Auto feeder question

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I just setup my hydros, i'm coming over from the Apex world and I'm still working on setting up but I found something I thought should be simple but i can't figure it out.

On my apex I have the return pump turn off for 15 minutes a few times a day to let my auto feeder drop in some food. the auto feeder isn't "smart" it just runs on a clock and feeds whenever programmed. How do I tell the pump to turn off at a specific time during the day? Ideally i would also turn down my Gyre pumps once I get a wave engine but for now just the return pump.

Anyone have any ideas?
 
Switch it to the generic output type and set has schedule to on and since it is multiple time set enable advanced settings to on. That should let you setup a on schedule for the pump. The other alternative is to setup a generic output as a time and set inputs to 0 and do the same on this out as what you would do for the return output but instead set this one on for the times you want the return to be off. Then set the depends on setting on the return output to this output and set the dependency mode to off when on. I may be easier this way as you set the output to when you want the return to be off.
 
Danny said:
Switch it to the generic output type and set has schedule to on and since it is multiple time set enable advanced settings to on. That should let you setup a on schedule for the pump. The other alternative is to setup a generic output as a time and set inputs to 0 and do the same on this out as what you would do for the return output but instead set this one on for the times you want the return to be off. Then set the depends on setting on the return output to this output and set the dependency mode to off when on. I may be easier this way as you set the output to when you want the return to be off.
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Thank you, this worked perfectly
 
Ryano said:
Thank you, this worked perfectly
Click to expand...

His reply is hilarious to me. Because on Apex it would be one single screen and about 15 seconds to do it. Do you feel the same way? They preach "don't need to be a coder" but yet here we are having to make a bunch of outputs to turn off a pump for a feeder.
 
braaap said:
His reply is hilarious to me. Because on Apex it would be one single screen and about 15 seconds to do it. Do you feel the same way? They preach "don't need to be a coder" but yet here we are having to make a bunch of outputs to turn off a pump for a feeder.
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That was not adding any more outputs. It was a matter of switching the output type from return pump to the generic output type so there is more control including setting up a schedule for the output. The return output type is for you normal use return pumps and has only a few settings to make it easier to get it going. If you want to use a more complex output then there is the generic output type. You can even go into the output settings and switch the tile icon form generic to the return one if you want so it will still show up like the return output. I did give the OP two ways to do this. The second way did use another output as a timer only to turn off the original output when that timer output was on. There is usually more than one way to do things and it will depend on who is helping sometimes as to how they will tell you it can be done.
 
Danny said:
That was not adding any more outputs. It was a matter of switching the output type from return pump to the generic output type so there is more control including setting up a schedule for the output. The return output type is for you normal use return pumps and has only a few settings to make it easier to get it going. If you want to use a more complex output then there is the generic output type. You can even go into the output settings and switch the tile icon form generic to the return one if you want so it will still show up like the return output. I did give the OP two ways to do this. The second way did use another output as a timer only to turn off the original output when that timer output was on. There is usually more than one way to do things and it will depend on who is helping sometimes as to how they will tell you it can be done.
Click to expand...

I know what you did. But on Apex that wouldn't be necessary. You could just use common sense and basic 5th grade math and write "If Output Feeder ON then OFF. Defer 005:00 Then ON." Done. That is it. OR you could use their very simple drop down menu and do that same thing in less than 15 seconds.

So my issue with all of this is they try and make a sticking point of Hydros how easy it is to program. You don't need to be a programmer yada yada. But what you do need to be is a magician and someone with miles of knowledge on unique terms only used by Hydros.
 
braaap said:
I know what you did. But on Apex that wouldn't be necessary. You could just use common sense and basic 5th grade math and write "If Output Feeder ON then OFF. Defer 005:00 Then ON." Done. That is it. OR you could use their very simple drop down menu and do that same thing in less than 15 seconds.

So my issue with all of this is they try and make a sticking point of Hydros how easy it is to program. You don't need to be a programmer yada yada. But what you do need to be is a magician and someone with miles of knowledge on unique terms only used by Hydros.
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That may make sense to you since you have used the Apex but that makes no sense to me at all. I would not know how to do that. So it is a matter of what you are used to since all the controllers do things differently. On a Digital aquatics you would have to use an alarm setup to turn off the pump which is different than Apex and Hydros. I would imagine that on other controllers it would be different form these methods.
 
braaap said:
I know what you did. But on Apex that wouldn't be necessary. You could just use common sense and basic 5th grade math and write "If Output Feeder ON then OFF. Defer 005:00 Then ON." Done. That is it. OR you could use their very simple drop down menu and do that same thing in less than 15 seconds.

