Anyone use automatic feeders?

[saltwater8]

Just wondering if anyone uses automatic feeders and what their thoughts on them were?
It seems, for the dry feedings, that it would help dispense the same amount every time, eliminating the chance of over, or under, feeding.
:thinking:

 

[lion_crazz]

I guess they are a pretty good idea, but I don't use any dry foods for my fish except the freeze-dried sea veggie sheets.

 

[susieq]

I use them when I'm going to be away. I feed flakes. Make sure there is no water that can evaporate into the feeder. I once had one over a bubble wand. The food in the feeder turned into stinky sludge and clogged up. I have since removed the bubble wand.

 

[saltwater8]

Yeah,
I feed this Boyd's Vita Diet slow sinking pellets, made with Vita-Chem.
I feel that in the morning, and then the frozen at night.
Thought it would be great to have the pellets fed at the same time of the day, with the same portion control.
Thanks for the responses.

 

[sleasia]

Yes I use them, but I forgot what brand..I'm at work now when I get home tomarrow I will check. I found I can't trust the neighbors to feed the fish right....they tend to way overfeed while I'm away. So I let them "top off" the sump while I'm away with R/O, but tell them not to feed the fish. Instead I use automatic feeders . the important thing is to put them up a bit high on something so they are well above the water level because the problem with these automatic feeders is often moisture gumming up the food. I use only pellets in them...I have found this is most resistant to the moisture problem. I feed twice a day while I'm gone, smaller portions and put the automatic feeders up on

masking tape rolls since that raises them three or four more inches more, with their openings aimed over the water... mine have worked fine. I only use them while on vacation though...

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by sleasia
Yes I use them, but I forgot what brand..I'm at work now when I get home tomarrow I will check. I found I can't trust the neighbors to feed the fish right....they tend to way overfeed while I'm away. So I let them "top off" the sump while I'm away with R/O, but tell them not to feed the fish. Instead I use automatic feeders . the important thing is to put them up a bit high on something so they are well above the water level because the problem with these automatic feeders is often moisture gumming up the food. I use only pellets in them...I have found this is most resistant to the moisture problem. I feed twice a day while I'm gone, smaller portions and put the automatic feeders up on

masking tape rolls since that raises them three or four more inches more, with their openings aimed over the water... mine have worked fine. I only use them while on vacation though...
When I am away and have neighbors/parents feed the fish, I put small containers in my freezer and label each container with a date. I tell whoever is feeding the fish to only use what is in the container marked for that specific day. That way, there is no way to overfeed the fish. They can only feed what I leave out for that partuclar day.

 

[sleasia]

hmm..good idea lion crazz...the other problem with automatics is when the battery expires !!!

 

[alyssia]

Originally Posted by sleasia
hmm..good idea lion crazz...the other problem with automatics is when the battery expires !!!
...or it malfunctions and pours all of the food in at once.