target feeder

[blueboy]

just thought i'd share this with everyone. i notice people talking from time to time about using a turkey baster to feed, i have a slightly different approach. i use a large(35cc) syringe with a short 3/4" piece of airline stuck on the "nipple", in the airline i stick a full length of rigid airline(from a UGF). i mix my food/vitamins in a coffee mug and with this tool i can deliver exact amounts of food almost anywere in the tank without putting my hand in the water. larger chunks will stop it up, but i use the suction to hold bigger pieces of squid and silversides to feed my anemones and mantis shrimp. most feedstore/farm supply stores carry large syringes, i'm sure this thing can be built for under a buck. i use it for feeding everything, delivering little squirts to the center of the tank, right were the most turbulent flow is, the current spreads it around, and most of it is consumed before hitting the bottom or going over the overflows. any way, works great. try it!

[don-n-sa]

great idea...thanks!

[N5KC]

Post a pic. Easier to construct. I like the idea.

[CD]

I use one to target feed some of our corals. It DOES work great! The only problem I have is with "chunkier" food (it will get stuck, like you said). But for things like cyclopeeze, rotifers, and foods of that size, this thing is *perfect*. If anybody wants to see a pic of what it looks like, I'm sure we could post one...were you going to post a pic of your rig, Abe?

Wendy :)

[Reef69]

Man, i build one once, lost it.. no clue whee it went, it was pretty useful though..

[blueboy]

oh yeah, it works like a champ! i don't have a camera, so a pic may take awhile, but it's pretty simple. i've been using this thing for a coouple of years, i just never really thought to post it till someone else saw it and liked it.

[blueboy]

oh, and alot of the time i don't even open the hood to feed. i just stick the tube through one of the cooling slots.

[N5KC]

Looks like a trip to my wifes work. I suppose she can get me a syringe at the vets office.

[cbianco]

I've of the syringe idea before and I think its a great idea! Its alot more precise than a turkey baster for sure. I've heard of people using not only rigid tubing but flexible tubing as well. The flexible tubing allows target feeding at weird angles.

Christopher

[jaded]

I've been using mine for about a year now... I now have 4 syringes

35cc for brine, zooplankton, mysis...
35cc for direct feeding my carnation coral
60cc for dosing alk buffer (I use the drip system I got from seamonkey2). I'm all about percision!!!
and a food injector that I rarely use anymore, but it was the original "syringe"

this is a great idea!!! I highly recommend it.

P.S. you can easily bend the end to form a hook using heat. This is helpful in many situations and really doesnt limits its function in any other areas. I like it much better with the hooked end

http://www.paddletexas.com/images/temp_images/syringe.jpg

[SaltyJim]

nice idea about bending the tip...I have one I have been using for a while now, but will be changing it to bend just like that...thanks Jaded...and thanks Abe for posintg this.

[blueboy]

yeah, i originally used flex tubing. but because of the current, i had a hard time getting the tip were i wanted it.