The title says it all I guess When I can afford to get a mechanical automated fish food feeder, I'll get it (over those annoying chemical block ones). But how about soaking? (I assume those feeders are only for pellet foods, be it sinking of floating - never used / seen one before though).

to answer your question, autofeeder only works better with dried food and pellet only (yah, be it sinking or flaoting, jus pellets).. doesn't work well with flakes and definitely FAIL with wet foods (fruits, vegetable or presoaked food).. how so?? flake has no weight and when it is time for the feeder open the mouth to drop food, you see a puff of FLAKE gushing out and fly about... Wet food will dry up and choke up the vent..

by the way.. why would u need one?? you going away?? or are your fishes in need of constant feeding in a timely manner such as amedicated food?? if not, refrain.. why?? many reasons..

firstly, cheap ones are disappointing.. reports have them said that they either stucked, or doesn't work at all, or underfeed, or over feed.. Good ones and still not 100% reliable are slightly better but expensive.. can hit a couple hundreds for a sophisticated one (or did I see the wrong price tag for an autofeeder for dogs??) anyway, wrong pricing or not, it is still expensive.. enough to buy another tank..

secondly.. feeding your fishes manually cultivate feelings.. you watch them and they know you and get closer to you as you feed.. you can even try different feeding style.. it is an achievement if you ever succeed in hand feeding them without having them darting away. it is no good to touch the fishes as it might affect the outer coat of protective slime.. but they can touch you for you have no slime to lose.. and it tickles!! haha, I have lotsa of laughter when they nimble on my hands.. and dun be frighten for a start.. you have to train them to trust your hand!!

lastly, by automating the feeding.. what's next?? automate water change and eventually you can leave the fishes alone.. so what's the point? the idea of getting fishes must have you mentally prepared and emotionally prepared to be very committed.. otherwise they dun grow well.. jus like a kid, with no proper care, they grow up on junk food and grow up with no tender loving care.. what's the possibility of becoming a nice guy?? lol maybe I sounded too serious.. maybe jus enjoy the feeding process and ignore my other nonsense (if you deem it to be)..

if you had to go away, fishes basically do well without food up to a week or even more.. 1 week is reasonable, though I have not done so and I am in the midst of trying this out and I have this process documented somewhere in this forumn as a discussion..

Thanks fkiller, does make lots of sense what u say I am not planning on a holiday just as yet (don't u just wish u can take them with u?), but was always pondering about the feeder thing - just in case. But 1 week sounds good, I'd rather have them eating plants than being over fed anytime. I agree with the personalised hand feeding part - I do enjoy feeding my darlings myself I didn't know about prices before this, but if it goes up to a hundred, as you say, I'd rather get another tank hehe

yah, plants does help too when you are going away.. so that one week is not that torturing for the fishes..

haha, I not only wish I can take them with me on trips.. I wish I can leash them ans take them out for a run.. or maybe a swim.. hahah