Frozen food automatic feeder, ideas?

[Matt LeBaron]

So I've been thinking recently about some way to build an automatic feeder than can handle frozen food. The reason, is that I have seahorses that need to eat twice a day, because of this and my work schedule my tank lights come on at 6:30am and turn off at 7:00pm, I only run some of my LEDS this entire time but regardless it's both longer than I would like to run them and not my ideal time to have the lights in the tank on. (I'd like a 11am to 9pm schedule more)

 

My seahorses eat frozen mysis, so I'd like to have some way to just drop frozen mysis in something when I leave for work in the morning and then have them put into the tank at a specific time after defrosting.

 

I've thought something like a large dosing pump if something like that exists might work because it wouldn't burn the motor out if it ran out of fluid to move, so I could put the frozen mysis in a small container with tank water and have the pump just pump everything into the seahorses tank. Problem here is that I don't know if a pump capable of that exists.

 

The only thing I was thinking was some kind of container that could be opened eletronically to basically dump the contents in.

 

Before I put to much thought/effort into this though I thought I would ask if anyone has tried anything like this before or has thought of something I am missing.

 

Thanks,

[Origami]

Just a thought: I wonder how long defrosted mysis can sit in water like that before it starts to break down and spoil? Defrosting the mysis 12 hours in advance and letting it sit at what may be room temperature may not be a good idea.

[ctenophore]

I have a prototype sitting on my workbench but it is far from ready. Until then, try this:

http://algaescrubber.net/forums/showthread.php?105-Automatic-Continuous-Feeder-DIY

[Origami]

^^I like it. Using a little single-bottle wine chiller as a mini fridge. How novel.

[Rosco's Reefs]

Justin, this is really cool...just as soon see you build one for us, tho. Thx for sharing.

[Matt LeBaron]

Could that system suck up PE Mysis though? That's the real issue I need to figure out how to over come. I'm not really looking for something that can feed the mysis without any intervention from me. I'd be happy if I could dump some frozen mysis in a container when I leave for work at 4am, have it fed to the tank at like 10-11am and then when I get home later put more frozen in and have it fed an hour or two later.

[Jon Lazar]

I've seen some RC threads from folks with non-photosynthetic reef tanks who have feeders for refrigerated food.

 

It's basically a large syringe with a slow-moving actuator and large diameter tubing running to the tank. The whole assemble sits in a tiny fridge near the tank.

[Guest thefishman65]

You might be able to use a peltier cpu chiller. I have thought about this with the idea of cubing the fozen food and using the peltier to keep it frozen. Then somehow drop a cube in a basket by a power head. As it melts the power head will blow it out of the basket.

[schudini]

I have one. It is a mini freezer with a custom acrylic box inside and pvc pipes through the bottom.

 

Here is a schematic...

 

 

 

 

Here are pics...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The timer turns on the pump for a short amount of time, which pushes warm salt water from the sump to the freezer through the taller tube. The warm water then defrosts a small amount of frozen food cubes, which then flows through the shorter tube and into the tank. Any defrosted food that doesn't go down the tube then refreezes and doesn't rot.

 

Two important points with this system.

#1. You need a very accurate, sub-minute timer/controller. I'm using an Apex. You don't want the feed pump on for more than 20 or 30 seconds, cause that's too much food for the tank (unless it's a big tank).

 

#2. The frozen food must be in cubes or something similar so that there is exposed surface area for the warm water to thaw. You don't want to use a large brick of food because less surface area means less melted food and the possibility of clogging the drain tube.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited December 4, 2012 by schudini

[onux20]

^^^That is COOL!

[Jan]

Great idea. My only concern would be high nitrates and phosphates if you're using the mysis right out of the package.

[Origami]

Great idea. My only concern would be high nitrates and phosphates if you're using the mysis right out of the package.

There was an article recently that debunked the common belief that there were high nitrates in the frozen liquid.... I just can't remember where I saw it.

 

Maybe it as phosphates that were tested.

[Origami]

Here's something from RHF earlier this year:

http://www.reefcentr...61&postcount=19

 

He refers to a Shimek article in the thread. The gist of the discussion is that there isn't enough liquid to make much of a difference considering the volume of water in a tank.

 

And an article by RHF from March of this year:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/3/chemistry

[Coral Hind]

Schudini, are the cubes just placed the box or are they on a tray or something to elevate them? What keeps them from blocking the exit tube?

