# Best Automated Feeding System?



## Afemoralis (Mar 17, 2005)

As a hobby, we've done pretty well at meeting the physiological needs of our frogs. We've even done well at automating light, temperature, and humidity. 

The one thing we haven't really managed adequately is automated feeding. I for one, would love to have a system where I can leave for a while, asking a friend to snap in a new fly culture every week or so.

Fly cultures inside the viv doesn't work that well (..except in a pinch), and is plain ugly. Compost tanks are interesting, but require a serious commitment of tank space and tending to work well.

So... what have you come up with? Has anyone got a system that the rest of the hobby should adopt?

cheers,

Afemoralis


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## MrBiggs (Oct 3, 2006)

I've always had an interest in this as well. If anyone has any ideas, even vague ones, please post them!

I once considered attempting a version of this where the FF's would be cultured in a long rectangular box that was long but as skinny as possible. I thought perhaps it would then be possible to build a plastic rig where it would be attached at the top of the tank. That way it would be less obvious and the flies would just crawl out of the box and fall down.

The conceptual problem was that there would be no good way to regulate whether the frogs would get enough flies falling down into the tank to eat...


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## NDokai (Nov 13, 2009)

I've thought of this idea a few times. I thought of having a main chamber, where extra large fly cultures were contained, with PVC pipes extending from there, to each vivarium on a rack. If you had windows in the black PVC pipe, the flies would likely climb toward the light, especially if it was the main source of light in the apparatus. 
Another component that I thought of incorporating in all of this, is a system where there is a timed distribution of the flies, instead of a steady flow. If you had a valve or valves, on a timer, maybe even a fan as well, this could be done. Similar to an automated sprinkler system. The flies would be waiting in the PVC pipes above the culture chamber, and as often as you would like, the valves would open and the fan would force air toward the vivariums, pushing the flies into the tanks. 
There are still a lot of potential problems to be adressed, but it is a start.
I haven't had the need to try to set something like this up yet.
It would be a lot of work, but could be cool.
Good luck.
Nick


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## RMB (Nov 26, 2009)

One idea I had, but haven't followed through on yet:
Since I'm using a 29gal aquarium, with 4" glass strips for a top, I could build a glass box maybe 6"x12"x4"high, with an attached screen bottom, and removable glass top. This would sit on top of the tank, with the screened bottom open to the tank. That would be filled with damp charcoal and springtails. Hopefully what would happen is the springs would reproduce in there, and occasionally some would fall out, or be scared out by stirring the charcoal, without the hassle of removing them from a culture. If too many end up falling out, and it gets depopulated, part of the bottom screen could be covered.

Anybody seen or done anything similar?


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

A big tank with a lot of leaf litter and microfauna works pretty well.


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## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

Yep, along the lines of what Zach said, there`s always something crawling around a well established viv. with leaf litter.
I would be interested in hearing some ideas though.
We take a lot of vacations here, as a matter of fact we`re going on a short one in about 3 weeks.
I will however never again go away and leave a culture in my viv.
The last time I did this I came home after 10 days to find about 5000 flies in the viv. and all over my damn house!!

John


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## TDK (Oct 6, 2007)

What I do when I'm on vacation for a week to ten days is plan ahead and have several cultures of fruit flies in plastic drink cups made up that I place inside the tanks. I usually have 2 containers in each tank. One cup with the top off and one with the top on but with small holes in the sides that flies and larvae can escape slowly. This usually supplies more than enough. I always make more than what I need in case some cultures fail. I also use small deli or Jello cups and stick them in a larger shoe box, that has vent screens, add flies to the large container with all the smaller ones inside and let the flies breed. Once the small containers have larvae I stick them in with the frogs.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Often the frogs in the hobby are fat enough to fast for a week or even two without any ill effects (see the threads on the minimal metabolic needs of a frog (like http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/ge...overfeeding-split-beginners-discussion-3.html ) . 

However if one places a piece of orange into the enclosure one can insert a short piece of air line tubing through the lid of a ff culture and then run it to the tank. This will allow ffs to funnel into the enclosure (with the orange piece holding them in the enclosure). If you want to really control the rate at which ffs flow into the cage, cut a piece of foam plug to fit the top of the culture and then cut a slit down one side of the foam piece. At the base of the slit cut a V shaped notch. The airline tubing is inserted into the culture via the slit and the V shaped notch funnels the ffs up into the airline tubing. By pushing the tube further into the notch (so it doesn't sit flush with the foam, one can control the rate that the flies are funneled into the tube. 

Ed


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## Afemoralis (Mar 17, 2005)

I appreciate the input. As with compost systems, deep leaf litter can be a great source- but doesn't cut it as a permanent food source without upkeep. I have field seasons that can be months long- and finding folks who will willingly tackle fly-making, then feeding out, is a pain in the butt. 

I can order flies, but minimizing the time a frog sitter needs to spend on feeding all the tanks would be ideal.

The tubing ideas are similar to those that I've had. I hadn't thought of the motivating factors though- so "windows" and bait orange in the viv's are great ideas.

I think we should keep the ideas coming... and get them prototyped!

Cheers,

Afemoralis


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## sk8erdave (Aug 21, 2009)

RMB said:


> One idea I had, but haven't followed through on yet:
> Since I'm using a 29gal aquarium, with 4" glass strips for a top, I could build a glass box maybe 6"x12"x4"high, with an attached screen bottom, and removable glass top. This would sit on top of the tank, with the screened bottom open to the tank. That would be filled with damp charcoal and springtails. Hopefully what would happen is the springs would reproduce in there, and occasionally some would fall out, or be scared out by stirring the charcoal, without the hassle of removing them from a culture. If too many end up falling out, and it gets depopulated, part of the bottom screen could be covered.
> 
> Anybody seen or done anything similar?


 you could use this idea the way that people use charcoal cultures, just flood one side with a automated mister which in turn would wash the springs into the tank, you could keep one side solid bottomed like said above and just flood one half to keep the culture from getting overly depleted..
Thanks fro listening 
Dave


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