DIY Plans for a Homemade Demand Fish Feeder

Feeding fish is a chore some people enjoy, while others would rather have someone else do it for them. Buying an automatic fish feeder from your local pet store is one option, but you can just as easily make your own for less than half the price of a store bought feeder. With most of the supplies already found around your house, you can be feeding your fish automatically with little maintenance.

Things You'll Need

  • Pill bottle
  • Mighty Putty
  • Box cutter
  • 24-hour timer
  • Straw
  • Extension cord
  • Fish food
  • Electrical tape
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Instructions

  1. Building Your Feeder

    • 1

      Poke two holes into the pill bottle with the box cutter, setting them far enough apart that they will straddle the timer's dial when assembled. Turn the blade in a circle carefully until you have cut out two holes large enough that a pencil could barely fit through.

    • 2

      Pull apart two pieces from the Mighty Putty, and knead the putty until it turns to a white color. Apply the activated putty to the pill bottle over both holes. Mighty Putty will not stick to the bottle, so press the putty through the holes and work the putty until it closes up the holes from the inside and outside. Leave enough putty sticking outside of the bottle to connect it to the timer later. Let the Mighty Putty harden for 15 minutes.

    • 3

      Apply more activated Mighty Putty to the rim of the timer where the two holes will sit. Firmly but gently press the pill bottle onto the timer at a downward angle, making sure to stick the hardened Mighty Putty onto the soft putty on the timer. Again, let the Mighty Putty harden for 15 minutes.

    • 4

      Cut a hole with the box cutter into the pill bottle's lid wide enough that the straw will fit through but still be snug enough to not fall out. Place the hole as close to the rim as possible so the straw will lay long the bottom of the pill bottle. Cut the straw down to 1/2 inch longer than the depth of the pill bottle and cut the end of the straw at an angle on the end of the straw that will be inserted into the bottle. This allows the food into the straw to be dispensed.

    • 5

      Insert the cut straw into the pill bottle, facing the angled end of the straw up away from the timer, and set the straw where it will be flush against the inside bottom of the bottle. Remove the lid. Take a little more Mighty Putty and knead it until it activates, then putty the straw firmly into place. Let the putty harden for another 15 minutes.

    • 6

      Break your fish food into pieces small enough to freely slide through the straw to be dispensed. Close the lid of the pill bottle, and attach the timer to the assembly unit so the bottle's downward angle is towards the aquarium. Set the timer so the lights and food will run at the same time. Plug the aquarium light into the timer. Plug the timer into the extension cord, and plug the extension cord into a nearby power outlet.

    • 7

      Mount the feeder unit to your aquarium's hood with two strips of electrical tape that can be removed to refill the bottle with ease. Make sure the part of the straw extending out of the pill bottle is over an opening in your tank's hood so the food can drop inside. Turn off the aquarium light, then turn it back on to check if your new automatic feeder works. Tweak the angle of the bottle if the food does not freely dispense through the straw.