In my quest to automate the tank I have been throwing around the idea of an automatic slurry feeder. I don’t want todo the automatic dry flake feeder because I’m not a big fan of the dry food stuff and I’ve heard about them getting clogged. For the most part this would be for small supplimental feeding during the day in addition to my manual feeding at night.
The plan is basically like the ATO in which I would use an air pump to pressurize the slurry jug and push the slurry up into the tank at some interval. This will obviously take some playing with the viscosity of the slurry. I would also have to donate my mini fridge to the fish tank so I could keep the slurry cold, which might not be a bad idea anyway to get the fish products out of the food refrigerator and into their own separate refrig close to the tank.
[quote=“Cdangel0, post:2, topic:1609”]
What happens if you get a kink or a blockage in the slurry line?
I’m picturing the jug continuing to pressurize until it explodes and you end up with slurry of fishy goodness all over the inside of your fridge.[/quote]
lOl That would be horrible! The top isn’t sealed much and pressure should leak out (but not slurry as it’s heavier than air) so HOPEFULLY that situation wouldn’t happen, but I would certainly have to watch what I used in the slurry to avoid blockagaes.
Wow, he is the MAN! I heard about his DIY frozen food feeder, but build a speedboat!? That is just SICK! I believe Jon has the autofeeder now, might want to talk to him on how it is built.
Ah yes! GreenEyeBlackCat, GEBC, Jim! Rolled his trusty DIY auto frozen brine shrimp feeder into Newark library a few years back and gave DRC a full demo on how to build one. Complete with diagrams and schematic handouts on how to build it. I do believe i turned one of the last known set of plans over to ICY in the VP turnover folder. Jim is a master of electonic controls, and the unit worked flawlessly for him for several years, feeding his nano cube full of prized sea horses 8 times per day.
It was basically a presure cooker pot in a dorm fridge, powered by a vacuum pump and solenoid valves and timers to alternately blow refrigerated brine shrimp to the tank. and then suck back any left in the tubing to keep it chilled and fresh in the fridge. it ran for 7 days at a time on one filling with frozen brine shrimp. very nice.
Jeff I think you’ve been telling people for two years that I have the auto feeder. I never had it. I saw it once at Jim’s.
In my opinion there is nothing healthier then a mixture of both dry and frozen food. If you want to build it for the heck of it knock yourself out. Would be a lot easier to buy a dry food auto feeder for less then $50 and just feed frozen on occasion. You’d likely have to refill the auto feeder once a week so you would notice a jam and it wouldn’t be a disaster. You’d probably have to play with your slurry feeder twice a day for a couple of years before you got it to work. lol Have fun and post a video when your done if you decide to set one up.
[quote=“Gordonious, post:10, topic:1609”]
Jeff I think you’ve been telling people for two years that I have the auto feeder. I never had it. I saw it once at Jim’s.
In my opinion there is nothing healthier then a mixture of both dry and frozen food. If you want to build it for the heck of it knock yourself out. Would be a lot easier to buy a dry food auto feeder for less then $50 and just feed frozen on occasion. You’d likely have to refill the auto feeder once a week so you would notice a jam and it wouldn’t be a disaster. You’d probably have to play with your slurry feeder twice a day for a couple of years before you got it to work. lol Have fun and post a video when your done if you decide to set one up. [/quote]
[quote=“IanH, post:1, topic:1609”]
I don’t want todo the automatic dry flake feeder because I’m not a big fan of the dry food stuff[/quote]
I am not sure why you are not a big fan of the dry food. It is the best way to use garlic, vitachem, and selcon. And in my opinion can add less lose extra nutrients to the water column.
[quote=“IanH, post:1, topic:1609”]
I don’t want todo the automatic dry flake feeder because I’m not a big fan of the dry food stuff[/quote]
I am not sure why you are not a big fan of the dry food. It is the best way to use garlic, vitachem, and selcon. And in my opinion can add less lose extra nutrients to the water column. [/quote]
Jon a flake feeder will not work out well as most/all of it will go directly down the overflow before the fish get a chance to peck it from the surface, and I would imagine that would happen even more-so w/ it feeding supplementally throughout the day, e.g. the fish wouldn’t notice the food as much as they do when I walk up and put it in the tank. As it is now, I put the flake under with the fingers for it to float down.
What about a sinking pellet? I feed a good bit of Formula One and Formula Two in pellet form at home and at work we use New Life spectrum on some tanks.
Jon, I remember seeing GEBC for sale thread on RC and saw you bought the autofeeder? Or were atleast in line too? Didn’t know you didn’t get it.
If anyone has blueprints, that would be nice.
I agree that dry food is really good, but some fish you need to vary their diet up. I feed a lot of NLS pellets, usually at least 3x per day. I also feed frozen food mix with garlic/vitamins (boyds vitachem/selcon). But then again, I keep a lot of fish most people don’t on here that need the varied diet/frozen foods, some only eat frozen.
[quote=“IanH, post:13, topic:1609”]
… e.g. the fish wouldn’t notice the food as much as they do when I walk up and put it in the tank. …[/quote]
Based on experience, I have to disagree with that statement, Ian. I have a cichlid tank in my office that uses an auto-feeder. When it dispenses, it makes noise.
It took all of about two (2) days - maybe - before the fish undestood that the noise meant food. As soon as it starts it’s motion, every fish in the tank (except the pleco) is racing for that corner of the tank.
Hmm the only reason I’m hesitant is I’ve changed my goal for this to be not only supplemental feeding, but main feeding for the tank when I’m out of town and would like to feed a mix that has selcon, ect. in it.
[quote=“IanH, post:1, topic:1609”]
The plan is basically like the ATO in which I would use an air pump to pressurize the slurry jug and push the slurry up into the tank at some interval. This will obviously take some playing with the viscosity of the slurry. I would also have to donate my mini fridge to the fish tank so I could keep the slurry cold, which might not be a bad idea anyway to get the fish products out of the food refrigerator and into their own separate refrig close to the tank.[/quote]
