Simple DIY target feeder for mandarin, pipefish, and more.

[roadrashpaul]

Paul (or anyone using one of these) I have a question about how this works.

It would seem to me that when you put it in your tank, it would fill up with water up the acrylic tube to where the water level is. That part is self explanatory. But when you pour in some baby brines and water does it push them all the way to the feeder? I assume it does as it works for you and I may be over thinking this but it just seems that the shrimp could stay in the tube and not get down to the feeder. Or the tube just fills up with more water and the shrimp don't make it down to the feeder. Just trying to understand the mechanics here as I am going to build one of these this weekend (hopefully).

 

[Paul B]

Good question with a simple answer. After you hatch the shrimp and have them in a pint or so of water, you need to concentrate them in a very small amount of water, like 2 tablespoons. To do that, I strain the newly hatched shrimp in a brine shrimp strainer. I have one from Florida Aqua Farms but you can get a baby brine shrimp net and strain the shrimp into that, then invert it into like a half ounce of salt water and pour that into the feeder, than follow that by a small amount of water just enough to push all the shrimp into the feeder. I do it every day.

 

[roadrashpaul]

Ah, makes perfect sense now. Thank you for the explanation.

 

[SantaMonica]

Hopefully the screen won't clog or get coralline.

 

[Paul B]

It will, so I remove it every two weeks or so and clean the screen or replace it

 

[enb141]

I know this is an old thread but I would like to know what kind of "net" to use in order to void the brine shrimps to stay in the cage?

 

[Paul B]

The "net" is a stocking. You may have to try a few stockings but don't stretch it or the holes get big.

 

[enb141]

The "net" is a stocking. You may have to try a few stockings but don't stretch it or the holes get big.

Have you tried something different besides stockings?

 

[Paul B]

Yes, my large sea urchin eats through the stocking so I opened up a used RO cartridge and there was a very fine mesh in there all rolled up. I tried that and it worked perfectly and I can clean it.

I doubt all RO cartridges are the same but mine worked great. I had to cut the thing apart with a hack saw to get it.

 

[leon.1980]

Now it's very hard for me to post this because my computer is in a nook and my head is to big to fit in it any more. I never get compliments from Supermodels, I am not sure why as salt water aquariums is the favorite hobby of many Supermodels.
Here is a short video of the feeder if anyone is interested. You can build it for about $5.00 and that includes the electrical tape that you can use to repair the holes in your wife's stockings after you cut a large hole out of them to make the feeder.
Just use the container the tape comes in. The tape comes in red, blue, black, yellow, orange and purple so choose the color tape that most matches your wife's legs and she won't notice for a while.

Is there A new link to this feeder? im considering adapting it to my dos to continually feed brine shrimp all day.

 

[Paul B]

No new links, but the old ones work fine

 

[leon.1980]

Weird. The link took me to error page. Maybe I used the wrong one. Thank you.

 

[Paul B]

I don't know, it works on my computer. Just search for Paul B feeder.