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-   -   Any ideas on how to stop food from going down the overflow? (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2310288)

meegwell 07/05/2013 06:27 PM
Any ideas on how to stop food from going down the overflow?
 
Im setting up an auto feeder for a vacation. I have it filled with "sinking" pellets, some formula two pellets, and some other food all of which the fish eat normally along with their frozen stuff.

I usually use the turkey baster so there is no float on top problem. Not being here, I'll have to rely on the auto feeder. It dumps the food, some sink, but a majority heads right over to the overflow (coast to coast).

Im thinking of maybe something that will float - like what they use to corral an oil spill, and keep the food near the auto dispenser until it soaks up and sinks...

any ideas or any methods anyone has used to deal with this?

cakemanPA 07/05/2013 07:15 PM
Use a feeding ring right below your auto feeder

E Rosewater 07/05/2013 09:00 PM
I made one by glueing together some pieces of acrylic in a square. Auto feeder feeds into it and it floats around in there until it sinks.

mph1 07/05/2013 09:31 PM
Loc-line attached to itself in about an 8 inch diameter circle has worked for me. Floats and has never sunk in over a year of continuous use.

Ant512 07/06/2013 10:13 AM
Depending how your sump is set up, you could have the food drop in there next to the return pump. Then it will sink and the return will suck it up and dispense it in your tank. My return pump has it's own compartment so this works for me.

jimlin 07/06/2013 10:42 AM
you can use the ring, or you can put your return pump on a timer to curn off for 10 minutes when the auto feeder feeds the fish.

NicL 07/06/2013 03:38 PM
You could just turn off return while feeding.

degibson84 07/06/2013 04:57 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by NicL (Post 21680520)
You could just turn off return while feeding.
This is what I do

cloak 07/06/2013 05:47 PM
I just feed very small amounts at a time. As soon as the food hits the water, BOOM, gone.

cakemanPA 07/06/2013 05:58 PM
He said that he is using an auto feeder on vacation. So unless you are real accurate with turning off your return via programming (which I would not do on vacation), that is not happening.

lastduke 07/06/2013 10:07 PM
I use this
http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/...ps420c40c3.jpg

Palting 07/06/2013 10:58 PM
Why feed at all? How long are you going to be gone? If you are gone for 1 week or less, there is no need to feed. I've left the tank unfed for even up to 2 weeks with no issues. I've found auto feeder to be highly unreliable. They clog up, dump chunks, etc. Food can end up in the drains, in the filters, create spikes in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, etc. Not feeding is a lot simpler, and less chances for trouble.

jhentr 07/06/2013 11:12 PM
I use a DIY feeding ring. Get a 2 or 3 liter soda bottle and cut a 1 inch diameter circle section out of it. Use a suction cup and poke a hole in the circle to attach the suction cup. Place underneath your autofeeder. HTH

d2mini 07/07/2013 07:07 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Palting (Post 21681602)
Why feed at all? How long are you going to be gone? If you are gone for 1 week or less, there is no need to feed. I've left the tank unfed for even up to 2 weeks with no issues. I've found auto feeder to be highly unreliable. They clog up, dump chunks, etc. Food can end up in the drains, in the filters, create spikes in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, etc. Not feeding is a lot simpler, and less chances for trouble.
What about fish that usually require multiple daily feedings like Anthias?
Are they ok for several days, too?

Palting 07/07/2013 08:36 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by d2mini (Post 21682078)
What about fish that usually require multiple daily feedings like Anthias?
Are they ok for several days, too?
I don't personally keep anthias but I do have other fish that require multiple daily feedings, and they do fine with no feeding for a week.

Mudbeaver 07/07/2013 09:03 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Palting (Post 21681602)
Why feed at all? How long are you going to be gone? If you are gone for 1 week or less, there is no need to feed. I've left the tank unfed for even up to 2 weeks with no issues. I've found auto feeder to be highly unreliable. They clog up, dump chunks, etc. Food can end up in the drains, in the filters, create spikes in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, etc. Not feeding is a lot simpler, and less chances for trouble.

