DIY fish feeder in an aquarium. Which automatic feeder to choose for aquarium fish Do-it-yourself aquarium fish feeder

Automatic fish feeders: which one to choose?

While preparing this material for publication, I wondered how useful the information will be to the reader? Well, okay, it’s clear that we all leave home: on business trips or on vacation. And often, it’s inconvenient for us to ask relatives to look after the aquariums, and besides, there are risks that the “supervising parent” will overfeed the fish, and even worse, screw up something... But, in fact, automatic fish feeders themselves are just a mechanism that is programmed to dispense feed within a certain period of time! What difference does it make what it will be?

Despite the fact that we live in an age of high technology and an abundance of consumer goods, it turns out that not everything is so simple! Each automatic fish feeder has its own characteristics and nuances.

The main criteria that a fish feeder must meet are:

1. Simplicity and ease of installation. The feeder should be mounted in a place convenient for you, and not as intended by the manufacturer. Setting it up shouldn't be confusing.

2. The automatic feeder must be of high quality. The poured food should not stick together or spoil.

3. The fish feeder should provide an abundance of operating modes. It should be suitable both for standard feeding of fish and, for example, for frequent feeding when “raising” juvenile fish.

Good day, today is my review of the “Zoomir” aquarium feeder.

With the advent of an aquarium house, already at a conscious age you learn about new products that, for example, did not exist during my childhood, when simple guppies lived in my house in a 5-liter jar. There were no such feeders at that time, or I simply didn’t know about them. And now, after about 20 years, this is the third aquarium in my life. First, remember about the jar with guppy, then the Cockerel fish in a 10 liter aquarium, and now a 100 liter aquarium with 2 goldfish.

Here is the actual background to the review of the fish feeder. At the pet store I purchased the simplest feeder for aquarium fish from the manufacturer “Zoomir”.

On the back of the package there is a directions for use. That the feeder is designed for both dry and live food.

The feeder itself consists of a suction cup for attaching to the wall of the aquarium, a food container and a grid. I would like to note that the suction cup holds well, this is at an inexpensive price for the feeder; when I bought it, I was afraid that the feeder would not hold at all. BUT she is holding up WELL!

Here is the feeder itself without the contents. I installed it in a familiar place where I had previously fed my fish, so that it would be easier for them to find their way around. Where there are no aquarium plants below, it is more convenient for me to maintain cleanliness and order in the aquarium. Because in addition to dry food, fish eat porridge, peas, nettles and much more. BUT this is feeding goldfish for up to six months, so that they grow into big FISH)) Before feeding your fish, read the tips. For example, peas, if they are canned, must be separated from the skin and crushed.

The grid in the set is for feeding with live food, but you can feed dry food without a grid. I will demonstrate the feeder in both versions. The manufacturer recommends using a grid for feeding live food. To feed dry food, remove the grille. But I also leave the grill when feeding dry food, since this time I bought flake food, and for goldfish it is better to soak them for feeding.

I just pour the food onto the grate and when it gets wet, it just starts pouring out through the grate. The fish have already gotten used to the feeder within a week and they themselves rub their noses at it so that the food falls out faster.

And a feeder without a net. If you set it at the right level. Further in the photo, the food remains inside and does not scatter throughout the aquarium.

The feeder turned out to be a useful acquisition. The food is concentrated in one place, but this is the simplest feeder, I can’t say about other options for feeders, since I have little experience in aquarium keeping and I’m just learning, I hope my experience was useful to you.

No matter how hard I tried to photograph the process of feeding the fish, I was unable to focus the frame well.

Thank you for your attention and happy shopping!

If you are going on vacation or a long business trip, and there is no one to leave the aquarium with your pets, then you have two options. The first is to find a nanny for the fish or just let the fish get out on their own and cast lots for who will be eaten next. Before you swoon over the second option, learn about an automatic feeder.

An automatic fish feeder (feeder) can be a great tool if you need to travel out of town or want to regulate your fish feeding schedule. In this article, you'll learn about popular automatic feeders and get instructions on how to create your own.

Don't let it bother you variety of automatic feeders, which are sold in stores, they all work on the same basic principle. Each one has a timer that you program to release the right amount of feed at a specific time, one to four times a day. The device attaches to your tank or floats on the surface for easy feeding.

Once the alarm goes off, the automatic fish feeder either releases pellets from the single serving chamber or opens the door to release, long enough so that gravity brings food to the water.

Standard feeders are designed for a couple or three days in capacity. If you are away for a longer period, you will need an automatic fish feeder with a larger reservoir. This kind of pleasure costs several times more, but the aquarium can be left unattended for up to 90 days, provided that the rest of the care processes are also automated.

