DIY (Auto) FROZEN FOOD FEEDER

[WallyB]

WallyB,
With the Koolatron P75, is the cooling unit on the side and the rest of the cooler is just plastic insolation?
I'm just worried about drilling a side and then puncturing a cooling line.

No worries about the P75. All the Cooling is on the Right side just like mine.

So you can drill at the back (ANYWHERE) like I did.
If you need to for better placement you can drill on left side (ANYWHERE).
Those two sides just have foam insulation between in inner and outter plastic shell.

Even the right side is fairly safe, since there are no real cooling lines like a fridge.
The cooling area is the Metal Plate/Radiator you see inside.
Just stay away from the Fan on the Right side.
It should be pretty clear where you can, and can't drill.
But best be safe, stay away from the Right side.

 

[Greatreefer]

What about the stir plate, the one that is pictured in your write up appears to be an off the shelf model on amazon. Did you run into any issues with condensation or ice build up getting on or around the knob or inner workings of the electric motor or did you see that being a problem and create some crazy DIY condensation proof version?

 

[SAWFISH]

Has anyone ever tried doing this build with a DIY cooler? I saw this video of a man building a fridge using thermoelectric coolers. I thought it would be cool to use these as you could potentially 3D print the enclosure and make it whatever size best fit your tank.

Here is the video


Here are some thermoelectric coolers

thermoelectric cooler for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for thermoelectric cooler at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!

www.ebay.com

 

[WallyB]

What about the stir plate, the one that is pictured in your write up appears to be an off the shelf model on amazon. Did you run into any issues with condensation or ice build up getting on or around the knob or inner workings of the electric motor or did you see that being a problem and create some crazy DIY condensation proof version?

Hey @Greatreefer

No issues with the Stir Plate in any way.
I bought this one.


I actually had some condensation fall on it. I simply wipe it down with paper towel (but I wouldn't want a lot of water).
In my design I did raise the stirrer off the bottom of the cooler, so it never get's water on it (from bottom drip catches)

Ice UP wouldn't be possible since you can't go below Zero Degrees C (Freezing Temp) in your Frozen Feeder or else the lines would also freeze up.

Actually you Inspired me with GREAT IDEA to improve the Longevity of the Stirrer if Moisure is a issue.
You can simply put the whole Stirrer into a ZIP lock bag. WATER PROOF IT. Small elastic around the power cord.
The Magnetic Field will still pass thru the thin plastic bag and make the stirring pill Spin.

I'm actually going to add the Zip Lock Bag, since if I get future drips, it's a non issue.
COOL!! THANKS!!! I never would have thought of the idea without your question.

 

[Greatreefer]

WallyB
Another question regarding powering the stir plate:
How do you control when the stirplate comes on? Do you have it connected to an electronic timer that turns on at certain intervals if so, what brand/ model are you using?

Secons question, referes to thebdosing pump. I know that you made yours, which is totally awesome BTW.. Anyways, I know through watching other diy frozen feeder builds, not all dosing hoses are the same, and with some, theybsre super tiny and will not allow food to travel through it. On yours, do you know what thr diameter is of yours dosing tubes?
Are they the same diameter as airline hoses or are they different?

 

[WallyB]

WallyB
Another question regarding powering the stir plate:
How do you control when the stirplate comes on? Do you have it connected to an electronic timer that turns on at certain intervals if so, what brand/ model are you using?

Secons question, referes to thebdosing pump. I know that you made yours, which is totally awesome BTW.. Anyways, I know through watching other diy frozen feeder builds, not all dosing hoses are the same, and with some, theybsre super tiny and will not allow food to travel through it. On yours, do you know what thr diameter is of yours dosing tubes?
Are they the same diameter as airline hoses or are they different?

Hey @Greatreefer, you're on a roll with good observations and questions.

First let me address the Tubing. Yes, It is important to get the biggest (INNER DIAMETER) tubing, since that determines the size of food that can pass thru.
This is the one I use.


Again, I stress. Inner diameter is most imporant since that is basically the size of the HOLE.

And as I mentioned in my Thread, the tubing matters, so does the Coupler to join tubes (like I drilled out), and then Lastly the Tubing in the Dosing Head.

SOme brands like Kamoer Heads allow you to change the tubing in the head. To a certain range.

