# Should I get an automatic feeder?



## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

I've got 2 tanks in 2 different rooms, and it's a pain in the bum to carry food back and fourth when I'm feeding the fish in the morning (when I'm still half asleep). I see automatic fish feeders for sale for $20 or less used on KSL, is it worth it to get one for one/both of my tanks?


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## J-Pond (Jun 8, 2009)

I have tried auto feeders before, honestly I was not impressed. I'm not sure what brand they were, and maybe you will have better luck. I personally would rather do it by hand!


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

I've seen auto feeders fail and dump the entire contents in the tank at once, or not feed at all. Just wait till you wake up some to feed the fish. More control on what you feed them.

Wanna try feeding all of mine. Tanks are in one room except for the big tank but there is 47 of them and they all don't eat the same thing.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

susankat said:


> Wanna try feeding all of mine. Tanks are in one room except for the big tank but there is 47 of them and they all don't eat the same thing.


Sounds...er...exciting? Do you breed or are you just a professional aquarium nerd?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Four tanks and it is that big of a pain? How much food are you moving back and forth? I have four tanks with fish and in two different rooms also, Doesn't bother me. Are the two rooms in two separate houses, lol?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> Four tanks and it is that big of a pain? How much food are you moving back and forth? I have four tanks with fish and in two different rooms also, Doesn't bother me. Are the two rooms in two separate houses, lol?


Even better - I only have two, haha. And I'm just being a lazy bum.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

What kind of food do you feed? Could you not just have two containers of food and then you can feed them when you are passing the tank.


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## slurik (Dec 19, 2010)

Auto Feeders are bad just as many mentioned, they can fail and dump a whole can of food into your tank, frankly i haven't heard of someone using one who didnt experience this fallback. It would just not be worth trusting a machine to control your feedings IMHO


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## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

I have 3 tanks, my 90 gallon rainbow community, 10 gallon tetra and 20 gallon shrimp farm. I dont use auto feeders, if i forget to feed them one day i dont think its that big of a deal, personally i think feeding less is better, less waste and less money spent. My 90 gallon has like 19 fish in it and i drop them a healthy pinch every day about 1 hour after the lights go on. Ive gone up to 4 days(long weekend in atlantic city) without feeding them and i have never had an issue.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

You can also only feed once a day and just feed in the evenings.

gtm. I do breed fish. I have one display tank in the livingroom a 220 gal. The rest are in the fishroom which houses my breeders and fry.


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## automatic-hydromatic (Oct 18, 2010)

I bought an Eheim auto feeder from Petco before I left for my Christmas vacation. I was gone 8 days, and I returned to a healthy tank with happy fish  aside from the few overgrown plants that didn't get trimmed over the coarse of the week, lol

Cost me $40, but it worked, unlike the $20 Petco brand feeder I tried first...

It took care of the tank while I was away, and I've been letting it run still as I've been back. I plan on letting it run until the drum is empty of the food that is in it at least.



YouTube - Eheim auto feeder


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I have to agree with the majority of the crowd here.I have had several in the past and they were very inacurate.I dont have as many tanks as Susan,but i feed different things for all mine.I have the 25,29,10,5,and several individual betta containers with my juvies and breeders.The 25 gets a mix of Atison betta PRO,cichlid staple,and trout chow,the 29 gets NLS GROW,the breeders and juvies get the PRO,and the ten gets a mix of frozen and veggies.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

2 cans is good for me, and forgetting occasionally doesn't matter if I have nice fat happy fish  Thanks all for the input. Now I just have to find a way to feed frozen blood worms and brine shrimp to my crayfish in an easy way...


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> Now I just have to find a way to feed frozen blood worms and brine shrimp to my crayfish in an easy way...


Which bit is hard, getting it ready or getting him to take it?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

snail said:


> Which bit is hard, getting it ready or getting him to take it?


Getting it ready. I have a 2 lb solid chunk of frozen bloodworms, and I practically need an ice pick to get a chunk off. (Pain in the butt, but I saved a TON on buying in bulk from a local guy. 2 lbs for $10).


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

I buy cubes but they are too big so I cut them up before hand so that when I go to feed I already have bits the right size.


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## Mark13 (Oct 21, 2010)

If it's a pain, find a way to eliminate the pain. Aquariums are for enjoyment, not for pain.

Buy two Eheim feeders, so that you can hook them up to air pumps to keep the flake food dry so it does not clump together and stop-up the feeders.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

I find feeding time a valuable time to check on the tank and fish health. It could be done but if you don't feed them yourself it will probably be longer before you catch problems.


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