LeftyReefer
2500 Club Member
I ordered the DollaTek wifi feeder for $19.99. B08H7S8NP3
Make sure it's the WIFI feeder, because there are a few that look similar but aren't wifi.
Alexa - Feed the fish | $90 Solution for a super smart auto feeder
- Thread starter Sean W.
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Make sure it's the WIFI feeder, because there are a few that look similar but aren't wifi.
lelandmarine
Well-Known Member
Great thanks!!
Voodoo99
New Member
This thread got me thinking so I ordered one just because. Been playing with it for a day now. To be clear, this is a cloud-based internet device. You need to download an app and create an account to connect the device to your wifi and to program schedules.
There are a few ways this feeder can be used: You can press a button on the feeder to manually dispense food. You can program multiple unattended feedings via the app. You can use the app and by clicking on a button it will manually dispense food from your couch or anywhere in the world. And OPTIONALLY, you can enable it to respond to voice commands from Alexa, etc. It runs on USB power only. There is no place for batteries. I tested this possible limitation by disconnecting the power cable while it was halfway through a dispensing rotation. When I plugged it back in, the cylinder completed its rotation and returned to normal position. The device automatically reestablished the wifi connection and 2 mins later the next scheduled feeding went through. I gotta admit I was very pleasantly surprised that this test was successful. Without batteries and loaded with food this feeder is front end heavy. It comes with a couple of mounting options and you WILL need to ensure it is properly secured to avoid having it fall over and possibly dumping into your tank. One risk I can see is that without an active internet connection I believe this becomes a dumb device. I need to test this. If your router dies, your ISP goes down, the internet as a whole has issues or the vendor’s servers go down (this is where your program schedules are stored), your fish will not be fed. There is no local programming capability on the device itself, no clock, nothing. Overall, I think it’s a handy device but you need to understand it’s limitations and have a contingency if you plan to rely on it while away from home.
There are a few ways this feeder can be used: You can press a button on the feeder to manually dispense food. You can program multiple unattended feedings via the app. You can use the app and by clicking on a button it will manually dispense food from your couch or anywhere in the world. And OPTIONALLY, you can enable it to respond to voice commands from Alexa, etc. It runs on USB power only. There is no place for batteries. I tested this possible limitation by disconnecting the power cable while it was halfway through a dispensing rotation. When I plugged it back in, the cylinder completed its rotation and returned to normal position. The device automatically reestablished the wifi connection and 2 mins later the next scheduled feeding went through. I gotta admit I was very pleasantly surprised that this test was successful. Without batteries and loaded with food this feeder is front end heavy. It comes with a couple of mounting options and you WILL need to ensure it is properly secured to avoid having it fall over and possibly dumping into your tank. One risk I can see is that without an active internet connection I believe this becomes a dumb device. I need to test this. If your router dies, your ISP goes down, the internet as a whole has issues or the vendor’s servers go down (this is where your program schedules are stored), your fish will not be fed. There is no local programming capability on the device itself, no clock, nothing. Overall, I think it’s a handy device but you need to understand it’s limitations and have a contingency if you plan to rely on it while away from home.
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