As far as turning ON/OFF the Stirrer, it's pretty simple. You don't have to be 100% accurate, so long as you stirr within a minute before you extract food (SO you don't need a accurate SECOND TIMER).

You can even use any timer you have kicking around. Maybe one for Christmas Lights.

I actually use these WIFI outlet timers. They are reliable if you get the one on the SMART HOME APP.
I tried so many APPS and some are Junk. SMART HOME is very reliable.
They give you down to the Minute sheduling.

These work and I used them for many things. Even move some stuff off my pex.


I also use these DOUBLE Wifi Outlets.

These do the same for House 110Volt type control.
These also have a USB type 5Volt Port, so you can turn off things that are USB powered.

 

[Greatreefer]

WallyB,
Stir plate power:
That makes sense about using simple light timers. However, what I would like to do, is to use my APEX to control the stir plate turning on and off that way I don't have to worry about resetting the timer when it comes to daylight savings time.
Do you or anyone here know of a way to create a "on/off" switch using apex coding to control when the stir plate goes on and off?

More about dosing pumps:

I would like to attempt to use an off the shelf model like the kamoer or GHL dosers however, i'm concerned about the inner diameters of the hoses. Which leads me to the final hurdle, custom dosers.
This is the part where I'm still struggling and may need you to explain a bit more about what pumps you chose and how you connected them to your custom built Ardiuno doser. ( which is totally cool) and would LOVE to try and replicate yours however, my programming/ coding skills are lacking.
I've been watching the video put out by DBR_Reef ( video here)
Build thread is here: ( if your curious)

Automatic Frozen/refrigerated food dispenser

Automatic DIY refrigerated food dispenser Hey guys, so I’ve been working on this one for about a year now, and I’m very excited about finally getting this out to you. I wanted a way to automate feeding of diverse and healthy foods to both corals and fish. Dried coral food and pellet food in...

www.reef2reef.com

and I feel like he used bigger dosing pumps than what are in stock dosers.
in his build he used 12v high flow peristaltic pumps something like this:

High Flow Peristaltic Pump Dosing Pump Vacuum Aquarium Lab Analytical12V | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for High Flow Peristaltic Pump Dosing Pump Vacuum Aquarium Lab Analytical12V at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

but, again, not really sure about how to connect all the dots on this part of the project.


thanks again for taking the time to talk to me about your DIY project.

 

[WallyB]

WallyB,
Stir plate power:
That makes sense about using simple light timers. However, what I would like to do, is to use my APEX to control the stir plate turning on and off that way I don't have to worry about resetting the timer when it comes to daylight savings time.
Do you or anyone here know of a way to create a "on/off" switch using apex coding to control when the stir plate goes on and off?

One Question at a time. APEX PROGRAMMING for an OUTLET (with Stir Pump plugged into EB Outlet)

Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Time 13:00 to 13:01 Then ON

Above will turn on your Stirr Pump at 1:00pm, and turn off a 1:01pm.
Basically the DEFAULT IS OFF (and when 13:00 hrs hits, it goes on, till 13:01)

 

[WallyB]

WallyB,


More about dosing pumps:

I would like to attempt to use an off the shelf model like the kamoer or GHL dosers however, i'm concerned about the inner diameters of the hoses. Which leads me to the final hurdle, custom dosers.
This is the part where I'm still struggling and may need you to explain a bit more about what pumps you chose and how you connected them to your custom built Ardiuno doser. ( which is totally cool) and would LOVE to try and replicate yours however, my programming/ coding skills are lacking.
I've been watching the video put out by DBR_Reef ( video here)
Build thread is here: ( if your curious)

Automatic Frozen/refrigerated food dispenser

Automatic DIY refrigerated food dispenser Hey guys, so I’ve been working on this one for about a year now, and I’m very excited about finally getting this out to you. I wanted a way to automate feeding of diverse and healthy foods to both corals and fish. Dried coral food and pellet food in...

www.reef2reef.com

and I feel like he used bigger dosing pumps than what are in stock dosers.
in his build he used 12v high flow peristaltic pumps something like this:

High Flow Peristaltic Pump Dosing Pump Vacuum Aquarium Lab Analytical12V | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for High Flow Peristaltic Pump Dosing Pump Vacuum Aquarium Lab Analytical12V at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

but, again, not really sure about how to connect all the dots on this part of the project.


thanks again for taking the time to talk to me about your DIY project.

