What is the best automatic feeder?

nano55

nano55

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May 14, 2007
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Does anyone have any suggestions for automatic feeders? What is the best one to buy? I need a couple for when we travel. Thanks.
 
automatic feeders are not very reliable and will often over feed the fish, causing the water quality to slip. "weekend" and "vacation" feeding blocks are even worse; they will severly over feed the fish and water quality will plumet. fish can usually go for about a week without food.
 
jm1212 said:
automatic feeders are not very reliable and will often over feed the fish, causing the water quality to slip. "weekend" and "vacation" feeding blocks are even worse; they will severly over feed the fish and water quality will plumet. fish can usually go for about a week without food.
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I have smaller Malwai cichlids that I feed 2-3 times a day in smaller amounts. How long could they go without feeding? I have peacocks acei,brichardi,and zebras.
 
feed a good meal before you leave (not overfeed, just feed a good amount 2-3 times that day) and do a large water change (25-50%) then go. They should be good for about a week although can survive up to 2, 2 weeks the fish would probably start to feel hungry but 1 week should be fine. Any more than 1-2 weeks you should get an automatic feeder. Of course the most effective automatic feeder is another hobbyist that comes to your house every so often to feed the fish.
 
And on top of that, moisture from the water often collects on the feeder outlet, helping to screw things up. Especially after the fish learn where that drop zone is, and then they clog.
 
I've got four of these, with two in service right now:

Eheim 3581

Very reliable w/ a mix of Hikari Micro Pellets and Tetra Flakes (good idea to crush the flakes first; I do that anyway even when not using the feeder to put them into bite-size bits). Have used them for a couple weeks continuously with zero difficulties.

v/r, N-A
 
i found that the LEAST reliable automatic fish feeder is a neighbor.. i went out to sea for a month, and left my roommate to feed the fish.. i came back and he had used almost the ENTIRE canister (the biggest can of tetramin they make) and there was almost 2" of detrius and mung in the bottom.. on the upside, even though that had happened, my guppy population had quadrupled, and the plants i had in there had completely taken over.

automatic feeders are a waste of $$ IMO since fish can go quite a while without food.
 
People raising fry that must be fed several times a day, and who must work for a living, give the Eheim 3581 high marks. it even has a small ventilation fan to keep the food container from getting too humid.
 
When I raised red devils...I found the best solution for going away for a while - and I sometimes had to go away for 2 to 3 weeks - was simply to put some feeder fish in the tank. I found that my reds would not kill until they were hungry. The reds were about 3" long. I would put about 3 1" feeders per red...that would keep them happy for 3 weeks. Actually...when I came back and started feeding them dry food I honestly felt they were sorry to see me.
 
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