Pros and cons of automatic feeders

Like any aquarium equipment automatic feeding also has its pros and cons.

Advantageous side:

Disadvantages of feeders:

Some models have a small capacity, but this may be enough to feed you for several days;
It will not be possible to feed live and fresh foods, as they may spoil;
Automatic feeding leads to laziness and neglect of the tank (yes, don't laugh), especially for a child who takes care of his aquarium and learns to be responsible;
High quality automatic feeders are expensive.

Making an automatic feeder with your own hands

If you are sure that an automatic fish feeder is a must-have for you, you have the option of buying one or making one yourself. Creating your own automatic feeder It will take a little time, but it will save you money if you have most of the necessary materials. Below you will find a list of materials, as well as step-by-step instructions for creating the feeder. You will need:

Empty plastic bottle
Plastic cover
Matches
Super glue
Old cell phone or pager (with vibration function)

Step by step instructions

Use a sharp knife or pair of scissors to cut out the bottom of the plastic bottle and remove the top cap (a milk bottle will work). Place the bottle cap on a flat surface (such as a table). Place the matches on top of the cap, one on top of the other, gluing them to each other and to the bottle cap.

Place a plastic bottle on top of the matches upside down so that the neck of the bottle is directly on top of the matches - glue it in place so that there is a gap. Fill a plastic bottle with fish pellets or flakes - they will flow into the matches, but the bottle cap will stop the flow. Place the cell phone into the bottle after setting the vibration mode.

Place the feeder above your aquarium - you can hang it from the ceiling or walls with a hook, or attach it to the back of the tank. To activate your automatic feeder, call the phone or pager - when the phone vibrates, food will flow into the reservoir. A fairly simple design, it can be safely used as a backup option if you are away from home for a couple of days. With any homemade feeders(there are different options) there is a possibility that something could go wrong. For example, food will be tightly packed into the hole and the vibration of the phone will not be enough to shake up the stagnation. Then you will have an unpleasant surprise when you return home.

Popular automatic fish feeders

If you like the idea of automatic fish feeding, but want the process to be precise and controlled, then it is better to buy a feeder. Below you will find a list of popular automatic models.

Eheim Twin Feeder - This automatic aquarium feeder is equipped with two chambers, so you can offer your fish two different types of food for up to three feedings per day. In addition to selecting from different feeding frequencies, this feeder has up to 9 rotations per feeding time, so you can also customize your portion size. It runs on four AA batteries.

Fish Mate Automatic Feeder- The automatic aquarium feeder has 14 separate compartments for storing individual portions of food. This feeder allows you to program up to four feedings per day, and it slowly releases food over 2 hours to prevent overfeeding.

Eheim Feed Air Digital Automatic Feeder - This digital feeder features an electronic program control that allows you to feed up to four times a day using flake or pellet foods. This feeder has a built-in fan, which keeps your food dry so it doesn't spoil. The Eheim air feeder can dispense single or double portions (spaced 1 minute apart) as well as manual control.

AquaChef Automatic Feeder - This automatic feeder can hold up to 35 grams of food at once, and it's moisture resistant so you don't have to worry about your food getting wet and spoiling. The AquaChef feeder lets you choose your portion size and number of servings (up to four per day) using a programmable timer - you also have the option of single or double serving.

They say fish have short memories. More recent research disproves this myth, but it is a good myth, so it is believed. If this is true, and fish actually have a memory of about 30 seconds, then how do they remember to eat? One day they realize that they are hungry and the next moment they will forget. Then they will remember again and forget again. They probably wouldn't have lived very long.

In this case, the good thing is that the fish are not responsible for their own food, at least when they are in your aquarium. However, they face another problem, and this is not a myth: people forget.

Check your checklist before going on vacation

Now go on vacation with a pleasant feeling of accomplishment!

We compared several automatic fish feeders to understand the issue of robotization of the process of feeding aquarium fish and reptiles without human presence.

It comes with a volume of 100 ml. It can be programmed via the LCD touch screen to, for example, feed your fish up to 8 times a day.

It can be used to dispense most types of food, and you can even use it to feed frogs, newts, and turtles.

It is easy to install using a guide and a universal installation clamp.

Using the adjustable slider, you can set the serving size. There is also a manual feed button so you can feed your fish outside of a pre-programmed schedule. The feeder is designed to not stop even if the feed slot is upside down. It is transparent, so you always know how much food is left inside. Thanks to the built-in fan and internal ventilation system, the food always remains dry.

The feeder is very reliable and the buttons are splash-proof. The charge lasts up to 6 weeks of feeding if you use not one, but 2 AA batteries. There is a two-stage charge level indicator that will warn you early enough that it is time to change the batteries.