I used these Dosing Pumps for my DIY Doser. KAMOER (just the Pumps)
You could do the same or you can modyfiy an existing doser and change the pump if Voltage is the same..

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2021419398.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dqW2vVR

LOOK AT THE CODES that vary things Like VOTAGE DE (6Volt), DH(12 Volt), which in turn changes the Speed. of the Pump

LOOK IN THE DETAILS of the web Site. S04, S06, S10.....
That is the Inside Diamter of the TUBE inside the Dosing Pump.

I picked the biggest One S10. ID=3.0 (inside Diameter) OD=5.0 (outside Diameter.

You also have a choice of two materials. Silicone, or BPT. Both will work for Marine, and Food. BPT is onmly for things like High Heat, or acids.

S10 size works for any Frozen I've used, like Mysis, Brine Shrimp, (Any Kind, but I use HAKARI Brand of Frozen )
It won't handle super chunk of Food like LRS Reef Frenzy, since it does have the odd piece of Chunks. You could remove those chunk, but I just don't bother using it.

That is the Kamoer Official Web site, on Aliexepress. You can actually buy just the pump. Dosers, and even replacement tubing if you want to change sizes.


NOW IF YOU WANT A PUMP to Feed your fish LIVE FISH (Just Kidding but its a Power Pump, made for irrigation)

I bought these when on sale for like $29.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32891887138.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dqW2vVR

I used them for my DIY water Changer. It changes all 3 of my Tanks Water.

STAY AWAY FROM STEPPER MOTOR PUMPs. They are good for percision stuff. MOre difficult to control.
They cost way too much. You also need a special controller to make them turn (but you can buy those too)
Any Basic DC pump, you can just put on a Timer to turn on and off with a Proper Voltage AC/DC adapter hooked up.

If you want any kind of PUMP you can think of. This is the Kamoer Link on Aliexpress. (PARTS TOO)
https://kamoerfluid.aliexpress.com/store/500411?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000002.2.58947481ZymqKV

Better Prices, from China. But Wait for Sales.
THere is one coming up, in November 11th (11.11 is the Biggest Sale of the year)
Also Black Friday, Christmas, etc
Sometimes the pump are big discounts like 40% or 50% off (that's when I buy them).

 

[Greatreefer]

One Question at a time. APEX PROGRAMMING for an OUTLET (with Stir Pump plugged into EB Outlet)

Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Time 13:00 to 13:01 Then ON

Above will turn on your Stirr Pump at 1:00pm, and turn off a 1:01pm.
Basically the DEFAULT IS OFF (and when 13:00 hrs hits, it goes on, till 13:01)

Thanks for this.

 

[Greatreefer]

Your response:

LOOK AT THE CODES that vary things Like VOTAGE DE (6Volt), DH(12 Volt), which in turn changes the Speed. of the Pump

My question:
So there are codes on the pumps:
DE= 6volts
DH= 12 volts
so, in other words, the higher the voltage the faster the motor spins.
so, a 12volt would spin faster than a 6 volt?


your response:
LOOK IN THE DETAILS of the web Site. S04, S06, S10.....

my question:
These numbers correlate to the ID and OD of the dosing pump tubes?
the S10 “model” is the one that would work for larger food particles.

Your response:
You also have a choice of two materials. Silicone, or BPT. Both will work for Marine, and Food. BPT is onmly for things like High Heat, or acids.


My question:
I always thought that silicone was the way to go because of its flexibility. However, I feel like that it does not degrade over time compared to acrylic. (referencing) airline tubes for air compressors ( fish tanks) so, I would lean towards Silicone due to the stepper motors constantly pushing the hose.
From your example above, I see both 6 and 12 volt motors. However, what I’m curious about is what is the difference between the L and straight type pumps. Are these referring to the outlet nozzles?
L would be like a 90 degree and the straight would be well.. straight up and down like what is pictured below?
however, while scrolling through the site, I do not see any place that allows you to select which pump size you want.





Thought:
so, what your saying is IF I go and by and off the shelf model doser, I can “hot swap” the motors for larger ones if needed. How would I know I'm exceeding the allotted wattage for the unit without it going BOOM or disappearing in a cloud of black electrical smoke?
Below, are the specs for the Kamoer F4 pro. No where in these specs do they list the pump size or speed of the pump.

