Kessil

Avast Marine Plank

Bigfish

Bigfish

Supporting Member
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Hello everyone, I got a Plank feeder a while back and finally got around to getting it installed and feeding my fish. I was wondering what you guys typically put in it? I had some freeze dried plankton (big thanks to the kind person who gave it away at the swap) and freeze dried mysis shrimp. I added in the included reef jerky and Hikari seaweed pellets. Also how do you know you've feed enough without drastically overfeeding (something I think I have been doing)

I have some bigger fish including a
Hippo Tang
Purple Tang
Fox Face
Brown tang
Big Millenaries wrasse
Bristle tooth tang
Trigger fish
and some other smaller ones

IMG_7413.jpeg


I am going an a week long trip at the end of August so I'm trying to get the fish used to it. Thankfully I have everything pretty much automated including the Plank and am able to shut off the pumps and skimmer when feeding (thank you Costco wifi controller). I typically fed a whole mix of different frozen foods dethawed, but am getting tired of constantly making it as well. I typically feed Nori everyday to supplement the tangs. I would love to hear what you guys put in your plank and how you set up your automatic feeders!

Currently feeding twice a day once at 12pm, then another around 8pm

Thanks
 
I have two. 1 loaded with reef Jerky and the other with TDO pellets. Initially, when I loaded both in one plank, it dispensed way more pellets and less of the jerky. I found the amount very inconsistent during dry runs, leading me to purchase the second one.
 
finalphaze987 said:
I have two. 1 loaded with reef Jerky and the other with TDO pellets. Initially, when I loaded both in one plank, it dispensed way more pellets and less of the jerky. I found the amount very inconsistent during dry runs, leading me to purchase the second one.
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Thanks! I remember someone else mentioning the TDO pellets, would they be good for bigger fish? And how much or what intervals do you typically feed?
 
They have different sizes of TDO pellets ranging from large to almost dust. I feel the small and medium ones and have small fish. I tried benereef pellets before that, but found them to sink too fast. The TDO stays suspended in the water column for much longer.

The pellets are fed twice per day, lights on and an hour before lights off

The reef jerky is fed 4 times a day in even intervals in-between the pellets
 
finalphaze987 said:
They have different sizes of TDO pellets ranging from large to almost dust. I feel the small and medium ones and have small fish. I tried benereef pellets before that, but found them to sink too fast. The TDO stays suspended in the water column for much longer.

The pellets are fed twice per day, lights on and an hour before lights off

The reef jerky is fed 4 times a day in even intervals in-between the pellets
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you think the Plank would grind up anything bigger than a medium sized pellet?
 
I left the plankton there mainly because my copperband couldn't eat it, but you have larger fish like the trigger that will eat it!

I use SF Bay mysis in mine with some calanus and some spirulina flakes.

Lot of people do a pellet feeder in addition to the plank with freeze dried whole foods. Mainly because it's hard to keep everything dispensing at the right rate if they have different densities and shapes.
 
Darkxerox said:
I left the plankton there mainly because my copperband couldn't eat it, but you have larger fish like the trigger that will eat it!

I use SF Bay mysis in mine with some calanus and some spirulina flakes.

Lot of people do a pellet feeder in addition to the plank with freeze dried whole foods. Mainly because it's hard to keep everything dispensing at the right rate if they have different densities and shapes.
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I'm currently trying to find something to put in the plank for my CBB to wean off frozen foods. Have you had any luck with any freeze dried ones your would take to?
 
The SF Bay Brand mysis is what the two I've kept really liked. They kinda ate PE flakes (sometimes) after learning to eat from the feeder.

They're absolute food hogs like golden retrievers and would eat all day long if they could.
 
I have 2 Planks in service. One for SF freeze dried Mysis plus small amount of Reef Jerky. Second for pellets- about half medium size TDO (EP-1) and the other half whatever other pellets I have like Ocean Nutrition Formula 2 or various ones I’m trying. The main reason I have 2 Planks is that I find the freeze dried Mysis don’t dispense well when there are denser foods like pellets in there.

I have them feeding about every 2 hours throughout the day, 3 times for the mysis and 2 times for pellets, for a minute each. 1 minute of pellets puts out quite a bit more than 1 minute of Mysis. Plus I manually feed frozen food most mornings, either a cube of Hikari Mysis, or similar amount of Rod’s Food or similar. Mostly so that the fish will like me, and to spot feed my dendros. Plus a full sheet of nori.
 
I feed TDO pellets on my display with whatever Eheim'ish knockoff was on Amazon. I feed Reef Jerky with an Avast on my frag tank.

If you're just feeding TDO, you certainly can use an Avast but there's no real need to spend that much cash on it in my experience.
 
For those of you that use an Apex to control the plank do you have instructions on how to set this up or a link to a video or site with instructions?
Thanks,
Gerry
 
gmdcdvm said:
For those of you that use an Apex to control the plank do you have instructions on how to set this up or a link to a video or site with instructions?
Thanks,
Gerry
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They have step by steps on how to set it up using OSC command. I got lazy and set it up using IF Time commands. This shot is of my reef jerky one. It turns on the feeder for 30 seconds. My pellet one is only for 15 seconds, otherwise it'll dump too much food.
Screenshot_20250625-205449_Chrome.jpg


This is the command for the pumps
Screenshot_20250625-205546_Chrome.jpg


Hope this helps
 
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