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Flake or Pellet for Auto Feeder


Arcite
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Finally set up my new Aquarium Co-Op auto feeder, and I'm impressed with the ease of the setup and mounting. However, even with the smallest "setting" on the sliding panel it feeds way too much when I use pellets. Should I be using flakes with the auto feeder?

 

edit: I'm currently using Xtreme Nano in a freshwater 40-breeder and PE Mysis in a 140-gallon reef

Edited by Arcite
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What I think most people do is partially cover the feed slot with a piece of scotch tape.  Cory had a video on it along time ago using the Eheim auto feeder.  It really works well for fine tuning the feed rate. 

You can certainly use flake food in the auto feeder, but pellets work the best because they have a more uniform size.  

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@Arcite Flakes are very challenging in this type of feeder since they just don’t flow consistently.  Pellets work much better.  If you can find similar size pellets, you can mix them between floating and sinking or whatever type, as long as they are reasonably similar sizes.  Pick whatever type pellets suits what your tank needs.

They don’t have to be the exact same size.  Feeding smaller fish, I’ve used “granules” mixed with 1-2 mm pellets together with good results.  For larger fish, I’ve done 2.5-4 mm pellets with good results.  I’ve not used an auto feeder on fish larger than that, but I’m confident that as long as you keep the pellets reasonably similar in size they should feed fairly well.

Make certain you run it several times over a container - NOT over your fish tank - until you get the amount dialed in.  It will not be absolutely identical each time, but it should be close enough to work.  There is a smaller, sliding feed door (don’t use the big sliding fill door).  Slide it to what seems about right (it will usually be more than you need unless you’re feeding a very large tank), then use tape across the feed door to both secure it in place and block it partway to fine tune the amount.

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On 8/3/2021 at 1:26 AM, Rob E. said:

What I think most people do is partially cover the feed slot with a piece of scotch tape. 

Ah! That's really smart, thanks for that pro tip.

 

On 8/3/2021 at 1:26 AM, Rob E. said:

pellets work the best because they have a more uniform size.  

That's what I thought from the research I did but was just concerned by the amount the auto feeder dumped out.

On 8/3/2021 at 3:48 AM, Odd Duck said:

Make certain you run it several times over a container - NOT over your fish tank - until you get the amount dialed in.

Yeah for sure, I've been using a bucket until I'm comfortable enough to put them over the tank.

 

On 8/3/2021 at 3:48 AM, Odd Duck said:

There is a smaller, sliding feed door (don’t use the big sliding fill door).  Slide it to what seems about right (it will usually be more than you need unless you’re feeding a very large tank)

Yup, the instructions are quite clear on that. Even the small feeder door is way too much food. I think Rob's (and your) solution with the tape will be a good experiment to try next.

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@Arcite I can see that being an issue with that small of a pellet . Even from the fry food bottle method of feeding plenty of nano pellet comes out. I would try the tape trick as well if I needed to adjust it for the food I was running; its easy enough to remove the tape later if you change foods in the drum in the future. 

I do run flakes, krill and spirulina, in the feeder myself but I do it with larger pellets or similar types of foods which seems to get the flakes broken down a bit more and consistently dispensed as it turns. 

I do not go normally go smaller than the 1.5mm pellets in my feeders the fish work that bigger pellet down throughout the day for me. Even rice fish fry will nibble those bigger pellets down for me. 

 

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