Automatic Feeder Recommendations

[MickS77]

I'm looking to get an automatic feeder and curious what kind you're using? How many different ones have you tried? What worked and what didn't? I would probably put Xtreme Nano food in it. 

[Daniel]

Vacation? 'Round the clock feeding for fry? What will you do with it?

[MickS77]

Just now, Daniel said:

Vacation? 'Round the clock feeding for fry? What will you do with it?

One feeding daily, Monday-Friday in the afternoon before I get home from work.

[Irene]

I got the Eheim Automatic Feeding Unit from Amazon.com and love it! If the smallest opening size is still too big, you can put a piece of tape across the opening to let even less food out. Learned that trick from an old Aquarium Co-Op video. 🙂

 

[MickS77]

1 hour ago, Irene said:

I got the Eheim Automatic Feeding Unit from Amazon.com and love it! If the smallest opening size is still too big, you can put a piece of tape across the opening to let even less food out. Learned that trick from an old Aquarium Co-Op video. 🙂

Thanks! I am leaning towards this one 🤔

[Bill Smith]

I was using Eheim before, but switched to these iLonda brand wi-fi feeders I got from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KWWGY6M
(non-affiliate link)

I love these things! I have six now. They have the EXACT SAME container shape as the Eheim one, but they are controlled by a phone app, and you can set up any number of feeding schedules, including on-demand. The feeder also has a physical button for triggering it on demand.

It does require power, but it connects via USB...you know, the USB nano pump has a charger with TWO ports! 😉

Big thumbs up on this product for me. There are a few other brands with the same product, so it's probably a Chinese import. But I love it. Been running six for about a year now.

Bill

[MickS77]

Thanks Bill, I haven't heard of these before, certainly a good endorsement. 

[Daniel]

Oliver Knott claims* that with this fische automatisch füttern from JBL "die fische freut sich auf jeden fall" which I thinks roughly means the 'the fish like it'.

And it looks like you can screw a whole can of food to it.

 

 

Edited August 7, 2020 by Daniel
*I had 3 years of German with Herr Finch in High School in 1970s but it always hard for me to really focus

[Daniel]

On 8/5/2020 at 6:28 PM, Bill Smith said:

I love these things! I have six now. They have the EXACT SAME container shape as the Eheim one, but they are controlled by a phone app, and you can set up any number of feeding schedules, including on-demand. The feeder also has a physical button for triggering it on demand.

It does require power, but it connects via USB...you know, the USB nano pump has a charger with TWO ports! 😉

Big thumbs up on this product for me. There are a few other brands with the same product, so it's probably a Chinese import. But I love it. Been running six for about a year now.

Bill

I didn't think I needed this...but since I have moved my discus to the big tank when I go to feed them Vibra Bites I have to stand on the couch to get up high enough to drop food in. And that whole experience of me pressed up against the tank and the hand overhead is very concerning to the discus.

It just occurred to me if I had a feeder with a phone app that worked on demand, I could basically just text the little guys some food sans trauma. Since it has got the @Bill Smith big thumb seal of approval I am ordering one now.

Next step will be to figure out how to hang it from the ceiling (I have AC receptacles in the ceiling above the tank).

[Daniel]

LOL, I just played a video of a user saying 'Alexa, turn on fish feeder', and his iLonda started and dropped a load of food in the user's aquarium. My Alexa was listening to this and butted in and said "I am sorry, I don't recognize a device called 'fish feeder'". This is a good sign.

Edited August 7, 2020 by Daniel

[Bill Smith]

15 minutes ago, Daniel said:

Next step will be to figure out how to hang it from the ceiling (I have AC receptacles in the ceiling above the tank).

It's a lot of fun triggering a feeding on demand by phone/Google Home when I have guests over. 🙂

As for hanging, it comes with a pretty robust clip, that JUST fits around a 2x4. 🙂 I have one nearly upside down hanging over my mini-pond:

Notice the tape partly covering holes on the end. 🙂

Edited August 7, 2020 by Bill Smith

[MickS77]

@Bill Smith How do they handle the heat of being outside? I don't want my T5 light to cook this thing while sitting under it haha

[Daniel]

After 7 years I just re-did the lighting and I hadn't gotten around to doing any cord management yet. I am glad I procrastinated, because now I also need to integrate the feeder into the ceiling and can do the cord management on the lights and feeder all in one fell swoop.

/

Edited August 7, 2020 by Daniel

[MickS77]

5 minutes ago, Daniel said:

Are those Kessil Tuna Sun lights? 

[Daniel]

Just now, MickS77 said:

Are those Kessil Tuna Sun lights? 

Maybe 🙂

[Bill Smith]

16 minutes ago, MickS77 said:

@Bill Smith How do they handle the heat of being outside? I don't want my T5 light to cook this thing while sitting under it haha

No trouble so far; I've had some 90 degree days. Interestingly, the feeder has a bright blue LED that points upwards, so the fish get a blue circular "moon" effect overhead each night. 🙂

Edited August 7, 2020 by Bill Smith

[Bill Smith]

13 minutes ago, Daniel said:

After 7 years I just re-did the lighting and I hadn't gotten around to doing any cord management yet. I am glad I procrastinated, because now I also need to integrate the feeder into the ceiling and can do the cord management on the lights and feeder all in one fell swoop.