So my issue with all of this is they try and make a sticking point of Hydros how easy it is to program. You don't need to be a programmer yada yada. But what you do need to be is a magician and someone with miles of knowledge on unique terms only used by Hydros.
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I get what you're saying but this feeder was never connected to the Apex or the hydros.

On the Apex i think I setup a virtual outlet as a timer and did the statement you said.

On the hydros I kinda did the same thing just without code.


Now I had to change that because I also wanted 2 float switches to turn the pump off if they triggered. So I setup the pump as generic with 2 inputs as well as a dependant on the feeder outlet.

In a way I like this method but I also wish that there was a general code based outlet type as it's in my comfort zone.
 
Danny said:
That may make sense to you since you have used the Apex but that makes no sense to me at all. I would not know how to do that. So it is a matter of what you are used to since all the controllers do things differently. On a Digital aquatics you would have to use an alarm setup to turn off the pump which is different than Apex and Hydros. I would imagine that on other controllers it would be different form these methods.
Click to expand...


But I can’t turn on or off pumps or outlets based off the status of a triple level sensor overflow. But I could easily do that on my apex.

I imagine that will be a software change to allow it. Because right now what they describe in the marketing for that sensor only one of the things can be done. Not the 5 others.
 
braaap said:
But I can’t turn on or off pumps or outlets based off the status of a triple level sensor overflow. But I could easily do that on my apex.

I imagine that will be a software change to allow it. Because right now what they describe in the marketing for that sensor only one of the things can be done. Not the 5 others.
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The triple level sensor is a newer device so it could be more to come on it. There is a thread on the Hydros forum to make suggestions and they do listen to those suggestions. You might want to suggest this there if you have not already done that.
 
Boogie79 said:
I have the Hydros wifi feeder
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I have a combiner output type setup to use the feeder output to trigger it. So when the controller starts the feeder. That output comes on and I also set the minimum runtime on it for 30 minutes so each time the feeder runs it will come on and stay on for 30 minutes. I use this output to switch the schedules for my flow pumps. I do not stop my return but I could do that by setting this output to the depends on setting in the return pump output.

IMG_1425.png
IMG_1426.png
 
Danny said:
I have a combiner output type setup to use the feeder output to trigger it. So when the controller starts the feeder. That output comes on and I also set the minimum runtime on it for 30 minutes so each time the feeder runs it will come on and stay on for 30 minutes. I use this output to switch the schedules for my flow pumps. I do not stop my return but I could do that by setting this output to the depends on setting in the return pump output.

View attachment 4537
View attachment 4538
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Thank you, work has been killing me but I'll try to implement this tomorrow.
 
I agree about the programming. i thought i didnt need to be a coder!
 
I just figured it out after an hour bt next time it will take less than a minute its learning a new system and I run apex as a backup and hydros as main system Apex has required a reboot for lost connection a few times over 3 months on the A2 pro I did upgrade to the A3 pro and have yet to loose connection while hydros has nevor lost connection yet
 
braaap said:
I know what you did. But on Apex that wouldn't be necessary. You could just use common sense and basic 5th grade math and write "If Output Feeder ON then OFF. Defer 005:00 Then ON." Done. That is it. OR you could use their very simple drop down menu and do that same thing in less than 15 seconds.

So my issue with all of this is they try and make a sticking point of Hydros how easy it is to program. You don't need to be a programmer yada yada. But what you do need to be is a magician and someone with miles of knowledge on unique terms only used by Hydros.
Click to expand...

Which language is "If Output Feeder ON then OFF. Defer 005:00 Then OFF?" jinga? json? yaml? perl? python? Unique language and terms only used by Apex? I thought so.

braaap said:
But I can’t turn on or off pumps or outlets based off the status of a triple level sensor overflow. But I could easily do that on my apex.

I imagine that will be a software change to allow it. Because right now what they describe in the marketing for that sensor only one of the things can be done. Not the 5 others.
Click to expand...

I was unaware Apex had a triple optical sensor? Would be interested to see your setup referencing overflow and turning off pumps.

Did you come here to add something to the conversation or just to troll?
 
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