Owning fish might not always be the most rewarding of jobs. Not only do these creatures often seem completely oblivious to their surroundings, they also might not be in tune with their own needs. A fish will rarely tap on the aquarium lid and bark like a dog for its food.
So how do you exactly know when to feed your fish? Well, that can often be a hard question to answer. The key is regularity and consistency.
The perfect solution to this dilemma is definitely an electronically timed automatic fish feeder. This is a surefire way of making sure that your fish get the right amount of food at exactly the same time every day.
Not only are these gadgets very easy to use, but they will deliver the food promptly to your fish at any time of the day that you happen to schedule. This will remove all human error, allowing you to go about your daily business without having to worry about your fish’s feeding time.
So where can you find these automatic fish feeders? What features do they need to have to give you that reliable food dispensary twice a day for the foreseeable future? What is the best material for fish food dispensers to be made out of? How much can you be expected to pay for one of the automatic fish food devices?
Well, if you want answers to these burning questions, then we suggest that you read on. We’ll walk and talk you through some of the best fish feeders currently on the market. We’ve also got a buyer’s guide that will help you discern between the good fish feeders and the bad, along with some frequently asked questions. So what are you waiting for? Read on!
OUR TOP PICK
This first electronic feeding unit comes with a capacious 100 ml of chum space, which can be programmed to feed your fish upwards of 8 times a day (although we would certainly recommend against doing this).
It can dispense not only fish food, but food for newts, frogs and turtles - introducing the Eheim Automatic Feeding Unit.
This fish feeder will allow you to select the size of the food portion, with a funnel that can be pointed up or down. This is great for adapting to many different types of fishtank.
This dispensary has its own ventilation system that will keep your food nice and dry. This will be very important so that your dry fish food only gets wet when it hits the water.
The buttons that come with this device are resistant to water, so if you have just finished cleaning your tank and want to reprogramme your fish food dispenser, then you don’t even have to dry your hands first! This has a very vivid display and battery signal that will clearly inform you when your feeder needs a new battery.
Pros:
- This fish feeder is incredibly reliable, coming with hundreds of positive reviews on Amazon with buyers saying they have experienced nothing but quality with this device.
- The price - this fish feeder comes with a range of great features for a very reasonable price. We would certainly recommend this one if you are on a budget.
- This has lots of convenient features, including splash proof controls which will make sure that your inner electronics will be safe from the water in your tank.
- We would recommend getting this fish feeder for any size of tank, this has plenty of storage for you to hold quite a lot of fish food.
Cons:
- This feeder does not come with an off button, which will certainly concern anyone who might be conscious of leaving their electricity on overnight.
EDITORS CHOICE
This next fish feeder could be described as having a mind of its own, giving you the option of feeding your fish up to 12 times during the day. This is great for owners who prefer to feed their fish in smaller portions throughout the day.
This container is well sealed, keeping your fish food dry from harmful water elements - introducing the Lifegard R440960 IntelliFeed Aquarium Fish Feeder.
The power on this feeder is very reliable, giving you a steady source of battery no matter how long you keep it running.
This is completely waterproof, so if you want to operate it with wet hands, then we would recommend that you do so. This also has a power adapter, which means that you don’t have to go out and buy batteries every time.
This model will last you for many years if taken care of properly. It is made from durable rubber and waterproof plastic, making it one of the most high-tech fish feeders on this list. You can set this one up to churn out fish food every 3, 6 or 9 hours, which will make sure your fish are satisfied throughout the day.
Pros:
- This fish food dispenser is very reliable, giving you everything that you need for regular feeding, which will certainly help your fish stay nice and fat.
- With waterproof housing, you won’t have to worry about your fish feeder malfunctioning after you’ve operated it with wet hands.
- This will guarantee that your fish food is spread out across the day if you need it to. This is ideal for owners who don’t want to overfeed their often greedy fish in one sitting.
- This is probably the best fish feeder for owners who have larger tanks of fish, with a bigger storage capacity and a more reliable feeding funnel.
Cons:
- The price - this fish feeder is probably one of the more expensive and should probably only be reserved for anyone who has a tank over 6 feet in length.
BEST VALUE
This next fish feeder is ideal for someone who wants to feed their fish at more regular intervals, with the option of feeding them around 3 times a day.
This feeder is built exceptionally well, so you won’t have to worry about any malfunctions or breakdowns in transmission - introducing the Hydor Automatic Fish Feeder.
You won’t have to change the battery for around 10 months, so if you want a fish feeder that you can leave unattended for long periods, then this is the one for you. We would definitely recommend this one as a fish feeder for a fish tank in a restaurant.
It will let you know when your batteries need changing with technological precision.
This fish feeder is probably one of the most affordable on this list. It is also very flexible, you can either choose to feed your fish twice every 12 hours, or 3 times every day for 8 hours at a time. This is probably the most reliable and consistent fish feeder that we have on this list.
