Discuss: Autofeeder/contents/feeding ring

[Good Greef]

What say you? What do yall use and what variety of foods do you place in it?

 

I've never used one. But research points to Eheim then Apex AFS if I can find a used one.

 

I was thinking of putting NLS pellets, Hikari algae wafers, and maybe a little freeze dried cyclopeeze or worms then have them all drop into a feeding ring.

 

Will the various sizes really be an issue if I am OK with each feeding having different ratios? Humidity and freeze dried gonna cause mush?

[Sascha D.]

I've tried the Aquachef and I would not recommend using it.  The drum allows moisture to get inside, ruining the food. It also doesn't hold the program and I had to reset it a few times a week.

I've been using the Eheim Digital Feeder with a Feeding Station for the last few months with great success. I fill the drum once a month and alternate between NLS pellets and Formula One pellets. So far I like NLS pellets the best. Each food is a different size, so you wouldn't be able to control the amount in each feeding if you mix foods. Most marine fish will not eat from the sand and I wouldn't recommend using algae wafers. Scavengers like tangs may be conditioned to eat some of the wafers, but most of it will probably dissolve and float away or disappear in the sand. It's been a long time since I've used freeze dried foods and I don't remember how long it takes them to sink. My wrasses and foxface will eat from the surface, but the damsels, tangs and angelfish haven't that I've noticed. I would recommend a feeding station or ring for any foods that float for any period of time. 

[Sierra Bravo]

I also use the Eheim feeder and feeding station, feeding Hikari Marine S mixed with Hikari Seaweed Extreme three times daily.  Reliable and programmable to deliver different amounts up to four feedings per day.

[Timfish]

I've got fish that are older than their wild counterparts using the Ehiem autofeeders with Spectrum pellets.  I have great success with Lyretail, Disbar, Pinksquare and Tricolor anthias by including ZoPlan along with the pellets.  I have nothing against feeding fish a quality flake food but I have found it much easier to feed a consistant amount of food with each cycle using only pellets or pellets with powdered food mixed in.

[Sierra Bravo]

Also:  I've tried frozen in the IM gourmet frozen feeder pictured below and would not recommended.  It leaves a lot of food residue and won't handle Rod's or LRS.

 

[Sascha D.]

29 minutes ago, Timfish said:

I've got fish that are older than their wild counterparts using the Ehiem autofeeders with Spectrum pellets.  I have great success with Lyretail, Disbar, Pinksquare and Tricolor anthias by including ZoPlan along with the pellets.  I have nothing against feeding fish a quality flake food but I have found it much easier to feed a consistant amount of food with each cycle using only pellets or pellets with powdered food mixed in.

Great tip! I'll look into it when I add anthias early next month. How many times daily do you feed them? My feeder is set to twice daily at the moment. 

[Timfish]

With most of my systems autofeeders are set to feed 4 times with two rotations at each feeding.  A couple systems have 2 autofeeders.  I also notch the "door" on some so I can feed smaller amounts with each rotation but still use all 4 feeding times and 2 rotations.

[Good Greef]

Thanks for the responses. Im leaning toward eheim and already have NLS pellets. 

Ill look into that supplement for Anthias.

My main concern is that only roughly 75% of my fish will eat pellets. The other's either dont like it (anthias, basslet) while others can't compete for it (gobies).

So I want to add something to go along with my NLS. Wondered if a little reef chili is a bad idea?

[Good Greef]

20 hours ago, Sierra Bravo said:

I also use the Eheim feeder and feeding station, feeding Hikari Marine S mixed with Hikari Seaweed Extreme three times daily.  Reliable and programmable to deliver different amounts up to four feedings per day.

Do you use the small pellets or the wafers? I ask bc I was only leaning wafers since my Blonde Naso seems to ignore the smaller NLS, but loves the 1mm bigger ones.

[Sierra Bravo]

I use the small pellets with mine.  I mix the Marine S with the Seaweed Extreme 2:1 so when it feeds they're getting a mix.  My two tangs are still fairly small though: 3.5" for my white tail and 4" for my purple.

[Timfish]

Here's a video of the autofeeder and mixing tube I set up for the system in my Rimless 220 build thread.  I'm using NLS .5mm pellets, ZoPlan and Reef Roids.  Ratio is roughly 2 tbsp NLS, 1/2 tsp ZoPlan and 1/4 tsp Reef Roids.   This is a mixing tube is used to mix food dropped from an autofeeder into the water and disperse it from the return line.  Three critical considerations are the 90° elbow on the pump inlet to keep a vortex from forming and sucking air into the pump.  The slots cut into the side have an area or cross section about double the area or cross section of the pumps intake and the pump needs to feed only the aquarium, having a reactor or sterilzer will let food collect and rot.  The bottom should be sealed, in this case with a piece of acrylic.  Another advantage is it can take 10 or 15 minutes for all the food to drop and get dispersed giving a longer and more random feeding.  A notch cut in the door can help with smaller quantities and can be tested using a piece of tape first before cutting.

https://youtu.be/vJB3eKKumEg

[Good Greef]

On 7/26/2018 at 8:01 PM, Timfish said:

Here's a video of the autofeeder and mixing tube I set up for the system in my Rimless 220 build thread.  I'm using NLS .5mm pellets, ZoPlan and Reef Roids.  Ratio is roughly 2 tbsp NLS, 1/2 tsp ZoPlan and 1/4 tsp Reef Roids.   This is a mixing tube is used to mix food dropped from an autofeeder into the water and disperse it from the return line.  Three critical considerations are the 90° elbow on the pump inlet to keep a vortex from forming and sucking air into the pump.  The slots cut into the side have an area or cross section about double the area or cross section of the pumps intake and the pump needs to feed only the aquarium, having a reactor or sterilzer will let food collect and rot.  The bottom should be sealed, in this case with a piece of acrylic.  Another advantage is it can take 10 or 15 minutes for all the food to drop and get dispersed giving a longer and more random feeding.  A notch cut in the door can help with smaller quantities and can be tested using a piece of tape first before cutting.

https://youtu.be/vJB3eKKumEg

I initially planned on dropping the contents into a feeding ring above my return. But didn't realize I can't due to my manifold feeding my reactors.

[Timfish]

5 hours ago, Good Greef said:

I initially planned on dropping the contents into a feeding ring above my return. But didn't realize I can't due to my manifold feeding my reactors.

A majority of the food probably would make it to the tank but a fair percentage is going to go through your reactors and decompose there.  In fact hat motivated me to figure out the mixing tube was  when I used a feeding ring mounted above the return pump intake, enough food would find dead spots it would accumalate and rot and if it wasn't constantly siphoned out partially decomposed blobs would break loose and float around on the surface and smell to high heaven.

[Good Greef]

Looking at this picture, would an Eheim and feeder station work here?

The red segment is a 1/2" gap between the tanks rim and my acrylic cover. I would have to be able to mount both those here.

Im also unsure if the eheim comes out far enough so the food drops through the netting and not the acrylic cover?

Would the feeder ring be an option also, or should I get magnetic one (ppl say corrodes?)

I guess I could order both then return if needed, but figd id see if yall could tell.

[Timfish]

I've set Ehiem feeders to drop food in gaps about that wide and also through netting.  The feeder is 5 1/2" long and comes with a small bracket that might grab the lip.  But looking at your set up I would install a small shelf as high up as possible without compromising accessability as the farther the pellets fall the more sink as soon as they hit the water.  And in your application a feeding ring would help.