The Raindrop repeat cycle timer is an easy device to overlook but its unique feature set makes it useful for lots of things. Looking more or less like a typical 24hr light timer, the Raindrop is different in that its maximum cycle is only 40 minutes. Where a typical timer’s pin would equal about 15 minutes of on-time, in the Raindrop it’s 55 seconds.
What can you do in 55 second increments that would be useful to a reef tank? You could turn powerheads on an off to create blasts of flow on certain corals. You could cycle a self cleaning head on a protein skimmer for a short neck squeegee. You could also turn on an air pump to blast air in a Zeovit reactor to dislodge the precious coral-feeding biofilm or you could activate any manner of dosing and feeding equipment.
The Raindrop repeat cycle timer comes in a variety of configurations from a $17 unit which is small and basic to a heavier duty version that has a cover for guarding against splashing, clocking in at a still paltry $27.99. Instead of plugging directly onto your power strip, and blocking a couple other outlets in its wake, the outdoor and heavy duty version Raindrop has a short cord for maximum flexibility.
Sure you could do all these things with a full-on aquarium computer but there’s something to be said for a dedicated hardware solution like the Raindrop timer. Furthermore, controllable outlets for aquarium computers are expensive and precious, this is where the Raindrop fits right in and innovative reefers are sure to find a myriad of uses in no time. [Raindrop]
