What do you have in your auto feeder?

[Cliff Puckstable]

I currently have New Life Spectrum 1mm sinking pellets in mine. The problem I'm having is that they don't sink fast enough for my fish to eat them. They go straight down the overflow. Has anyone else experienced this? Any recommendations on how to resolve this issue?

[Jon Lazar]

You can make or buy a feeding ring that keeps the food inside the ring until it's wet enough to sink.

 

You could also use a reef controller to turn off your return pump and then dispense food.

[Cliff Puckstable]

Interesting, I've never even heard of a feeder ring until now. These should come with the auto feeders, eh? Thanks, mate.

[Jon Lazar]

I made mine by cutting a ring out of a small water bottle, and zip-tieing it to my eggcrate cover.

[Origami]

You can find the feeding rings at Petco, Petsmart, or almost any of the large chains. They run about $5, I think, and have a suction cup on one end of a little arm that allows the ring to stay on the surface even as the water moves up and down a little.

[Cliff Puckstable]

Fantastic, I was about to place an order onine for one. Thanks, Tom.

[Origami]

Here's an example: $3 at Petsmart.

http://www.petsmart....ductId=11372124

 

and at Petco

http://www.petco.com/product/10900/NutraFin-Max-Feeding-Ring.aspx?Ntt=feeding%20ring&OneResultRedirect=1

[Cliff Puckstable]

I can't believe I've been stressing out when all I needed was this $3 piece of plastic. I feel tricked like Leonardo Dicaprio in Shutter Island.

[Ryan S]

or you can get pellets that actually sink faster. or put your feeder further away from the overflow.

 

i use a 50/50 mix of formula 1 and 2 small pellets. they sink right away.

Edited December 8, 2012 by Ryan S

[smallreef]

I dont have an auto feeder but when I feed pellets I put them in above my powerhead and it sucks them down and spreads them across the whole tank....

[rioreef]

I put a mixture of small pieces of Nori I chop up, some pellet, and a bit of flake food. The feeder drops the food into the return section of the sump. This allows the food to to come into the main tank in the water column, not on the surface. Fish have to chase after the food and disperses it allowing smaller fish a chance too.

[treesprite]

It's been years since I used an automatic feeder, but this is really good info for me to remember if I ever need to use one.

[Cliff Puckstable]

I got one of those food rings. What a pos. I think my tank has too much flow. I will have to try different pellets.

[Origami]

Sorry that it didn't work for you. I've had them work in tanks with a good amount of flow. The trick is to find somewhere where it's actually a little more quiet and to get good aim with the feeder.

[Ryan S]

I dont have an auto feeder but when I feed pellets I put them in above my powerhead and it sucks them down and spreads them across the whole tank....

Same here. Mine dumps the pellets right over the return/vortech, which helps suck them down and blows them across the whole tank.

[Origami]

Alternatively, I've taken a clear plastic soap dish from Lowes (one that had two suction cups on it) and cut the bottom out of it, leaving a ring. I tried putting it in the back corner of my 220 over a large power head as someplace to drop food in and to hold it until it sank. It worked fine, but I pulled it simply because I didn't use it much.

 

Are you using a controller? If so, have you considered modifying your feeder so that the controller can operate the feeder, shutting off your return pump beforehand? I think that Jon Lazar put up a DIY thread about making such a modification to an Eheim Air autofeeder a couple of years ago. I'm sure it's easy to find.

[Cliff Puckstable]

I'm using RKL controller, but the korallia doesn't always turn back on after it gets shut off.

[Integral9]

can you put the autofeeder over the sump next to return pump?

 

I don't have an autofeeder, but that's where i put the fish food.

[Cliff Puckstable]

You're putting the food in the sump?

[Cliff Puckstable]

My setup:

 

 

 

[rioreef]

You're putting the food in the sump?

 

I have my auto feeder over the return section of my sump. The food is quickly pumped into the main tank. I have been doing this for 7 years with no problems interfering with my return pump.

[Integral9]

I have my auto feeder over the return section of my sump. The food is quickly pumped into the main tank. I have been doing this for 7 years with no problems interfering with my return pump.

 

+1

[BowieReefer84]

I have my auto feeder over the return section of my sump. The food is quickly pumped into the main tank. I have been doing this for 7 years with no problems interfering with my return pump.

 

My eheim 1262 return has a foam prefilter. Did you remove the prefilter? I am guessing this is just for flakes?

 

Thanks

[rioreef]

I have a Mag 12 with just the large plastic strainer over the intake. Never have put the foam on. All goes in - cut up Nori (0.5 - 1.0 cm squares), 1mm pellets, and flakes. I also throw a small amount of reef chili in too.

[Ryan S]

I have a Mag 12 with just the large plastic strainer over the intake. Never have put the foam on. All goes in - cut up Nori (0.5 - 1.0 cm squares), 1mm pellets, and flakes. I also throw a small amount of reef chili in too.

never considered this. i think its a great idea. i doubt pellets or flakes would hurt the mag pump at all, right?