Mandarin feeder help

[xxkenny90xx]

So a week or two ago I made an @Paul B mandarin dragonette bbs feeder but I'm not having any luck getting the mandarins or wrasses to eat out of it. My cleaner shrimp has spent a little bit of time on it but I'm not confident the shrimp are getting out of the mesh. I used the small mesh from an ro filter.

What am I doing wrong? Or am I just being impatient?

 

[xxkenny90xx]

 

[fishguy242]

pic's,following

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Picture of my full hatchery/feeder set up just for fun

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Bump

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Is ro mesh different sizes depending on which gpd the RO filter is rated for?

 

[bluprntguy]

I built one of these too and had a hard time getting the mesh worked out. It always seemed to be either stretched too tight (and the bbs would just swim out) or it was too loose and the mandarin wouldn’t peck at it and couldn’t really see the bbs.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Following as well because I wanted to do this but mesh was an issue

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I built one of these too and had a hard time getting the mesh worked out. It always seemed to be either stretched too tight (and the bbs would just swim out) or it was too loose and the mandarin wouldn’t peck at it and couldn’t really see the bbs.

Did you use ro mesh? It doesn't seem stretchy to me but maybe I should try to make it tighter? Paul has also recommending some other mesh materials but its hard to find the exact stuff he's using

 

[fishguy242]

look into fish net netting? hobby/sport??

 

[xxkenny90xx]

look into fish net netting? hobby/sport??

What do you mean by fish net netting? I have a fishing net but the mesh is probably 1/2" squares. Is that too big?

 

[bluprntguy]

Did you use ro mesh? It doesn't seem stretchy to me but maybe I should try to make it tighter? Paul has also recommending some other mesh materials but its hard to find the exact stuff he's using

I thought PaulB recommended pantyhose? That’s what I tried at first. I also found a clear plastic mesh brine shrimp net that I thought would work great. The holes were small enough to keep brine shrimp inside, but the clear mesh meant that the mandarin could see them. Nope.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I thought PaulB recommended pantyhose? That’s what I tried at first. I also found a clear plastic mesh brine shrimp net that I thought would work great. The holes were small enough to keep brine shrimp inside, but the clear mesh meant that the mandarin could see them. Nope.

I believe he used to recommend panty hose (not sure which exactly) but nowadays he uses ro mesh.

Hmm... At this point I think I'm just torturing thousands of bbs that can't get out of the feeder

 

[bluprntguy]

I believe he used to recommend panty hose (not sure which exactly) but nowadays he uses ro mesh.

Hmm... At this point I think I'm just torturing thousands of bbs that can't get out of the feeder

reverse osmosis mesh or is ro mesh a brand name?

 

[xxkenny90xx]

reverse osmosis mesh or is ro mesh a brand name?

Ya you just take the RO filter out of your rodi and rip it apart. There are actually 2 different mesh types in there, I'm using the smaller mesh, it seems the other is much too big...

 

[bluprntguy]

Ya you just take the RO filter out of your rodi and rip it apart. There are actually 2 different mesh types in there, I'm using the smaller mesh, it seems the other is much too big...

Got it.

These are the mesh nets I tried. Once you pop the handle off, they actually fit perfectly over the plastic container that I bought from TAP plastics.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Got it.

These are the mesh nets I tried. Once you pop the handle off, they actually fit perfectly over the plastic container that I bought from TAP plastics.

But those didn't end up working out?

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Has anybody actually been successful with one of these feeders?

 

[bluprntguy]

But those didn't end up working out?

Well, I could see the bbs through the mesh and so could the mandarin, but it didn’t seem like she ever caught on to the fact that she had to suck them through the mesh. I may have just been too impatient. I’ll try again perhaps once I’m home.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Got it.

These are the mesh nets I tried. Once you pop the handle off, they actually fit perfectly over the plastic container that I bought from TAP plastics.

So I just checked these out, it seems their purpose is to scoop up the shrimp and hold them in the net. In a feeder it is my understanding that the mesh should be big enough that the shrimp should be able to squeeze through but it should be difficult for them. I would think that mesh is gonna be too small.