Fish Mate F14 Aquarium Fish Feeder
About This Item
Details
- Moisture-resistant hopper keeps food fresh and accommodates most types of food, including flakes, pellets or crumbles.
- Serves up to 14 scheduled meals for when you go on vacation.
- Electric automatic feeder mounts on tank hood, tray or edge.
- Accurately provides one to four timed meals a day, including flake food.
- Food is distributed over several hours to curb overfeeding and keep fish active.
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Make things easy with the Fish Mate F14 Aquarium Fish Feeder. Automatic for superior ease of use, this feeder serves food over a period of several hours, which keeps fish active and avoids the risk of overfeeding. Whether you’re going on vacation or you just want a hands-free way to feed your fish, it’s a reliable way to keep fish healthy and properly fed. Just mount it to the aquarium hood, condensation tray or the edge of the tank, and set the timer.
| Item Number | 108790 |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 5.5 x 4.6 x 1.5 inches |
| Aquarium Type | Freshwater, Saltwater |
| Season | N/A |
| Fish Type | Tropical Freshwater, Betta, Cichlid, Goldfish, Marine Fish |
| Material | Plastic |
Instructions
Mount on the aquarium hood, on a condensation tray, or on the glass edge of the aquarium with the brackets provided.
1. Positioning of feeder
Your F14 feeder should normally be positioned on the aquarium hood with its food exit spout positioned over the feeding hole provided in the aquarium hood. If your aquarium is not provided with such a hole you will need to cut a hole diameter 30mm (11/4"). It is not normally recommended that the feeder be installed on the condensation tray (fitted on some aquariums under the lighting hood), as excessive moisture in this area can cause food clogging. However, such installation may be satisfactory if an air pump is connected to the small connector marked “AIR” under the feeder, as this will normally prevent the ingress of moist air. On aquariums without a hood the feeder should normally be mounted on the two tank clamps supplied after pulling out the two rear rubber feet. Screw the clamps to the top edge of the aquarium in the required position so that the feeder may be placed on this mounting. Check security of clamps before use. The F14 feeder is not designed for use outside on fishponds.
2. Operation
a. Turn upside down, remove timer cover, insert AA battery and switch on timing mechanism. Check battery operation by visible movement of gearwheel. Replace timer cover.
b. Place unit in required position and lift the lid. Align hole in the rotor with the food exit spout. Ensure the rotor is the correct way up.
c. Insert mealtime pegs in the required locations in the timer knob. (Note: 4 mealtime pegs are supplied, but extras are available.) Set the time on the inner dial by rotating the timer knob anti-clockwise until the current time lines up with the indicator arrow. The food is dispensed gradually over a period of approximately 2 hours, as this is better for the fish.
d. Fill the required number of compartments in the rotor, starting clockwise from the food exit spout for the first meal. Close the lid.
3. Testing your F14 feeder before use
Your FISH MATE feeder is manufactured from top quality materials and is assembled to comply with rigorous quality standards. Consequently, it should give you many years dependable use. However, before using for the first time, we recommend you to supervise its correct operation over a fourteenday period when you are present. Problems of food clogging or not falling out may occasionally be experienced where condensation occurs inside the feeder. Some foods are more likely to clog. (If clogging occurs, try pellet food). The clogging may be due to the spray produced by an air pump. If so, try moving the airstone to a location remote from the feeding hole, and/or reducing the air flow rate. You may also try raising the feeder 25-50mm (1"-2") above the feeding hole, and leaving the lid of the feeder open. In extreme cases, it is possible to connect an air pump to the small connector marked “AIR” under the feeder, thus pressurising the feeder and preventing the ingress of moist air.
4. Cleaning
We normally recommend that you remove the rotor after 14 days’ continuous use and dust off any remaining food fragments from underneath the rotor and from its seating face on the body. In practice, you may find this unnecessary due to the patented self-cleaning action of the rotor but much will depend on the type of food being used.
5. Batteries
We recommend an alkaline battery size ‘AA’. This battery should last 12 months in continuous use. It is recommended to remove the battery when the feeder is not being used for prolonged periods.
