Loaches Online Forum

Does anyone have experience with automatic feeders? Does anyone have one they would suggest?

I used the Eheim battery operated one during a two week vacation, with success. I'm sure there are others that are just as good, but make sure it's battery operated because if the power flicks off, a non-battery feeder will lose its programming. Also try to get one with a fan or some sort of rotating action to keep flake food from clumping (especially if you live in a humid climate).

I spent about a week leading up to my vacation fine-tuning the programming on it to make sure it was consistently dispensing the right amount. It paid off though - everyone was well fed and the water quality was unchanged when I returned.

I have one of these, can't recall who makes it--it was the most expensive available at petsmart, and I had heard they are often unreliable, so I bought it.

I've been impressed, and have plans soon to put these on my big tanks for morning feedings (I'm crazy in the morning).

It's battery, it holds a lot of food, you can control 1, 2, or 3 time per day, you can control quantity of food (though it wouldn't be good for a small tank less than 20 gallons, I'd say, smallest setting is still a decent amount of food), and you can attach it to an airline/pump that keeps the inside dry so the food doesn't clump. I think it was around 40 bucks.