Avast Plank and flake food

[Jarob]

Looking for some input here, from searching I see most people feeding from seconds to a minute, but most are feeding reef jerky and pellets.

I've got my plank filled with mostly Cool Mix Flakes with some pellets and Brine Shrimp Direct Spheres (these are incredible for Anthais BTW). I ran the plank for about 20 minutes and it was about how much I feed per feeding (I feed 4-6 times a day) but from the search 20 minute plank drum turn seems incredibly long. Currently have this set to feed 4 times a day starting at 8:00 every 3 hours.

Anyone else run flake and long feedings?

BTW I've got a 180g display with 23 fish including 6 Anthais and 3 tangs.

 

[tbrown]

I have a mix of pellets, Reef Jerky, Coral Cane, and crushed flakes. I run it for a minute at a time.

I'm only feeding a 70 gallon reef.

 

[Jarob]

See I'm doing 4 x 20min cycles so 80 minutes of feeding time a day that seems insane but I measured the amount that comes out. I guess because it's 80%+ flake it's so much slower.

 

[BZOFIQ]

I feed 45 seconds a clip, 5 times a day.

20 minute run would literally dump the whole canister of flakes!!!

 

[Jarob]

I feed 45 seconds a clip, 5 times a day.

20 minute run would literally dump the whole canister of flakes!!!

Lol yea thats the takeaway I've gotten from research too but I timed it on a dinner plate and one large pinch of food came out in that timeframe.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Then something is wrong. Do you have photos?

 

[areefer01]

I run a mix of freeze dried, pellet, and one flake without issues in my Plank. The Neptune Apex controls the feeding. Without going too much into the code I have a set time just before lights on to do a short 1 minute feeding for early rising fish such as my Yellow Assessor. Outside of that feeding it is 5 to 6 feedings a day each running for 2 minutes.

Easiest way to do this is to set up your feeding schedule, duration, and then place just the Plank on a paper plate or on a napkin. Run through the schedule, review how much food was released, adjust, repeat. It is pretty simple actually. In my opinion.

Here is my food list - borrowed it from @KStatefan :
Freeze-Dried Copepods
Freeze Dried Arctic Copepods
Freeze Dried Brine Shrimp
Freeze Dried Krill Pacifica
Freeze Dried Rotifers
Cool green flake
TDO - small
Hikari - carnivore
Hikari - herbivore
Hikari - a, s

 

[Amstar]

the set up using the plank and letting it fill on a piece of paper is exactly how I set mine up so I could see total volume per feeding and then for the day --

then you food line is very similar to myfood line up. However, I went from running alot of the freeze dried to just calanus (70%), tdo chromoboost (30%) and the rotifers (10%). found that some of my freeze dried foods were causing some of my nurtient spikes (I like to feed alot of nori and frozen as well)

for my apex I just have it run for 1 minute twice a day -
fallback off
if time 9:00 to 9:01 then ON
if time 18:00 to 18:01 then ON

 

[KStatefan]

I do 4 feedings per day at 90 seconds each time of a DIY freeze dried and pellets

 

[BZOFIQ]

Lol yea thats the takeaway I've gotten from research too but I timed it on a dinner plate and one large pinch of food came out in that timeframe.

I'd say it's defective or something is stuck. Like I previously said, in 20 minutes it would empty half the can.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Here is my APEX program, perhaps somebody might find it useful. On for 45 seconds at 9:32, 12:32, 15:32, 18:32 and 21:32



PLANK >

Fallback OFF
OSC 032:00/000:45/147:15 Then ON
If Time 22:00 to 09:00 Then OFF

PLANK_PUMP >

Fallback OFF
OSC 031:00/010:00/139:00 Then ON
If Time 22:00 to 09:00 Then OFF

 

[breathing underwater]

I'm pretty new to the plank but have found it very inconsistent with flake food. I think it piles up inside and doesn't feed into the auger well but not sure. If I try to get it going again by stirring the hopper it works better for a day or two then happens again.

I'm trying 95% freeze dried now with just a little flake mixed in and it seems better. I would imagine pellets would work well too.

Anyone else have similar issues with flake?

OP as others have noted, 1-2 minutes is normally a heavy feeding, something is off for yours, either mechanically or a backup of food in the hopper.

 

[BZOFIQ]

I'm pretty new to the plank but have found it very inconsistent with flake food. I think it piles up inside and doesn't feed into the auger well but not sure. If I try to get it going again by stirring the hopper it works better for a day or two then happens again.

I'm trying 95% freeze dried now with just a little flake mixed in and it seems better. I would imagine pellets would work well too.

Anyone else have similar issues with flake?

OP as others have noted, 1-2 minutes is normally a heavy feeding, something is off for yours, either mechanically or a backup of food in the hopper.

Try different foods or a combination of foods, I mix different flakes here with great results. I noticed with small pellets it dumps too much food.

PLANK has been very consistent for me; so glad AVAST created such functional and reliable piece of equipment.

 

[Jarob]

Yea I must have too much flake in it which is a shame as that's what I bought it for and what my fish like the best. I'll empty it out and try other mixes even though that's not why I wanted it.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Can you take a photo?

 

[areefer01]

I have flake in mine and it works fine. You can also break up the flake.

Also don't be shy and shoot the plank team a message and ask them if they have any suggestions.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Yea I must have too much flake in it which is a shame as that's what I bought it for and what my fish like the best. I'll empty it out and try other mixes even though that's not why I wanted it.

I use it strictly with flakes with no issue. I mix Omega One and Formula One/Two for the feeder. Works without any issues. I have a feeling you have a defective feeder.

 

[BeanAnimal]

in the meantime: Take a look at the opening and auger. If “flake” doesn’t fit, then it has to break apart to fit. The feeder isn’t a food grinder so it does not likely do a very efficient job at breaking down the large flake and instead churns it over and over as bits of it eventually break off and feed.

 

[Jarob]

Can you take a photo?

I'll run it on a sheet of paper and take a pic.

Good to know others use flake too, I'll reach out.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I’m mean a photo inside, loaded