Questions & Answers
11 Customer Questions
ReviewsWrite a Review
41 Customer Reviews
Happy to Own
We were going on Holiday for a week and needed a way to feed our two betta fish. I read the reviews and took a leap of faith. These feeders work! I gave them a four star because they were not perfect for my tanks. The betta food is small pellets and some did get stuck but on a whole my fish were fed and healthy apon my return. Will use in the future
Quite satisfactory
We used this recently, while we were on vacation, and it worked fine. We were using flakes, and it dealt with those adequately.
Messy to use
This is difficult to use with flake food. Impossible to load without making a mess. Would not buy again.
Does not work well
Although it works adequately for feeding pellets, it has some major flaws: 1) It feeds from a slot slowly over the course of approximately 2 hours instead of quickly (within a minute or two) at the set feed times. So if you have slow fish in the aquarium that aren't as good at fighting to get to the food as other fish, they will not get enough food while you're away! 2) It only has14 slots so that if you want to feed your fish twice a day while you're gone, you can only feed them for 7 days. 3) Flakes tend to get stuck to the side of the dispenser from moisture. I would not recommend this product.
Most reliable auto feeder I've found
I've tried MANY auto fish feeders for my 55 gallon fresh water tank over the years. This one is the easiest and most elegant, and it has the least problems and does the most reliable and efficient job of all. (I've tried at least 9 different feeders off and on, and I've bought at least 10 of the FishMate since I started using them non-stop in the late 1980's... replacing when I've damaged or the motor has worn out). You have to use the simple device carefully, and there are some tricks to make it work best. First, don't overfill the slots with flakes, and add a few algae pellets to the top. (Most feeders I've tried don't release the entire bundle of flakes or any at all if it is overfilled. The pellets also give the flakes more weight for releasing into tank when it is their turn.) Second, don't use large flakes that will catch and block the release -- if flakes are large, crush them a bit in the container, then scoop in a 1/4 tsp or so of smaller size flakes. Third, raise the feeder off the tank away from the direct moisture of the heated water. Any feeder will get clogged if moisture gets to the flakes and makes them swell... and they flakes can also go bad and be hard to clean off of the feeder if they get wet. (I use a “Pint Size Plastic Berry Basket” or cage, 4-Inch with open-weave for circulation, which can be set on top of the tank over the opening of the water, and balance the feeder so it hangs over and drops food into the hole for the fish.) Four, keep your feeder clean. I use a coffee brush (soft bristles) to brush the leftover flake debris or moist/hard residue before filling each time so that the wheel easily slides to rotate. Five, don't let the battery corrode - keep the battery cover on and check battery every 4-6 months - they last a long time since the feeder doesn't take much energy. I highly recommend this product.
Fish Survive
I use this feeder over weekends and breaks to feed the fish in my classroom. It always works and the fish are always alive the next day school is in session
Automatic aquarium feeder done right
This product works great. I haven’t had any problems with it working like it should. I like it when things do what they are supposed to do.
doesnt work correctly
wheel doesnt rotate correctly. timer works very slowly.
I have used for years
I have used this feeder for years. Here is what I learned. I put the "spout" over a hole in my hood that is NOT over the aerator. The food does not get moist and it does not clog this way. I do not have to add the air hose to it. I also learned that if you drop food in the inside circle, it can get caught and prevent the wheel from turning. When you fill, be clean about it, and it will spin. I have had little bottom feeder pellets get stuck in between the spinning wheel and the timer. It won't spin that way - and the fish don't get fed. It is not the easiest to figure out, but once you work out the kinks, it is very reliable - I have been through two - I have dropped both and broken them - and have used them each for years. I broke my second one last week and am ordering another. I gave it four stars because you DO have to monitor it. Usually - only at fill up. But this is in my office and I check it each day I am there. I count the holes to be sure it worked correctly over the weekend - and almost always - I have no problems. I have never killed fish because of it.
Won't work with flake food.
It does not deliver the food al at once but unpredictably over a couple hours.