Owners of aquarium fish know how hard it is to leave their water inhabitants unattended in the event of departure on vacation or on a business trip. After all, fish should receive food regularly. It was for this purpose that an automatic fish feeder was created, which will ensure that they receive food in the required volume and regularly in the absence of a host.
Consider what auto-feeders exist, popular types of devices, their advantages and disadvantages, and also what to look for when choosing.
How does a feeder work?
An automatic fish feeder is needed if the owner is regularly absent from the room for more than 12 hours or goes on vacation for several days. In this case, you will not need to ask neighbors or relatives to look after the inhabitants of the aquarium.
Also, a feeder that works automatically is needed when fish are bred, because, depending on the species, the fry need a small amount of food, but more often than healthy individuals. Depending on the time of absence, a suitable model is selected, which is different in capacity, that is, the amount of feed prepared in advance for the fish.
The principle of operation of all feeders is the same: the feed is ejected from the device at certain intervals, pre-set in the timer. The necessary portion is contained in a spinning drum, which, as it is emptied, is again filled with the next dose. There are battery-powered models, but there are power options.
Advantages of the device
Automatic fish feeders in the aquarium have their advantages:
- the feeding process occurs regularly;
- the amount of feed dosed ;
- the opportunity not to be afraid that the fish will be hungry in case of prolonged absence.
Most often, such a device is selected when the owner or family who has aquarium fish spends a lot of time traveling and cannot regularly feed aquatic pets. Despite the fact that the installation is quite compact, it costs a lot.
Device disadvantages
Despite the advantages, automatic feeders for aquarium fish also have disadvantages:
- high installation cost;
- possible risk of damage in the event of a prolonged absence (therefore, in any case, you must ask neighbors or relatives to periodically visit the room and monitor the condition of the aquarium);
- automatic feeders are not intended for feeding micro-feed, therefore they are not used for fry, only for already grown fish;
- you can use only dry food (for live food there is a special feeder, but you can put only one necessary dose there, regular feeding of fish in the absence of several days in a row is impossible).
Despite the fact that the electronic feeder belongs to the category of reliable equipment, the risk of breakage always exists. Therefore, do not install it immediately before departure. It is better, like any equipment, to check in a few days.
Types of feeders
There are many automatic feeders on the aquarium market. All of them differ in design, technical parameters, price category, but most of them are intended only for dry food. You can also pick up an automatic fish feeder in the pond, if it is small, but such an installation will be expensive.
There are also varieties of feeders designed for a certain type of dry food (pellets, sticks, cereals). All designs are waterproof, so the feed will always be in good condition.
Most devices are designed to feed 1 or 2 times a day. They can be stationary or mobile. There are also expensive models with a digital display. Although such a device can be built independently.
According to user reviews, the best option is a feeder with special suction cups, with which it is attached to the wall of the aquarium. But there is also a model without mounts.
Live feed feeders that contain only one dose of feed have a cone shape. They are attached under water, and the fish themselves have to get feed through the net.
Where to install?
An automatic fish feeder should be installed in the right place so that the food of the aquatic inhabitants is comfortable. They are located away from filters or aeration plants. In this case, feed losses due to water movement will be minimal. For those devices that are powered by the mains, it is important to check the required cable length so that the feeder easily plugs into the outlet.
Since the filtration and aeration system works, as a rule, in a constant mode, it is best to load the feeder with a granular type of feed. It is fully absorbed by fish and does not merge with the water stream.
Do-it-yourself automatic fish feeder
A simple automatic aquarium feeder can be built independently. To do this, you will need an old cell phone, which has a vibration function, and a bottle of plastic.
The lid is attached to the neck with adhesive tape, while there should be a small gap, and the bottle itself is cut into 2 parts. The capacity is filled with food, the phone lays on top of it. When calling a phone, it goes into vibration mode, and the feed gradually pours out of the tank. The duration of the rash depends on the duration of the call. It is important not to forget to “call” your water inhabitants regularly.
Such a device can be built instead of an automatic fish feeder in the ultrasonic inspection, which is designed to feed the inhabitants of the pond. The volume of the tank depends on the size of the artificial reservoir, in some cases several such plants may be needed.
There are also other, more complicated methods, self-construction of devices for feeding fish with the presence of many devices and made of various materials. This activity is called aquarium.
How to choose a feeding trough?
The instructions for the automatic fish feeder contain all the necessary recommendations on how to use the device. When choosing an installation, it is important to familiarize yourself with it.
Criteria for choosing an automatic feeder for the aquarium:
- Connection methods (the device can operate on batteries if the outlet is far or directly from the mains).
- Additional functions (it all depends on the type of inhabitants and their need for food).
- Bowl volume (there are compact units that contain several doses or more overall for feeding aquatic inhabitants up to a week).
- Control unit (timer or electronic scoreboard, depends on price).
- Vibration or additional noise during operation.
- Mounting method (suction cups for fixed installations or a floating model).
The largest number of positive reviews of Hydor feeders, which are equipped with a display with the ability to select different nutrition programs. Eheim devices are no less in demand on the market. All models are equipped with a rotating hopper and ventilation, which prevents loss of feed quality.
Browse Popular Models
Automatic feeders are made by different manufacturers, which differ not only in the nature of the work, but also in technical parameters.
Among the most popular models, the following are distinguished:
- Eheim TWIN (Germany). The cost of such devices is above average, but all models are of high quality and reliability. The feed adaptation, with a capacity of 160 ml, has 2 compartments working independently of each other. You can program the feeding of different types of feed at a specific time. The device runs on batteries that come with the kit.
- Hagen Nutramatix (Germany). The company's products are characterized by reduced size of the feeders. The weight of the structure itself is only 140 g, and the capacity of the hopper is 14 g. The device operates on batteries and is suitable for feeding fry twice a day, as it is intended for feeding dry food in crushed form.
- Juwel (Germany). Juwel's automatic fish feeder is equipped with a drum. Its weight is 300 g, runs on batteries and provides feed twice a day. The device is attached to the lid anywhere in the aquarium.
- Ferplast Chef (Italy). Screw-type feeder, can feed three times a day, waterproof housing, runs on batteries.
Domestic models are also represented on the market of car feeders, but, according to consumer reviews, they are of poor quality, although they have an affordable price. Such installations will not last long.
Output
When choosing an automatic fish feeder, it is important to consider not only the technical parameters of the device, but also the preferences of the aquatic inhabitants. Do not forget that fish need a full and varied diet. And in dry food there are few nutrients and microelements, therefore it is not worth constantly feeding the fish only with this species. An automatic feeder is intended for periodic use, not permanent.