F4 PRO WiFi Dosing Pump (4 Channel)

Ensure Precise and Consistent Dosing - The new Kamoer F4 PRO WiFi Doser Liquid Dosing Pump is the latest state of the art controllable dosing system from Kamoer. Features WIFI Control of dosing Pump via iOS or Android devices Software update via WIFI Included battery back up - Settings saved...

www.marinedepot.com

 

[WallyB]

Your response:

LOOK AT THE CODES that vary things Like VOTAGE DE (6Volt), DH(12 Volt), which in turn changes the Speed. of the Pump

My question:
So there are codes on the pumps:
DE= 6volts
DH= 12 volts
so, in other words, the higher the voltage the faster the motor spins.
so, a 12volt would spin faster than a 6 volt?

Not really, voltage is just for whatever Power Supply you have.
They adjust the gears to make the pump run at a normal speed (Motor vs Head spin)
What determines the "FLOW RATE" is not speed, but the IOD (inside diameter) of the tube. The more wide the tube hole, the more liquid is squished between the rollers so the pump, PUMPS MORE.

Look at the table from the WEB SITE to determine What flow rate you want.
(That will determine best choice for YOU!!!) Not voltage, not material, but FLOW RATE.

(Notice the 6 Volt Pump actually has higher Flow, due to the Gear Ratio. Motor may spin more, but SHAFT turn is more important, and of Course the TUBE).

And I would stay away from 3Volt pumps. .It won't be easy to find a 3V DC adapter.
But if you really want 3Volt, you can get a 6, 12, or any Volt 3-35volt and bring it down to 3V volt with a BUCK CONVERTER. But that's more messy wiring.



MORE FLOW ISN't Alway better, since too fast, and you have to run the Pump less than a minute (so a typical by minute timer will always DOSE 1 minute, 2min, 3min, etc etc....)

All it means is if you want to dose 10ml of water. A pump with 45 ml/min will dose 45ml (if you have a 1 minute timer). To dose 10 ml (45ml/10ml is the ratio) so you would have to turn on/off the pump (60sec/ [45/10]= 13 seconds, which you CAN NOT DO if your timer can only do 1 minute intervals)

Now if you pick a 11 ml/min (S04) Speed pump. 1 Minute timer would get you 11ml, which is much closer to 10 ml. Get it?

Of course my DIY doser can turn (ON and OFF) a plain old DC pump in 0.001 seconds, so I can dose 1 drop with any pump. (kind of like a stepper motor pump)



your response:
LOOK IN THE DETAILS of the web Site. S04, S06, S10.....

my question:
These numbers correlate to the ID and OD of the dosing pump tubes?
the S10 “model” is the one that would work for larger food particles.

YES, that's the trade off with a wider tube (bigger particles fit thru the tube). You get a wider tube, but with the S10, and a 1 minute timer, you will have to dose, 80, 90, or 83ml each minute, unless you can get a timer that will stop in seconds. Or you will just have to use a larger container to handle more water.

Your response:
You also have a choice of two materials. Silicone, or BPT. Both will work for Marine, and Food. BPT is onmly for things like High Heat, or acids.


My question:
I always thought that silicone was the way to go because of its flexibility. However, I feel like that it does not degrade over time compared to acrylic. (referencing) airline tubes for air compressors ( fish tanks) so, I would lean towards Silicone due to the stepper motors constantly pushing the hose.
From your example above, I see both 6 and 12 volt motors. However, what I’m curious about is what is the difference between the L and straight type pumps. Are these referring to the outlet nozzles?
L would be like a 90 degree and the straight would be well.. straight up and down like what is pictured below?
however, while scrolling through the site, I do not see any place that allows you to select which pump size you want.


Don't worry about the tubing. Just get the cheapest you can find that is SAFE material.
I'm talking the tubing that you connect to pump, to run to your tank.

The tubing in the Dosing Pump must be silicone or BPT since the rollers really squish the tubing hundreds and thousands of time to pump. (And since silcone is cheaper go for silicone....Just for the dosing tubing, INSIDE the Peristaltic Pump)


Thought:
so, what your saying is IF I go and by and off the shelf model doser, I can “hot swap” the motors for larger ones if needed. How would I know I'm exceeding the allotted wattage for the unit without it going BOOM or disappearing in a cloud of black electrical smoke?
Below, are the specs for the Kamoer F4 pro. No where in these specs do they list the pump size or speed of the pump.