Looking at your photo @Daniel, I think I might try to attach the feeder to the top rim of the tank, and run the USB cord down one of the black frame edges. You might need a longer micro-USB cord than the one it comes with (about 6 ft.). It DOES NOT come with a power adapter. 

In addition to the clip, it also comes with a velcro pad you can use. That's my preferred method with my indoor tanks.

[Daniel]

19 minutes ago, Bill Smith said:

 so the fish get a blue circular "moon" effect overhead each night. 🙂

All the lights talk to each other through USB-C, and talk to me through the Kessil phone app. I setup a profile yesterday that run's at about 5% most of the day, gets to maybe 14% at midday. I have some storms roll in before lunch and then cloudiness on and off in the afternoon. And now with iLonda apparently we will get the moon at night!

Edited August 7, 2020 by Daniel

[Daniel]

1 minute ago, Bill Smith said:

 I think I might try to attach the feeder to the top rim of the tank, and run the USB cord down one of the black frame edges. You might need a longer micro-USB cord than the one it comes with (about 6 ft.).

@Bill Smith But I can plug it into the USB adapter that comes with the Nano air pump, right?

If the adapter plugs into a receptacle in ceiling above tank and feeder is also mounted to ceiling nearby the adapter, then there is no need to mount the feeder to the rim or run cords over the side going down, I think?

I have tried to keep anything off any of the 4 sides (even rims), part of my design was total 360° clean viewing with no hardware of any kind. Mounted to the ceiling is okay, but the rule is nothing can come down into the tank from top or come in over one of sides.

[Bill Smith]

1 hour ago, Daniel said:

But I can plug it into the USB adapter that comes with the Nano air pump, right?

Yes, absolutely. It doesn't use much power.

Quote

If the adapter plugs into a receptacle in ceiling above tank and feeder is also mounted to ceiling nearby the adapter, then there is no need to mount the feeder to the rim or run cords over the side going down, I think?

I imagine that could work...it's a long way for the Vibra-Bites to fall, and giving the rotating nature of the food drum, you're going to have a pretty wide dispersion area. Do you keep your tank lid-less? And would your cat have too much temptation there? 🙂

Quote

I have tried to keep anything off any of the 4 sides (even rims), part of my design was total 360° clean viewing with no hardware of any kind. Mounted to the ceiling is okay, but the rule is nothing can come down into the tank from top or come in over one of sides.

Yeah, fair enough. I suppose one way to think about it could be to "lean in" to the feeder presence as part of your design. Clipped to the rim it would also be projecting the "moon" onto the ceiling. And you could cover the USB cord with black electrical tape as it runs down the corner frame, or make it part of your design, with some back-painted rigid tubing or something...it would barely be visible.

Either way, it's pretty easy to experiment!

[Daniel]

5 minutes ago, Bill Smith said:

I imagine that could work...it's a long way for the Vibra-Bites to fall, and giving the rotating nature of the food drum, you're going to have a pretty wide dispersion area. Do you keep your tank lid-less? And would your cat have too much temptation there? 🙂

It's a big target, almost the size of a full size sheet of plywood. And yes, no tops, never have had lids on my aquariums.

As for the cats, I love the image of one of them with my phone in its paws starting the app, and the other one on top of the tank, mouth open waiting for Vibra Bites. Or even better, 'Meow, Alexa, start fish feeder, meow, meow.'

[Errk25]

I've been using the Eheims on my tanks for one feeding a day for a couple of years without any problems. Battery life is great. I work weird hours and that way I know my fish are getting one scheduled feeding a day using a micro pellet. Then I supplement with other foods. Even knocked them into the tank a couple of time. Just pulled them out and dried them out and they were fine. I love them.

[Jefft51]

I'm considering getting an automatic feeder, but how do you keep fish jumping out the opening for the food? Like Hatchetfish?

[MickS77]

5 minutes ago, Jefft51 said:

I'm considering getting an automatic feeder, but how do you keep fish jumping out the opening for the food? Like Hatchetfish?

I have screen tops on my tank for jumpers. The screen is 1/8 wide and I was planning on setting the feeder right on the screen or center brace. I figure Xtreme Nano will fall through the screen no problem. If you have glass lids you can set it on the glass and cut a hole in plastic piece on back edge 

Edited August 14, 2020 by MickS77

[Bill Smith]

16 hours ago, Jefft51 said:

I'm considering getting an automatic feeder, but how do you keep fish jumping out the opening for the food? Like Hatchetfish?

I have hatchetfish, and had the same concern.

I position my feeder so that it's dropping near the side rim of my tank and cut the slot in the lid there. I position my airstone there as well, on the assumption that fish won't want to be jumping right at the position where there is a nozzle or bubbles moving current. It's not perfect, but it minimizes jumping opportunities.

Having current right there also helps with the distribution of food.