Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Follow the link and read the bottom about the on demand feeder.

Has anyone used something like this? I know the paper is on cage rearing pond fish, but still thought this was an interesting device. Especially if you are going to be away for the weekend, etc. Do you think the fish would actually be smart enough to activate it?

Just curious...

Hmmm - hardware store, plastic bucket, funnel, 3mm bronze welding rod, washer, soldering gear ---- I like it !!

Here are simple to follow instructions on making one - I am definitelly going to try it when I have a bit of time :-).

On demand feeder instructions

Of course most of us would not even need the floating part and would just suspend it above the tank.

I know what I will be doing tomorrow.

Let us know how you go David - especially any tips you have at the end.

I wonder how long it takes fish to train to use the feeder and whether this just happens or the human has to help in some way.

There has been abit of a discussion on this and the simmilar
here
http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum ... order=asc&

I designed and made two diff ones, but both were prone to blocking up and unreliable. But when i have some spare time i might try and make the demand feeder

I keep seeing my Jades banging the feed rod until they pop. Their demands for food never seem to stop I can see them knocking 3 days worth of food into the tank in half an hour

The more they eat, the more you eat....

to a point when the bacteria falls behind and you need to stop feeding for a few days until the system rebalances

I was looking at that type of feeder, too. Then I read somewhere that they can be wasteful of the food. I translated that to water quality issues. Less of an issue in a cage situation, but a potential problem in a small recirculating system. Food for thought.

if you only used it for the long weekends away rather than all the time, and only filled the expected amount of food for the time away, you would have less issues. We've got to be away for 5 days in June, I'll be thinking hard about this one

I agree - that's why I want to make one - but will also see how it goes for regular use during the week when I just don't get a chance to feed during daylight. I could put the daily ration in the feeder and let the fish get at it when the light comes up and they are hungry.

That would be a good way of doing it, then they can't overfeed

I like this, and I'm SURE the goldfish would! The little lard balls beg every time I go near them ! They'd grow eaven faster....EEEEK! More tanks, bigger tanks......* sees fish taking over the whole house *

Then again, thats whats happening now

I tried the cone demand feeder in my system a while back.
I couldn't get them to bump the rod (had it in there for a month, I just bumped it after a while to feed them).
The problem was that when I did feed them their racing to eat the food continually bumped the rod more, releasing more and more food. It soon caused issues and I removed it.
It may be more effective in higher surface areas. I would also suggest a conical shape on the rod just above the surface to allow the feed to bounce away from the rod.
I like the idea of timed feeders better myself, or even better, computer controlled feeding with dissolved solids detection to protect against overfeeding...Doug?