10 Best Automatic Fish Feeders – Reviews & Top Picks
- May 27, 2023
- By Dr. Barry Buttler
The global number of automatic fish feeders may surprise you until you start shopping. There are many types of automatic fish feeders on the market and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Any aquarist's best friend is an automatic fish feeder. It should be reliable, cost-effective, and simple to set up. BestForPets (bestforpets.org) has compiled a list of the best automatic fishing machines for you.
Hopefully, the information we've gathered will make your shopping experience a little less stressful.
Guide for Purchasing
How can you know which automated fish feeder is best for you now that you have a broad grasp of the possibilities available? We’ve outlined some of the most important factors to consider when selecting an automated fish feeder.
Purpose
Try to figure out why you need an automated fish feeder before you buy one. Do you need anything that will feed your fish every day, or are you only going away for the weekend?
Depending on the intended use and design of your automatic fish feeder, programming and capacity considerations will be necessary.
Capacity
The answer to this question depends on how long you plan to use your fish feeder. A broad variety of automatic fish feeders are available. A few feeders may be necessary if you have a large aquarium with many fish.
Food Type
The majority of fish feeders can handle flakes and pellets, as well as powders; however, some can only store one type of food.
It’s often a good idea to try a new food type on your fish before making the transition to a new automated feeder if the one you desire requires it.
Flakes tend to clump together in the majority of mechanical fish feeders. When feeding flakes to your fish, attach them to an aerator in order to prevent them from clumping.
Programmability
An automated fish feeder’s flexibility in terms of when and how much you feed your fish is a critical consideration.
A few feeders permit precise timing of when fish are fed, while others limit you to a daily feeding limit of only one or two feedings, and you have no say in when those feedings take place.
When it comes to programming, you need to establish a balance between your budget and the amount of flexibility you desire.
One of the most significant considerations is whether or not you can control the amount of food that is distributed. This is less of an issue for those who keep numerous fish in larger aquariums.
Even if you just have one or two fish in your aquarium, many of these feeders will disseminate much too much food for them to be healthy.
Price
From $15 to $40, most automated fish feeders for domestic usage are available. Fish and fish tanks may be pricey, so this is a good deal. Having someone come to your house and feed your fish while you’re away for the weekend may be more expensive. The automated fish feeder will most likely pay for itself in one weekend’s worth of fish consumption.
Saftey
However, it is worth noting that this is more of a consideration once you have selected your fish feeder. Not the day before your overseas vacation: Do not set up an automated fish feeder.
Before you leave your fish alone, you should test and re-test the fish feeder and keep an eye on its efficacy for at least a few days. It’s your duty as a fish owner to ensure that the food supply is safe and trustworthy.
Conclusion
The purpose of the automatic fish feeder is to simplify your life. Buying one can be a real pain in the neck! BestForPets (bestforpets.org) sincerely hopes that our reviews and recommendations have assisted you in your search for the best automatic fish feeders.
Eheim Everday Fish Feeder has exceeded our expectations. Eheim has a great balance between affordability, flexibility and reliability. This variety is reliable enough to keep us off fish for a few days.
Zoo Med is a low-cost alternative to Eheim, if the latter is out of your price range. It is ideal for those who do not want to spend hours operating an automatic fish feeder.
Carefully monitor the results of any method you choose so your fish won’t starve to death.
Reviews
In terms of overall quality, the Eheim Everyday Fish Feeder is the best option.
We realize how easy it is to forget to feed the fish when life gets hectic at home. To your fish pals, this may seem like an insignificant oversight from time to time, but it’s everything but that.
This automated fish feeder from Eheim is a trustworthy, simple-to-use device that removes at least one task from your to-do list.
You may set the Eheim to dispense your fish food at certain times and in the quantities you choose. Splash-proof buttons mean you won’t have to buy a new device if yours gets a little water on it.
With the digital display, you can keep a closer check on everything to do with fish feeding.
The Eheim has a meal capacity of 100ml. If you have to leave your fish for a few days, this is plenty food. The fish food storage compartment is additionally aerated to maintain its freshness.
The Eheim is the best automated fish feeder if you’re looking for something that’s simple to use and affordable.
