# Dimmer/Ramping Timer for Aquaneat LED Lighting



## DaveKS (Apr 2, 2019)

Go to amazon, search for Mingdak timer. Cheap stuff, it allows me to set my Nicrew light like this. 1st hour it steps up to 25%, then it steps up to 45% for next 3hrs, then up to 85% for 4hrs, the down to 40% for 3hrs, final 1hr at 25% again, then off. Ramp time at each event is about 6 minutes.

Flaws. Ramp at 1st and last of time is little jumpy, you can see slight intensity jumps from 0>5>10>20>25 and back down. Other flaw is there is no battery backup for clock setting so if power goes out clock resets to midnight. It remembers your steps/sequence in non-volatile memory but clock time it doesn’t. Takes about 8sec go reset clock time and it will resume normal operation at next event once clock is reset.

Not perfect but what do you expect for $13. It just inserts in between power supply and light on my and your type of cheap lights.

If you want to combine it with reg dig timer that does have battery backup for time I can tell you how to create a fool proof system that corrects itself after power outages. So $13+$7 will get you a nice system.


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## CardShark (Nov 13, 2019)

DaveKS said:


> Go to amazon, search for Mingdak timer. Cheap stuff, it allows me to set my Nicrew light like this. 1st hour it steps up to 25%, then it steps up to 45% for next 3hrs, then up to 85% for 4hrs, the down to 40% for 3hrs, final 1hr at 25% again, then off. Ramp time at each event is about 6 minutes.
> 
> Flaws. Ramp at 1st and last of time is little jumpy, you can see slight intensity jumps from 0>5>10>20>25 and back down. Other flaw is there is no battery backup for clock setting so if power goes out clock resets to midnight. It remembers your steps/sequence in non-volatile memory but clock time it doesn’t. Takes about 8sec go reset clock time and it will resume normal operation at next event once clock is reset.
> 
> Not perfect but what do you expect for $13. It just inserts in between power supply and light on my and your type of cheap lights.


Thanks. That's exactly the Mingdak Timer I saw on Amazon.

Do you know if the specific Aquaneat LED's I linked are dimmable?
I can't find an answer one way or the other.

Bump:


DaveKS said:


> If you want to combine it with reg dig timer that does have battery backup for time I can tell you how to create a fool proof system that corrects itself after power outages. So $13+$7 will get you a nice system.


That would be great. How do you do that?


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

CardShark said:


> Do you know if the specific Aquaneat LED's I linked are dimmable?
> I can't find an answer one way or the other.



That may depend on WHICH model of Aquaneat.
This one:
12"-48" LED Light Aquarium Fish Tank 0.5W Full Spectrum Plant Marine FOWLR - CLL Pet Supplies


Shows a weird power supply of 30V *AC 400mA.*

That's very odd and as is can't say if any usual dimmer/controller will work.
Somewhere it has to normally go to DC output..


If it's like this one it should work ..
http://stores.cllpetsupplies.com/aq...lor-full-spectrum-12-to-80-inch-marine-fowlr/





Th power supply output is your first hint at what you can or can't do.


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## CardShark (Nov 13, 2019)

jeffkrol said:


> That may depend on WHICH model of Aquaneat.
> This one:
> 12"-48" LED Light Aquarium Fish Tank 0.5W Full Spectrum Plant Marine FOWLR - CLL Pet Supplies
> 
> ...



What I ordered is the first one which makes me think it might not be dimmable.
I did notice that odd power supply output in the picture when I was first looking at them, all the LED power supplies I've seen before have been DC.

The lights haven't arrived yet so hopefully that's not the actual power supply that it comes with, sometimes the pictures aren't exactly accurate with these Chinese lights.


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## Kreed (Apr 28, 2020)

CardShark said:


> I just ordered some Aquaneat LED lights for a couple of my low-tech planted community tanks.
> 
> These are the exact lights I got:
> http://stores.cllpetsupplies.com/12...h-tank-0-5w-full-spectrum-plant-marine-fowlr/
> ...


The NICREW TIMERS/DIMMERS won't work. Tried these: https://www.amazon.com/NICREW-Aquarium-ClassicLED-BrightLED-Connectors/dp/B07KYLX2P6


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## Squids (Dec 24, 2019)

This one has worked well for me
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K6B57NH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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