Automatic feeders ???

[screaminbuckeye]

As some of you know I am a college student. I live in a dorm and go home 3 or 4 times a quarter. I would rather not transport my fish home for every long weekend. I can't get my roommate to feed my fish because she can't stand the smell of the food. She will only feed my bettas but that leaves my cichlids and my eel without meals for 3 or 4 days.

I have been reading about automatic feeders. Can anybody give me some recomendations? I need one for a 10 gal tank and a 20 gal tank. Also do these feeders dispense frozen food? My eel is on a steady diet of frozen blood worms and I haven't been able to get him to eat freeze dried or pellets. lol no way in hell is my roommate gonna touch the worms. Is there some way I can go home and not worry about my fish getting food?

 

[ADCISCO]

I have an automatic feeder that feeds 2 times a day. The cheapest place to get one is at Walmart for around $10. I know that there are others out there that I think that you can program how much they get and when they get it for as long as a wk or longer. I personally have never used my feeder. We camp and I sometimes just go a couple of days without feeding. It wont kill them for a couple of days they are a little tougher then we apparently give them credit! But DO NOT get those feeder blocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CANNOT stress this enough. Take my word for it. I did it and I lived to regret it! I ended up loosing almost all my fish because it desolved fast and it didnt get ate and it started working on my ammonia and nitrites and it was a nightmare! But check out the ones at Walmart. I dont think that they are too bad for the money being most petstores want over $15 for one!P.S. Where you at in OH? I'm in WV. Originally a Buckeye!

 

[screaminbuckeye]

Is there any brand or type of feeder that is better? I'm not worried about price as much as quality.

Hey ADCISCO I am in Columbus at The Ohio State University

 

[ADCISCO]

Your not too far away. I live on the WV,OH and KY border.I really dont know alot about feeders but I did talk to a woman that has 25 yrs experience with fish and she said that the one at walmart was an excellent deal and was identical to the ones that she has seen in the lfs. I think that there alot of us that will let our fish go a few days without food. It wont hurt them. I have had people say they have went as high as 2 wks without feeding...personally I dont think I would do that but if you go to a lfs they will tell you anything to get you to buy their product because that is what they make their money from is assecories! But I would check and compare. There are alot of catologs you can get that have the different types of feeders. Petsolutions is one and they are based in Dayton so your not that far from there! You could drive there!lol and the other I get is Dr Foster and Smith and both are on the internet so its pretty easy to check the different kinds on line!Good luck!

 

[Guest]

I don't know about the eel, but your Cichlids will be fine for 3-4 days with no food. Fish in general don't have to eat as often as mammals or birds. I've gone on vacation for a week several times and had no one feed the fish. no death or disease.

I second ADCISCO about the feeder blocks, never use them, they do just what he said.

 

[screaminbuckeye]

Ok so my cichlids are covered. Any ideas about my eel? Does anybody here leave their eel(s) alone for weekends? I am worried about traveling with my eel because they are more sensitve.

 

[Centurion]

how long are your long weekends? im a 5th year senior and the only long weekends ive seen were when i only had classes mon-thurs 8O

also what lfs do you go to? i frequent aquarium adventures up on sawmill. they prolly have the best prices on food youll find in the city. ive been to petsmart, jacks aquarium, and aquarium adventures. but if you have a secret lfs with great deals... share!

 

[tkos]

If you go away for a longer time then the Hagen feeder is great from my experience. But yeah, 3-4 days is nothing. Just feed them well before you leave. Perhaps giving your eel a good feeding of some frozen brine shrimp or such before you go will keep him happy enough. How establish is the tank and the eel?

 

[screaminbuckeye]

I go to Menagerie. Decent prices and student coupons in the saver coupon book (such as buy 1 fish get 1 free , 10 gal aquarium kit for 19.99, and money off purchases). I don't have class on Fridays this quarter so I can leave Thursday afternoons and not be back till Sunday night.

My eel tank is fully cycled (used bio spira). Nitrites and Nitrates are both at almost 0. Ph is hanging around 7.2 , temp is 78. Water is soft but I'm adjusting that a bit. I only have the eel in the tank. I've got a bio wheel filter (eclipse style) with "Tahitian red extra fine sand". I've had the tank going about 4 weeks now and have had an eel in there for 2 weeks (had a bit of confusion regarding cycling at first). I'll post pics of the eel tank and the eel (I have a disposable underwater camera) as soon as the film is developed.

 

[Centurion]

well i went to menagerie to check it out. i will never set foot in that store again. many dead fish in several tanks. poorly kept reptiles, rodents, and arachnids. i cant express in words my disappointment.

 

[screaminbuckeye]

Menagerie is bad? I haven't seen the fish tanks (place was pretty crowded) but the owner showed me pics of the fish they had. Thanks for the heads up I'll avoid it. I've only been in there to buy misc supplies not for fish yet. My friend ordered some fish from them and had them delivered and they all looked healthy. I think I am gonna get something online.

 

[Centurion]

if youre talking about the one on 13th, yes i was appalled. check out jacks aquarium & pets, in the graceland shopping center at n. high and morse. or aquarium adventure in the sun center at sawmill and rt 161. jacks is nice and aa is huge. they carry a greater variety than jacks but are a bit pricier. this weekend they had a 35% off all fish sale.

 

[screaminbuckeye]

yup that was the one I was talking about. I just saw their tanks and they were gross. Usually when I am in there I can't even see the tanks because the place is tiny and usually crowded with students. I went to Jacks yesterday and u were right they were better. Thanks for the suggestion... sorry about Menagerie. Their tank supplies are cheeper tho.