Pros:
- With a battery that does not need changing for months and a reliable timer, this is the most consistent product that we have on this list.
- You won’t have to change the batteries for upwards of 10 months, this is great if you own a restaurant fish tank and you don’t want to have to worry about changing its feed or the battery.
- You can set this fish finder to many different settings, allowing you to dispense the fish food either once or twice or three times a day.
- You can set up this fish feeder to deliver smaller amounts of food throughout the day, which is great if your fish has an eating disorder and you need to regulate its meals.
Cons:
- This is quite a complicated setup, with a mount that is not great when it comes to differently shaped aquariums.
RUNNER UP
This is a great little feeder for domestic tanks, giving you everything that you need for a decent functioning and regular drops of food. This fish food does what it says on the tin, with a timer that you can set to deliver parcels of food as many times during the day as you like - introducing the Anself Digital Fish Feeder.
We would recommend that you set this timer to deliver 4 portions of food to your fish per day. This is a very portable feeder, making it a great unit for switching between two fish tanks at any one time. This uses 2 AA batteries, which will be very easy to replace when they run out.
This container only has enough room for 2 or 3 weeks’ worth of feeding, so be sure that it won’t last you for longer than a month. This is the perfect fish feeder to keep running for a short vacation and saves you the hassle of having to organize someone to come round and feed the fish every day.
Pros:
- This nifty little fish feeder gives you everything that you need for reliable deposits of food throughout the day.
- You can easily replace the batteries in this unit, as they are powered by batteries that you can find in any department store. We would certainly recommend that you make sure that you have a few spare in your drawer to save you a trip to the supermarket.
- The price - this is probably the cheapest auto fish feeder on this list. This is perfect if you are a student and want that high level of fish care without the extortionate price tag.
- This is a great feeder for topping up your fish food during the day, with a decent mechanism that won’t jam or clog. This is also completely waterproof.
Cons:
- This has a smaller container than some of the other fish feeders on this list, so you’ll have to be careful if you are leaving it for longer than 2 weeks without supervision.
RUNNER UP
Our final feeder is probably the most durable in terms of construction, with a decent mount that will keep it fixed securely to the side of your fish tank.
This fish food is contained within a small plastic bin, which will rotate a specific amount of fish food into your tank upon request - introducing the Auto Fish Feeder.
You can program this fish feeder to get top up the tank twice every 24 hours, which is exactly the minimum amount of time that your fish need feeding. You can set this one up easily, with it coming with a clock-like dial that you can use to time the feeding of your fish exactly. This is a great unit for seniors.
This fish food falls into the water exactly on time and you won’t have to worry about water contaminating your food tank. You can dispense several different types of food including granules, flakes and pellets.
Pros:
- This is great for automatic feeding, with a control system that can be understood by most users. We would recommend this as a great feeder for use by seniors.
- You can even mount this one on the side of your pond, as it comes with brilliant mounting systems and plenty of room in the storage bin to give even large fish plenty to eat throughout the day.
- This clock-shaped dial is very precise and will ensure that your fish will get fed on the hour that you set.
- This dispenser can deal with many forms of dispenser, including granules, pellets and flakes. This not only contains enough room to feed plenty of fish, but it also has enough to keep them fed for at least a week.
Cons:
- The size - this might be too large for smaller tanks. If you have 5 fish or less, we would definitely recommend that you have a look at some of the smaller models, as this might not be worth your money.
What Can You Find The Best Automated Fish Feeders Buying Guide
When it comes to picking out the perfect fish feeder for your tank, we would recommend that you get a certain basic number of features. You’ll need something that is, above all else, reliable, consistent and easy to use. Here are just a few things that you’ll need to have when you’re out shopping for your fish feeder:
How Easy Is It To Use?
Ideally, you’ll want something that you can operate barely having to look at the manual. Some of these have a button system, whereas some fish feeders operate with a wheel that you can set like the hands of a clock.
How Much Feed Does It Dispense?
Again, this will be important concerning the size of your fish and how many times you want to feed them.
If you have a large pond with coy carp, the chances are that you’ll want to feed them a lot of food twice a day. Make sure that you get a fish feeder with enough storage in the housing to feed your fish.
Does It Require Batteries?
This might matter if you are planning on taking a trip and you don’t want your batteries running out after a few days. If you have an AC adapter, then you can rig this up to the mains and be sure that your feeder will stay powered for days and even weeks at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Food Will My Fish Feeder Hold?
This will all depend on the type of food that you want to give it. If you are using flakes, the chances are that your fish feeder will be able to hold a lot more. However, be aware that pellets take up a lot more room.
The storage capacity of your feed tank should be the first thing that you look at when you are buying a fish tank. If your feeder is not big enough to hold all your fish food, then we would definitely recommend shopping for a larger one just to be on the safe side.