I agree on a lot of point but the solution is a bit drastic isn't , and it works? I have friends that could come every second day put a bit of food just to keep some sort of level of nutrient to my pets no problem for a couple of weeks. A good skimmer will take care of the rest. I'm sure we all have friends and family that can come over hell the paper boy could do it for $ 25 a week.....and peace of mind......just a thought.

Palting 07/07/2013 10:12 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mudbeaver (Post 21682328)
I agree on a lot of point but the solution is a bit drastic isn't , and it works? I have friends that could come every second day put a bit of food just to keep some sort of level of nutrient to my pets no problem for a couple of weeks. A good skimmer will take care of the rest. I'm sure we all have friends and family that can come over hell the paper boy could do it for $ 25 a week.....and peace of mind......just a thought.
It all depends on how one defines drastic. I have left the tank for a week for work, and instructed the wife and kids to feed the fish. No brainier there. The paper boy we have I believe is a nice kid, but I don't know anything about him and would at most trust him to let him know not to deliver the paper while we're all gone but I would not trust him enough to give him access to the house and the alarms. That, IMO, would be drastic.

Dogs and cats go to a kennel. No brainier there, too.

Anyhow, not feeding a reef tank for a week is not drastic, IMO. Have been doing it multiple times over more than 3 years. All the fish (see sig) are healthy and have not lost any fish in that time.

Mudbeaver 07/07/2013 01:41 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Palting (Post 21682551)
It all depends on how one defines drastic. I have left the tank for a week for work, and instructed the wife and kids to feed the fish. No brainier there. The paper boy we have I believe is a nice kid, but I don't know anything about him and would at most trust him to let him know not to deliver the paper while we're all gone but I would not trust him enough to give him access to the house and the alarms. That, IMO, would be drastic.

Dogs and cats go to a kennel. No brainier there, too.

Anyhow, not feeding a reef tank for a week is not drastic, IMO. Have been doing it multiple times over more than 3 years. All the fish (see sig) are healthy and have not lost any fish in that time.
Lol the paper boy was a metaphor meaning a neighbors kid you trust to do chores, or a some one who has time on his hands lol. Makes us kina prisoners of are own hobby doesn't it ?:eek2:

Palting 07/07/2013 03:25 PM
Yup, my use if the same metaphor is that there is no one I trust in the area outside of family to either come in to my house while we are gone or take care of the tank. This, IMO, is a sad commentary of the times we live in. Gone are the days when we can leave the house or car unlocked, when as children we could just wander the town on our bikes unsupervised, or rather, supervised by the town. This days, it's deadbolt locks, alarm systems, neighborhood watch.......

thegrun 07/07/2013 03:30 PM
I built an acrylic holder for my Eheim auto feeder that has a feed tube that extends down a couple of inches below the waterline. The flake food floats in the tube until saturated and then sinks into the water.
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/u...oFeeder002.jpg

Mudbeaver 07/07/2013 03:48 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Palting (Post 21683394)
Yup, my use if the same metaphor is that there is no one I trust in the area outside of family to either come in to my house while we are gone or take care of the tank. This, IMO, is a sad commentary of the times we live in. Gone are the days when we can leave the house or car unlocked, when as children we could just wander the town on our bikes unsupervised, or rather, supervised by the town. This days, it's deadbolt locks, alarm systems, neighborhood watch.......

Ya I hear you. Its rough now .

ca1ore 07/07/2013 05:34 PM
I'm in the 'don't feed for a week camp'. Have done this dozens of times, even with fish like Anthias, without incident. Frankly, arranging for somebody to come in to attend to the tank is much more likely to cause problems IMO. Plus, if you are talking a reef tank, then there are lots of things for the fish to pick on.

I worry far more about some kind of maintenance or mechanical problem because, as we all know, tank problems are far more likely to crop up when we are away :)

someotherguy 07/07/2013 08:10 PM
Agree on not feeding for up to a week. For long weekends away, I also often shut off the lights. Everything seems much happier when I get home.


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