is just a justification for a higher price...

Maybe we had to order other supplies that you can only find in pet stores and if you're paying shipping, why not just order from the same place. Sometimes it comes out cheaper this way and it's not about the label.

[thorrshamri]

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Maybe we had to order other supplies that you can only find in pet stores and if you're paying shipping, why not just order from the same place. Sometimes it comes out cheaper this way and it's not about the label.

That's right. Take for example vermiculite. How much do you pay a 5 liter bag from a pet store? $ 10 or so? If you make some searches, vermiculite is primarily used as an isolation material in houses- $ 30 for 100 liters The same is right for bulbs, why bother buying "reptile bulbs" when you only need to heat (no UVBs needed) as they are about twice as expensive as supermarket ones, which are exactly the same apart from the packaging?