How to Make a Fish Feeder

Feeding your fish can be a time-consuming ordeal. As fish require the same amount of food at the same time every day (which coincides with the time that you have to turn the tank light on every six to 10 hours), it can become demanding to make sure that they are fed consistently and accurately. A way around this is to build yourself an automatic fish feeder. This method is inexpensive and easy to do, and will result in you not being a slave to your fish's feeding schedules.

Things You'll Need

• 24-hour timer
• Pill bottle
• Straw
• Putty
• Box cutter
• Extension cord

Instructions

1. Use the box cutter to poke two holes about an inch apart into the side of the pill bottle. They should be level with each other, and run vertically up the side of the bottle. The top hole should be the same distance from the top of the container as the bottom hole is from the bottom.

2. Place Mighty Putty into the holes on the pill bottle. As the putty doesn't stick well to the pill bottles, you have to thread it through the holes and make a mass on both the inside of the bottle and the outside. The putty will look like a spool, with the thin center piece through the hole. Once the putty is threaded through, flatten out the masses on either side of the plastic and allow the putty to dry for at least 15 minutes.

3. Place more putty on the two masses of putty that are currently dry, on the outside of the pill bottle, then stick the fresh putty onto the face of the 24-hour kitchen timer. Make sure that when you stick the pill bottle and the timer together, you stick the opening of the pill bottle straight up (toward the top 24 hour mark on the timer). Allow the putty to dry.

4. Cut a hole in the lid of the pill bottle that is as wide as the straw that you are using. You are going to want to place the hole at the "bottom" of the lid, so to cut it, first place it on the pill bottle/timer assembly. Place the timer upright, and to the right of the pill bottle (this should let the opening of the pill bottle be pointed straight toward you). Once it's in this position, mark and cut the hole at the bottom of the lid's face. This allows the straw--or food delivery device--to always be at the bottom, and always have access to the food in the pill bottle.

5. Cut the straw down to be 1/2 inch longer than the height of the pill bottle. At one end of the straw, cut the opening at a 30 degree angle, so that instead of a small circular hole, the hole at the bottom of the straw is now oval and angled.

6. Place the straw into the hole in the lid of the pill container. Slide the straw into the lid so that the angled opening is pointing downward from the bottom of the lid. On the topside of the lid, leave about 1/2 inch of straw exposed. Before adding putty to secure the straw in place, place the lid on the pill bottle.

7. Apply Mighty Putty to the straw once you have determined that the straw is in the lid the correct distance. Secure the straw in place and allow it to dry completely.

8. Crush or cut up the fish food that you will be using so that it fits neatly into the straw. Fill the bottle about 3/4 full of food. Place the lid on the container with the straw in place, and prepare to set the timer onto your fish tank.

9. Attach the timer assembly to your tank using Mighty Putty. Attach it upright, so that the pill bottle is straight up and down, and directly over water. This will allow you to set the timer, and as it turns, the food will exit the straw and pill bottle, but only in a limited amount.

References

• Baha Tanju: Homemade Fish Feeder