Automatic Feeders... Really?

[DrBoxedWine]

So i have a question for you more experienced reefers out there:

Do automatic feeders really work in a mixed reef?

I have an Eheim feeder that works great as far as acurately and reliably distributing a set amount of food goes. When i had cichlids that were all basically the same fish I used it 100% of the time. I like to watch feedings, so i manually did it while i was home (pushed the button myself instead of using an automatic program), but all the fish were equally pushy little eaters and i didn't worry about some getting more than their fair share and others starving.

However, here is my current stocklist: Kole Tang, Coral Beauty, One Spot Foxface, Flamehawk, Bicolor Blenny, Firefish, 2 Occ Clowns, and a skunk srimp (I know of the flamehawk/shrimp issues, the flamehawk is still tiny and i'm hoping that this helps it work out in the long run). I'm worried that some of the fish (the firefish and cleaner shrimp, in particular) won't get their fair share. When i feed frozen and dump it all in with a small glass of water, the food goes everywhere and they all have a shot. But this means that there is food everywhere in the tank for a good 2-3 minutes.

I'm leaving for 5 days around christmas, and I'd love to be able to use the feeder instead of giving the dog sitter instructions. I don't really like shutting the return pump off when i'm not there (i get quite a bit of splashing when it restarts), so i'd probably have to use a feeding ring. Do people have good results with this sort of thing in a mixed tank like mine? I could put a powerhead right underneath the feeding ring which might stir things around quickly, but i'm wondering if people have a technique i'm not thinking of...

 

[RocketEngineer]

The trick is to use multiple feedings a day as well as a couple double feedings.

The idea with a double feeding is that it lets the pushy fish get first dibs, eat their fill, and then the second feeding a minute or so later lets more food escape the feeding frenzy for everyone else. By doing this several times a day, everyone gets something.

Personally, I would just feed heavily before you left and then restart how you normally do it when you get back. Going five days without food shouldn't hurt any of the fish you list as most of them will pick at the rocks while you are gone.

 

[DrBoxedWine]

Thanks! I'll experiment a bit with double feedings!

 

[shesacharmer]

Even if some of your fish only got a little food for 5 days they'd be okay when you got back. Tinker with your program a little and I think you will be fine.

 

[JeffyT]

i do the double feed method as well. feed some pellets to get the frenzy out of the way while my mysis or brine cubes melt. i have to target feed a few of my nems so every 2-3 days or so my other fishies get a treat of mysis or brine. this helps diversify my tanks livestock diet. but like the other guys said, a few days without food they should be fine.

 

[3dees]

your fish will survive 5 days without food with no problem. I leave my house for fishing trips often. I showed my sister how to feed one cube of frozen per day. all pumps were left on which I do anyway. it's enough food for them til I get home.

 

[skiwez]

Your fish will survive as people have mentioned, but I do find that they get ornery if left that long without food. Especially since you have the feeder already I would set it up prior to your vacation just to see how it goes. Also it will allow them to recognize the new way of getting food.

Also the most aggressive eater is probably the one that will cause the most harassment. So long as they get some food, it will help minimize the aggression without fouling the tank.

I keep my auto feeder on all the time on my tank. and supplement with fresh or frozen once a day. If I need go away for any period of time, the fish just don't get the frozen foods and seem to do OK with it. Before I got the auto feeder I would not feed them for the time I was away generally 3-5 days at a time. There were no fatalities, but I could tell that the fish got into some skirmishes. Once back on their regular feed schedule they all healed up fine.

 

[DrBoxedWine]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate all the feedback, i'll probably figure out some way to make sure they get fed. I'll mess with the auto feeder this weekend, sounds like since I have it, there's no reason not to at least use it. And that's true about the aggressive fish at least getting theirs, I hadn't thought about that.