Thanks PaulB- Mandarin feeder

[VO3434]

Thank you

 

[Derrick0580]

I’m considering building one of these! I saw over on humble fish that sisterlimonpot was 3d printing some amazing ones but I’m not a member over there and that was a few years ago and probably not doing them any longer. Anyway my question is, for anyone who has used one of these, have you considered after a while going to a larger mesh once the mandarin associates the feeder with food, and “tricking” them into eating thawed frozen foods?

 

[Paul B]

It will not work at all with frozen foods. The principle is that the shrimp swim towards the light on the mesh and dead shrimp don't swim well.

 

[Derrick0580]

Yeah I found an article after I posted this saying once they get used to feeding there to place thawed frozen on top of the mesh when you fill it with live brine then to eventually just use only thawed frozen food!

 

[Rick's Reviews]

• I use a plastic container that Home Depot sells electrical tape in.

• Drill or cut out a large hole in the cover almost as large as the cover.

• Get a piece of acrylic or PVC tubing about 3/8" wide. Make a bend near one end of the tube. To do that get a spring that fits kind of snugly in the tube. Slide it in the tube with the center of the spring about an inch into the tube. Heat it with a hair dryer gun until you can bend it into a 90 degree angle. Hold it like that and run cold water over it to cool it. Remove the spring by turning it so that the coils get smaller and it will come out.

• Hold the bent part on your substrate and mark it about an inch above the water. Cut the tube there.

• Drill a hole in the side of the tape container so the tube fits in snugly and push the tube in.

• Cut a hole in a stocking with a fine mesh larger than the container (if you cut out a piece of your wife's stockings, cover the hole with duct tape so she doesn't notice)

• Lay the piece of stocking on the container (don't stretch it) and put the lid on.

• Find or make a small funnel for the top of the tube so you can pour in the shrimp and a little water so they go down. I used a small plastic container for that.

• I also put lead weights in it and covered them with Goop Glue. You can use quarters, rocks or anything heavy but if you use metal cover it with Goop. You need the weights because when you put the shrimp and water in the funnel, a little air gets in and it will float.

If the shrimp come right out after you add them, your mesh is too large. The shrimp should not be able to swim through on their own. You want the fish to pull them through as they get stuck in the mesh



Here I am using a plastic thing from a florist, but I am sure you can design something.

You have just given your concept out for free, if you get chance, you now have a working model/ prototype, you could sell this idea for royalties... Unfortunately it's now here for free hence the interest

 

[Paul B]

I have been giving that idea and many others out for free for years and it's in my book. I already have two patents on hobby related things and don't need any more.

 

[Derrick0580]

Has anyone had experience using the feeder with leopard wrasses? My target mandarin and radiant wrasse have figured the feeder out pretty quickly! Or, is releasing the baby brine directly into the tank a better idea?

 

[Paul B]

Yes

 

[The_Robo_Fighter]

Paul B!
Thank you for the idea and instructions! It appears to be exactly what I needed!

 

[OrlandoAIOReef]

Paul B!
Thank you for the idea and instructions! It appears to be exactly what I needed!

What did you use for netting?

 

[Paul B]

You can use a stocking but don't stretch it. I found that my urchin eats through the stocking so I found that when I take apart a used RO membrane, it works perfectly. I am not sure if all RO membranes are the same

 

[mizimmer90]

Cool design!! I'm planning on getting a mandarin once my new tank is set up and established and like the idea of this!

A couple dumb questions:

1) why is it crucial to get the mesh size just right and have the fish suck them through? Is it a big deal if the BBS just swim through and the fish eat on the other side?

2) can you just put the eggs into the tube to hatch at the bottom? Is that part of the design or should they be pre-hatched BBS to keep things clean?

 

[Paul B]

1) why is it crucial to get the mesh size just right and have the fish suck them through? Is it a big deal if the BBS just swim through and the fish eat on the other side?

If the shrimp swim right through the net, they will swim straight to the light at the surface and there would be no sense using a feeder. Mandarins don't eat off the surface.

I designed a larger model where you can put the eggs in. But if you put the eggs in the regular one, the shells will quickly clog the mesh and the thing won't work

 

[mizimmer90]

If the shrimp swim right through the net, they will swim straight to the light at the surface and there would be no sense using a feeder. Mandarins don't eat off the surface.

I designed a larger model where you can put the eggs in. But if you put the eggs in the regular one, the shells will quickly clog the mesh and the thing won't work

Thanks! Just to repeat back my understanding now: the mesh "traps" them so that the fish can pick them out whenever they feel? The part I was confused on was that I figured a mandarin would just wait there and grab them as they hatch before they swam up (assuming they all didnt hatch at the same time) but maybe this isn't how it actually works in practice?

Is there anything special about the larger model or just bigger container? Do the eggs need to be cleared out of it at some regularity?

Thanks again, this is a cool design!

 

[Paul B]

The larger one also has a small funnel at the surface with an auto feeder over it that dispenses a small amount of eggs daily. It also has a very small trickle of water going into the funnel to push the eggs down and give them some tiny circulation in the feeder so they hatch. After a week the shells have to be cleaned out

 

[Imrahilwjz]

@Paul B
Very informative. Thank you for your generosity.