Pros
- Programming is a breeze.
- Programmable time and volume
- Features an additional feeding system in case one is required.
- Mounting bracket included
- A capacity of 100 ml
- Preserves the quality of the food you’re eating.
Cons
- In aquariums with a lot of fish, it works best.
Aquarium Fish Feeder Fish Mate F14
The Fish Mat F14 Aquarium Fish Feeder is simple to use if you’ve ever used a timer to switch on your Christmas lights. You can store up to 14 meals in this automatic fish feeder, and you may set it to feed your fish one to four times a day.
In order to attach your companion feeder, you’ll need to purchase the necessary mounting brackets, which are included in your purchase.
Compact and dependable, the F14 Aquarium is an ideal alternative if you can’t always be there to feed your fish. An airplane may be attached to the F14 feeder in order to keep the food fresher.
A number of these feeders may be required if you have a big number of fish or if your fish are very huge.
Pros
- The programming language is simple to use.
- Can provide enough food for 14 people.
- The meal can be released at a moment of your choosing.
- Fairly priced
Cons
- Only for small and medium-sized tanks
- Inside the feeder, flakes might become caught together.
Automated Fish Feeder by Penn-Plax
You may feed your fish for up to four weeks with the Penn-Plax Daily Double II Automatic Fish Feeder. This easy-to-use device connects straight to the edge of your tank and feeds your fish twice daily twice.
The two feedings per day are still possible with this model, despite the fact that it isn’t a highly programmed one. The Penn-Plax will eat either flakes or pellets of food. For use with the tank, the clamp included with the Penn-Plax is necessary.
The tank size of the Penn-Plax is one of its best features. To avoid having to remember to feed your fish every day, it’s a good idea to leave them unattended for four weeks.
When it came to the flake food, the only significant issue we had was that it clumped up after about a week or two. Consider a different model or switching to pellet food if you’re going on a long trip.
Pros
- Large capacity for food storage
- Battery-powered and simple to attach.
- If necessary, feeds twice a day.
Cons
- Flake food clumps together
- Dispenses too much food for a single fish.
Auto-Feeder for Fish Hydor
The Hydor Automatic Fish Feeder is the next item on our shopping list. Naturally, this feeder is more expensive than some of the other alternatives we’ve looked at because of Hydor’s reputation as a high-quality manufacturer of items.
This is an easy-to-setup solution that can feed your fish up to three times daily. You can’t set the feeding times with this feeder; it does that for you.
The Hydor works with a variety of food types, including flakes, pellets, and tablets, and has a vibration and movement technology to keep food from clumping.
If you choose, you may also use this model with an aerator. The Hydor’s second drawback is that its food dispensing mechanism is rather noisy.
Pros
- Will eat up to three times a day, depending on the situation.
- Programming is simple
- Exceptional style
Cons
- You have no control over when your fish eat.
- When feeding fish, it’s really disruptively noisy.
Fish Dispenser by boxtech
The boxtech Fish Dispenser is the only one of its kind that we’ve reviewed thus far. If you want to feed your fish once or twice a day, you may do it with the boxtech, or you can feed it anytime you choose. Switching between automatic and manual mode is as simple as flicking a switch.
Most types of fish food, including flakes, pellets, powders, and strips, are compatible with the boxtech fish feeder. This feeder is easy to set up and keeps food fresh and dry without compromising on quality.
The boxtech feeder’s sole flaw is that it’s of mediocre quality. In the past, it has been reported that the device does not hold up over time and distributes food in an irregular manner.
It’s good if you’re home every day and can keep an eye on your feeder, but it’s not a model we’d trust if you were going to be gone for several weeks.
Pros
- Programming is simple
- An easy-to-use solution for feeding
- Keeps food from becoming moldy.
Cons
- A low-quality item
- Distributes food in sporadic amounts.
- Not a long-term dependable source of information
Dr. Barry Buttler
Dr. Barry Buttler, DVM, MS, DACVIM, is an experienced veterinarian who specializes in the care of small animals, specifically dogs. Dr. Barry K. Buttler is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and holds multiple certifications in small animal emergency medicine and geriatric pet health.
Veterinarian (DVM) Dr. Barry Buttler
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