There are no negative aspects to the EHEIM fish feeder, and even the price was quite affordable. The manufacturer guarantees at least a year of continuous operation without maintenance and you can really rely on this robot. It's easy to set up and use. It also comes with a 3-year manufacturer's warranty.

However, some may have a few questions regarding the breakage of the feeder parts. Overall the build quality is very good, which explains its reputation in the robot market and why it has received so many appreciative reviews.

Perhaps the only thing wrong with it is that it doesn't have an off button, but I personally can't see a good enough reason why you'd want to turn it off. Remember that if you remove the batteries to turn off the feeder, you will have to reprogram it later.

If you have a lot of fish to feed, this is a great option. It is programmed to feed the fish twice a day, and you can dispense up to 12 feeds each day. It works great at retaining moisture from the outside environment so the food inside stays dry and spreads easily. It is also easy to install and configure.

Its power is quite powerful and many people rave about its ability to keep your fish alive even after being on vacation for 3 weeks or more.

The batteries are quite reliable, and as a special bonus there's even a power adapter so you're not completely reliant on batteries. Once you set it up, it is very easy to use.

There are a lot of moving parts, so there is a greater chance that a part will break. But, judging by the reviews, it has been working for more than a year without any problems. The problem is that it is not entirely easy to access the battery pack once the fish feeder is set up and installed. These are all minor complaints, since even those users who broke it after 3 months are still planning to buy it again.

The only other problem is that all these great features don't come cheap.

Advantages

* reliable
*Can feed a lot of fish
* Effective against moisture

Flaws

*Quite expensive
*Batteries are not easy to access

3. Hydoor - automatic fish feeder

This is one of the most reliable candidates you can find in the market if you want to feed your fish automatically. The design is exceptional so you won't have to worry about any breakage. Even moisture is not a problem - the food remains dry.

You can feed your fish 1 to 3 times a day, depending on the food serving option you use. The amount of food you ship at a time is also adjustable.

The battery power is used very efficiently, so even with 3 feeds a day you won't have to change batteries for 9 or even 10 months. There is a low battery indicator so you will know when it is time to change the batteries.

The only major problem with the build is that it is not that easy to set up, as you only have limited options when mounting it. And one problem with the design is that the food container isn't very big.

And programming the actions of the feeder is not entirely flexible. First of all, it's too complicated. Secondly, you can choose only prescribed eating schedules, such as twice a day every 12 hours or 3 times a day every 8 hours.

And there is no way to set feeding times later. If you want to set up the feed at 8am, you need to wait until that time to set it up.

Advantages

*Extremely reliable
*Can work for a very long time with batteries

Flaws

*Hard to set up
*Loses programmed parameters

Many people complain about this feeder because it is difficult to set up. But the point is that you need to read the manual if you want it to work properly.

If you do this, it will do what the manufacturer promises and it will feed your fish up to 4 times a day with controlled amounts of food.

The device is a little bulky, but setup is not difficult. The feeder uses 2 AA batteries, but it does not work with rechargeable batteries. The size of the food compartment is only good for feedings for 2-3 weeks. You won't be able to go on a month-long vacation with this feeder.

This is the cheapest lot and the quality is quite good for the price.

Advantages

*Quite affordable

Flaws

*Not intuitively configurable
*Food container is very small

The Rusee automatic feeder is a battery-powered life support system for aquarium fish that is mounted on the edge of the aquarium.

The battery powered motor is controlled by a timer function.

Fish food is contained in a rotating plastic hopper. The sliding window controls how much food falls out of the hopper when a timer tells the motor to spin.

Each time the motor rotates the feed hopper, one reset occurs. Fish food enters the aquarium water when the hopper is turned over for a short time.

The timer can be programmed to serve fish up to six times within a 24-hour period. Setup is as simple as setting a digital clock. Plastic pins are placed on the dial to indicate when to feed. The timer can be disabled for manual feeding.

The Rusee Automatic Fish Feeder can dispense a variety of feeds including flakes, pellets, crumbs and pellets up to approximately 5/16".

Since it is battery powered, the Rusee automatic feeder can be used outdoors without the risk of electric shock. It is possible to feed pond fish while you are away from the pond, but you will have to build a small bracket to hold the feeder near the edge of the pond.

Advantages

*Budget.
*Battery powered during power outages.
*Distributes a variety of product types.
*Feeding several times a day.

Flaws

*Precise dosing of food is not possible.
*It is not possible to feed different foods on different days like with more advanced feeders.
*The timer is not synchronized by the crystal and lags when the battery is low.