[schudini]

Schudini, are the cubes just placed the box or are they on a tray or something to elevate them? What keeps them from blocking the exit tube?

 

Just placed in the box. There is a very large mesh over the exit tube.

 

Also, the cubes are the size of large ice cubes, cause they're made in an ice cube tray. Best with homemade foods.

[Der ABT]

i would think you could make something in addition to your plan that is controlled by the apex to distribute 1 cube into the box and have the pump run for say 5 minutes..

 

basically something along the lines of a ferris wheel or ice maker (actuator with several chambers each holding a certain amount of frozen food).....turns on and dumps contents (1 cube frozen food) into your acrylic box....all inside the freezer, then the pump turns on and defrosts said food....

 

or if you can mount it above the tank (if tank in basement or whatever) and it drops one cube down a tube/pvc pipe into holding box in the tank for defrosting.

 

was going to do this prior to having a kid but life got in the way (as it does with most everything i think i have time to complete...not complaining just giving excueses cause i can.

[Matt LeBaron]

Nice thanks for the post schudini! My next aquarium purchase is likely to be a controller so maybe once that is done I'll build a system like that.

[Jan]

Thanks for the article, Tom. Very interesting. I don't like exercises in futility so not sure if I should continue to rinse or not. I rinse all mysis. I rinse the mysis I use in my blends until the water runs clear. Mysis comes from lakes. Lakes are muddy. I'm a little puzzled. Common sense tells me there has to be a cumulative effect in our tanks unless our filtration is getting all the sediments out. No?

 

Here's something from RHF earlier this year:

http://www.reefcentr...61&postcount=19

 

He refers to a Shimek article in the thread. The gist of the discussion is that there isn't enough liquid to make much of a difference considering the volume of water in a tank.

 

And an article by RHF from March of this year:

http://www.advanceda...012/3/chemistry

[Origami]

Phosphorus is a key component in all living cells. Our DNA, for example, has a phosphate backbone. It's in our cell membranes, and it plays a key role in cellular metabolism. So all living things have it and every living cell has it. I think what Randy was getting at is that the contribution from not rinsing is so very, very small as to be insignificant. You could get the same benefit of rinsing by feeding 1% less, for example.

[roni]

I have one. It is a mini freezer with a custom acrylic box inside and pvc pipes through the bottom.

 

Here is a schematic...

 

 

 

 

Here are pics...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The timer turns on the pump for a short amount of time, which pushes warm salt water from the sump to the freezer through the taller tube. The warm water then defrosts a small amount of frozen food cubes, which then flows through the shorter tube and into the tank. Any defrosted food that doesn't go down the tube then refreezes and doesn't rot.

 

Two important points with this system.

#1. You need a very accurate, sub-minute timer/controller. I'm using an Apex. You don't want the feed pump on for more than 20 or 30 seconds, cause that's too much food for the tank (unless it's a big tank).

 

#2. The frozen food must be in cubes or something similar so that there is exposed surface area for the warm water to thaw. You don't want to use a large brick of food because less surface area means less melted food and the possibility of clogging the drain tube.

 

Hope this helps.

 

I assume with this you need to mount somewhere above the tank to gravity feed down?

 

Here's how one person did theirs (go to bottom of first page)

 

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2229215

[Origami]

I assume with this you need to mount somewhere above the tank to gravity feed down?

 

Here's how one person did theirs (go to bottom of first page)

 

http://reefcentral.c...d.php?t=2229215

I just read that thread. Wow.

[schudini]

A hair dryer in the freezer. Now I have seen everything

 

 

I just read that thread. Wow.

I assume with this you need to mount somewhere above the tank to gravity feed down?

 

Here's how one person did theirs (go to bottom of first page)

 

http://reefcentral.c...d.php?t=2229215

[AOberheim]

if someone could produce a clean and compact device similar to the wine chiller / medical pump that was apex controllable, they would have us all in the palm of their hand

[flowerseller]

how about using an ice dispenser unit from a refridge and set it on a timer to drop a cube or two in the sump kind of near the return pump?

Someone can expand on that, I'm just a florist.

[Origami]

how about using an ice dispenser unit from a refridge and set it on a timer to drop a cube or two in the sump kind of near the return pump?

Someone can expand on that, I'm just a florist.

Portion sizes might be an issue (the cubes from my freezer are pretty large) as would the number of cubes made and dispensed at one shot. Plus, you'd still have to solve the problem of refilling the ice cube trays.