F4 PRO WiFi Dosing Pump (4 Channel)

Ensure Precise and Consistent Dosing - The new Kamoer F4 PRO WiFi Doser Liquid Dosing Pump is the latest state of the art controllable dosing system from Kamoer. Features WIFI Control of dosing Pump via iOS or Android devices Software update via WIFI Included battery back up - Settings saved...

www.marinedepot.com

THe F4 Pro is ovekill. But if you have the money. Actually even if you have the money it looks big for a cooler.
It doesn't say speed, but it does say minimal Volume which is all you care about.

• Minimum Dosing Volume 0.1ml

But for a feeder I would just get something like this.


or better yet a Jebao.



They do 1ml dosing so it would work. Plus tube look fine and you could get wider IOD tubing and replace them (if what comes with them is too narrow). Those Caps come off the heads, and you the replace tubes, and snap cap back in. That's typical with Peristaltic pumps, sincec the motors will hopefully last longer then the Tubes lifetime.

BUT THERE IS SOMETHING THAT IS IMPORTANT for Dosing Pumps (off the shelf). How can you program them to make it work for a Fish Feeder. I've never bought a doser, so I don't know what the limitations are in programming.
It wouldn't work if you have to dose 12 times a day, and same amount for 24 hours (ie feed at night when fish are sleep).
A trick to handle overnight feeding is to put the doser on a timer, so you power it off overnight. But then what happens when it powers up. I don't know since I've never owned any of the comercial dosers.

 

[Thaxxx]

One Question at a time. APEX PROGRAMMING for an OUTLET (with Stir Pump plugged into EB Outlet)

Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Time 13:00 to 13:01 Then ON

Above will turn on your Stirr Pump at 1:00pm, and turn off a 1:01pm.
Basically the DEFAULT IS OFF (and when 13:00 hrs hits, it goes on, till 13:01)

Just remember, with those example settings it will stay on for 1 minute and 59 seconds.
13:00 to 13:01:59

 

[WallyB]

WallyB,
Stir plate power:
That makes sense about using simple light timers. However, what I would like to do, is to use my APEX to control the stir plate turning on and off that way I don't have to worry about resetting the timer when it comes to daylight savings time.
Do you or anyone here know of a way to create a "on/off" switch using apex coding to control when the stir plate goes on and off?

More about dosing pumps:

I would like to attempt to use an off the shelf model like the kamoer or GHL dosers however, i'm concerned about the inner diameters of the hoses. Which leads me to the final hurdle, custom dosers.
This is the part where I'm still struggling and may need you to explain a bit more about what pumps you chose and how you connected them to your custom built Ardiuno doser. ( which is totally cool) and would LOVE to try and replicate yours however, my programming/ coding skills are lacking.
I've been watching the video put out by DBR_Reef ( video here)
Build thread is here: ( if your curious)

Automatic Frozen/refrigerated food dispenser

Automatic DIY refrigerated food dispenser Hey guys, so I’ve been working on this one for about a year now, and I’m very excited about finally getting this out to you. I wanted a way to automate feeding of diverse and healthy foods to both corals and fish. Dried coral food and pellet food in...

www.reef2reef.com

and I feel like he used bigger dosing pumps than what are in stock dosers.
in his build he used 12v high flow peristaltic pumps something like this:

High Flow Peristaltic Pump Dosing Pump Vacuum Aquarium Lab Analytical12V | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for High Flow Peristaltic Pump Dosing Pump Vacuum Aquarium Lab Analytical12V at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

but, again, not really sure about how to connect all the dots on this part of the project.


thanks again for taking the time to talk to me about your DIY project.

Stay away from the VACUUM pump.

High Flow Peristaltic Pump Dosing Pump Vacuum Aquarium Lab Analytical12V | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for High Flow Peristaltic Pump Dosing Pump Vacuum Aquarium Lab Analytical12V at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Not sure what it's exactly for. But it is designed REMOVE AIR or LIQUID, since that's what VACUUM to me means.
TOO EXPENSIVE TOO.

WHAT KIND OF FOOD ARE YOU THINKING OF FEEDING?
LIke I said, I feed FROZEN MYSIS and it's not problem. NOT ONCE did my feeder plug.

 

[Greatreefer]

Currently, the food I'm feeding is Hikari mega marine.

