Neptune Apex AFS drum misbehaving

[Biokabe]

So I'm testing my new AFS, and I'm about ready to chuck the thing into a wall. Here's what it's doing:

When I turn the AFS on, the drum comes out as it's supposed to. It rotates about 7/8 of the way, then it clicks and starts rotating backwards. Finally, it decides that it's rotated enough and tries to retract the drum, but the bottom of the drum ends up at either the 12 o'clock or 3 o'clock orientation. Obviously it can't clear the housing, and so it just sticks itself there.

I've tried engaging the mechanism without the drum installed, and in that case it works exactly like it should. It pops out, does a complete rotation, and pops back in, the guide tabs lining up perfectly with the channels. But as soon as the drum is on the shaft, it apparently thinks that it needs to rotate backwards.

Is this the usual operation of this thing, or is there something wrong with my AFS? Is it something I can fix?

Of course I can do without it, but it would be nice to know that the fish are always getting a certain amount of food even if I'm a goober and forget to do a feeding.

 

[Tastee]

That is certainly not normal behaviour. I suggest you raise a ticket with Neptune support or simply return it to where you purchased it from and ask for a replacement.

 

[Biokabe]

That's what I was hoping I wouldn't have to do. C'est la vie.

I'll let future Google warriors know what happens, I can't have the only developmentally disabled AFS out there.

 

[laguest]

That's what I was hoping I wouldn't have to do. C'est la vie.

I'll let future Google warriors know what happens, I can't have the only developmentally disabled AFS out there.

Mine just started to do this. It was working fine but I needed to add more food. I did that and now it turns once, then falls back some when it trying to come back and it gets stuck. Its almost like the motor is tired?

Did you find out how to fix this?

Thanks

 

[Imback]

I just got a brand new one a couple of weeks ago. Tonight I decided to finally set it up. I hooked it up and set it on a table first so I could see how much it would dump and watch it do it’s thing. It rotates about 90%, then rotates backwards to where the drum is upside down. Then it try’s to retract the drum but obviously it can’t so it just shuts off. I don’t know.

 

[blaxsun]

I've got two and they run flawlessly.

 

[Biokabe]

Mine just started to do this. It was working fine but I needed to add more food. I did that and now it turns once, then falls back some when it trying to come back and it gets stuck. Its almost like the motor is tired?

Did you find out how to fix this?

Thanks

Yes, I finally figured out how to fix it... there are two options:

The cheap option: Eheim Autofeeder
The expensive option: Avast Plank

Or, in other words - no, it never did get fixed. I think it is an issue with the basic mechanical properties of the thing - either the motors are occasionally bunk, or the actual design of the drum mechanism is very fragile and sensitive to disruption.

 

[Shirak]

The design of how it functions is terrible if you take the thing apart and follow how it is supposed to rotate and catch these tiny little orange tabs in a grove..

Anyway. Try it empty and see if it does operates normally. Then try it with food. I have found mine does it more when there is too much food in it and the drum goes askew when it is extended.

 

[seraphis79]

I just finished a support ticket for this same issue. Brand new AFS does it's rotation, but then rotates backwards until it's upside then tries to return to the home position. I've had it around 35-40 days. BRS wouldn't honor the return so I had to work with Neptune Support.

It only did it on a schedule. When I manually ran it without the drum, it worked fine.

Neptune Support connected to my system and couldn't figure out the issue and created an RMA # for me.

 

[buruskeee]

Is there any fix for this yet?

 

[Biokabe]

I don't believe so.

The design and manufacturing on the AFS is not great. If you get one that works, then it works fine. If you get one that doesn't, there really isn't anything to do to fix it.

When I was dealing with it, Neptune's support wanted me to pay to ship the unit back to them, pay to have it repaired, and would only reimburse me if they determined it was faulty manufacturing. Final cost of all of that was at least halfway to the cost of a brand-new AFS. So I decided that if I was going to spend that much money on something that might not even work, I'd rather just spend the money on something better and picked up an Avast Plank instead... and what's what I would say to anyone considering the AFS or who has run into this issue with an AFS they've already purchased.

 

[buruskeee]

The design of how it functions is terrible if you take the thing apart and follow how it is supposed to rotate and catch these tiny little orange tabs in a grove..

Anyway. Try it empty and see if it does operates normally. Then try it with food. I have found mine does it more when there is too much food in it and the drum goes askew when it is extended.

It looks like this is the issue. Now we just have to pinpoint what is happening.

I’m wondering if we can shim the unit somehow because it seems the weight ever so slightly shifts the guides askew and it doesn’t find the correct home.

I already ordered the plank, but I realized I’d have to take a hole saw to my lid to get the plank to work. Rather just get the AFS working again.

 

[Shirak]

It looks like this is the issue. Now we just have to pinpoint what is happening.

I’m wondering if we can shim the unit somehow because it seems the weight ever so slightly shifts the guides askew and it doesn’t find the correct home.

I already ordered the plank, but I realized I’d have to take a hole saw to my lid to get the plank to work. Rather just get the AFS working again.

I don't remember exactly what I did but it involved tweaking the unit. The end of the black tube with the slots I took the corner off on tiny spot so it was a little V shaped where it was supposed to go back into the slot but then would start going in reverse and ride on the end instead of dropping into the slot. I don't recommend it but it seemed to help a little.

 

[buruskeee]

I don't remember exactly what I did but it involved tweaking the unit. The end of the black tube with the slots I took the corner off on tiny spot so it was a little V shaped where it was supposed to go back into the slot but then would start going in reverse and ride on the end instead of dropping into the slot. I don't recommend it but it seemed to help a little.

I might have a temporary fix - I adjusted the stand with unit to tilt forward a little bit to help relieve tension on the shaft. First feeding today didn’t get stuck. Crossing my fingers this will help reduce the amount of times it gets stuck in the future when the bin is more full and heavier.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Yes, I finally figured out how to fix it... there are two options:

The cheap option: Eheim Autofeeder
The expensive option: Avast Plank

Or, in other words - no, it never did get fixed. I think it is an issue with the basic mechanical properties of the thing - either the motors are occasionally bunk, or the actual design of the drum mechanism is very fragile and sensitive to disruption.

The Plank is the correct fix. One and done.