Neptune Aquatics

Auto Feeding Reef Roids with Fish Feeder - Any Concerns?

Oakland Evan

Oakland Evan

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Like the title says, gonna try auto-feeding reef roids using the "Eheim Everyday Fish Feeder". I put a bunch of marbles in the container with the reef roids to keep it from clumping and have it going into a feeding ring in a high flow area of the sump, right before the returns (after all the filtration). The Roids float for a few minutes and then slowly sink down from the feeding ring, so seems to getting mixed up pretty well.

Any issues you see with this plan?
 
I am skeptical.
If any moisture gets in, it will clump and stop working.
Unclear if amount coming out will be consistent over time.

One thing to test by hand first:
1) With it nearly full, do a few manual pushes onto a sheet of paper.
2) With it nearly empty, do the same.
See if it is consistent and works well.
 
I wouldn't. First, feeding roids that often is a recipe for disaster.While I'm a believer in a small of Roids working well for coral growth a single mistake with it can lead to a spike, hair algae, etc. The stuff can pop your nitrates very high and very quickly if you use too much -- and feeders are known to dump once in a while.
 
I wouldn't either. While I do use reef roids I only use it for target feeding. Hate to see you come home and find something got stuck and just kept dumping it into your tank
 
I only mix in a few teaspoons with my regular tdo food. It ends up just coating the food and slowly releases into the tank.

Basically just enough to coat all the food and mix well.

This is something new I’m trying so I don’t know how it will go long term. But so far (2 weeks) no clumping.
 
Chromis said:
@Rostato I think what you’re describing is homemade Neptune CDO pellets :)
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Yes but TDO pellets have different sizes available. The Neptune pellets are too big for my small fish (wrasses, Anthias ect). Plus I think the reef nutrition food has more of their “red” algae because the color is brighter.

But then again the Neptune food could be the same plus their “coating” of coral food.
 
Bruce Spiegelman said:
I wouldn't. First, feeding roids that often is a recipe for disaster.While I'm a believer in a small of Roids working well for coral growth a single mistake with it can lead to a spike, hair algae, etc. The stuff can pop your nitrates very high and very quickly if you use too much -- and feeders are known to dump once in a while.
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tankguy said:
I wouldn't either. While I do use reef roids I only use it for target feeding. Hate to see you come home and find something got stuck and just kept dumping it into your tank
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I don't see how this would be any worse than dumping a whole feeder full of pellets. Both have the potential to jack up your tank pretty bad. I would hate to see either happen, but unfortunately you run the risk if you use an auto-feeder.
 
rygh said:
I am skeptical.
If any moisture gets in, it will clump and stop working.
Unclear if amount coming out will be consistent over time.

One thing to test by hand first:
1) With it nearly full, do a few manual pushes onto a sheet of paper.
2) With it nearly empty, do the same.
See if it is consistent and works well.
Click to expand...

I did some testing, was somewhat consistent but my plan is to only feed about a tenth to a quarter of the recommended amount and then also target feed with Reef Chili once every week or 2.
 
Bruce Spiegelman said:
I wouldn't. First, feeding roids that often is a recipe for disaster.While I'm a believer in a small of Roids working well for coral growth a single mistake with it can lead to a spike, hair algae, etc. The stuff can pop your nitrates very high and very quickly if you use too much -- and feeders are known to dump once in a while.
Click to expand...
How exactly does a feeder dump? I've been using this style for well over 10 years and only issue I've ever had is either that the battery died or it got stuck and I didn't know.
 
Oakland Evan said:
How exactly does a feeder dump? I've been using this style for well over 10 years and only issue I've ever had is either that the battery died or it got stuck and I didn't know.
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The slider thing that adjusts the opening where the food comes out is pretty temperamental on my eheim and could easily open up when it's rotating. I ended up just super glueing the slider in place so that there was less chance of it dumping, but I'm locked in now on the amount of food that comes out.
 
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