 

[Greatreefer]

WallyB,
Was sifting through eBay and came across this.
Do you think this would work?

24V DC Dosing Pump Peristaltic Dosing Head Adjustable Speed For Aquarium Lab | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 24V DC Dosing Pump Peristaltic Dosing Head Adjustable Speed For Aquarium Lab at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[Amateur Reefer]

I do not know if I was clear with that - but I use my tank water both for filling purposes and rinsing purposes.

Because that I have no chilling capacity - I had to manual load and automatically rinse my bottle before every feeding batch. I have look for individually thermoelectric wine chillers - they exist but it is difficult to to insert a magnetic stirrer into the structure. However - they could work if I use air as stirrer instead. An airline into the bottom and let an air pump inject air in the bottom and stir up the water/food solution before feeding

When my wife have stopped laughing (after heard about the idea - it will take a year or two) I probably will give it a try

I run a GHL profilux 4 computer and my dosing pumps are integrated in the system (and they can run forward and backwards). I also run DC pumps in all positions. This means that I can incorporate a lower return pump flow when I feed with the dosing pumps.

I check the smell in my bottle - a week after last manual cleaning - no smell of rotten food and no visible signs of bacteria growth in the tubes after 2 months - it will be - I´m sure - but at least not yet

Sincerely Lasse

I've been trying something similar with a wine chiller for a year. It hasn't worked out too well.

I buy the Reef Nutrition liquid food and mix them in a cup to put in the chiller. I then programed my Apex to stir before feeding, feed, and then clear the line after feeding time. That all worked fine.

Where this system failed was the cooling. Either the units did not get cold enough or they broke after months of daily use. These just aren't made to be plugged in 24/7. I am looking for a new solution.

Does the Kooltran cooler really get that cold? The problem with all these thermoelectrics is that it only cools n degrees below room temperature. In the summer months, the room can get as hot as 82 degrees.

 

[Weasel1960]

@WallyB well done article, I bookmarked this for future use. I would imagine that various plugs on the system could be programmed into a controller program like ReefPi along with the doses, etc.

 

[WallyB]

@WallyB well done article, I bookmarked this for future use. I would imagine that various plugs on the system could be programmed into a controller program like ReefPi along with the doses, etc.

Hey @Weasel1960 , you are 100% correct. The ReefPi Controller would be perfect to do the Sequences on the Feeder.


In my case, I re-used a Ardiuno based doser, with simple custom programming. (Timer, ON/OFF...Nothing more, if you skip the Magenetic Stir Plate, which is optional, and not necessary)
However for folk who want to use the ReefPi and do the Doser Head sequences it should be pretty simple.
There are no special plugs, it's just turning on Dosing Heads in sequences, which the Reef Pi can do perfectly.

The ReefPi would work better than trying to get a Offself Doser to work. Not that is isn't possible it's just more simple to do exactly the sequences you want, and have remote access to Stop Feeds, Extra Feeds, and something I didn't include in my design (which I wish I did), is a Food Empty Sensor. In my experience so far, the one thing I happens is I have to peek into the Cooler to see when food runs out. It has happened on many occasions that the Feeder is running Empty.

So Far I haven't seen anyone build a feeder (and willing to show of their hack). Hope somebody does since there is room for improvements, and unique designs.

 

[WallyB]

I've been trying something similar with a wine chiller for a year. It hasn't worked out too well.

I buy the Reef Nutrition liquid food and mix them in a cup to put in the chiller. I then programed my Apex to stir before feeding, feed, and then clear the line after feeding time. That all worked fine.

Where this system failed was the cooling. Either the units did not get cold enough or they broke after months of daily use. These just aren't made to be plugged in 24/7. I am looking for a new solution.

Does the Kooltran cooler really get that cold? The problem with all these thermoelectrics is that it only cools n degrees below room temperature. In the summer months, the room can get as hot as 82 degrees.

I have my Koolatron at room temp, and if I add ice packs, plus the Solid State Cooling Plate running of the Power Supply it keep things pretty close to freezing at the beginining. The insulation keeps things cool quite long (few Days) if you don't open the Lid. After 2-3 days, the Ice Packs do need replenishing, but it's still cool, like 5 Degrees C which is close to a fridge temp. I see no issues running a weeks worth of Frozen food. If used for Weekend runs, it even better than adequate.