EHEIM TWIN Automatic Feeder, Battery Operation, Random

Over the years I have purchased four Eheim twin automatic feeders. As you would expect from German engineering, the unit is built with integrity and reliability. The instruction booklet is 61 pages (see picture) and illustrated with black and white photos and in several languages. Pretend you're back in college and taking notes from that professor who entered school at five years of age and never left. This is not an easy-to-use feeder despite the considerable effort by Eheim to break down the information in a logical fashion (I felt like I was reading a manual to operate my Mercedez Benz!). The unit provides multiple capabilities for various food types, times, cycles, including "random" feeding times. Closely follow the instructions step-by-step and try to memorize the system behind the programming. Assembling the unit requires multiple steps and a sensitivity to how parts fit together. Do not rush this process. I found the list of multiple languages somewhat tedious as you need to progress to the next step by keeping your place in the programming outline. Once programmed, you can expect flawless operation if this sensitive unit is safely secured to whatever platform you have. The tiny velcro tabs for the tiny rubber feet are more a gentle joke than a security system. CAUTION: If you change food types, or alter the number of fish, or modify your tank environment in any way that would necessarily require modification in how you feed your fish, you will need to test again if the proper number of feeding cycles is adequate. This will require adjustments to the feeding unit. For me, I have to consult the instruction pamphlet once again to ensure I understand the multiple step process. This requires flipping through the 61-page pamphlet all over again. ALSO: If this unit comes into contact with any moisture (definite possibility given this unit is for aquariums), WATCH OUT! Twice my housekeeper -that's right, TWICE - knocked the pricey unit into the tank. Once the Eheim unit went to the bottom of my 55-gallon tank like a rock. The tank was thick with food flakes! Another time the unit barely touched the surface before my housekeeper, amid screams of "Not again!" scooped the expensive unit from the tank. In both times the unit was completely ruined and malfunctioned like a bizarre creature from a Sci-Fi film, spitting out clumps of food in a continuous grind, opening and shutting its lid, and finally clunking to an irreversible death. I had to purchase a new one. Yesterday my fourth Eheim unit was sprinkled with a few drops of water as I moved an algae scrapper across the tank. The unit started whirring and whining and continuously pushed fish food from both cylinders at an alarming rate showering food into my tank like rain. EHEIM SUPPORT: I emailed support and wondered if there is any way they could prepare this fine unit to exist around water with more confidence that it would not react like a touchy robot (remember, the Witch in the Wizard of Oz melted with one drop of water!). Eheim Support was cordial and professional and sent me a replacement, although that is not what I requested. Thank you, Eheim! Yes, I will buy this unit again. Several times I've traveled out of the country for several weeks at a time. This Eheim feeder worked like it's supposed to work. The fish were fat and happy.

I've used the Eheim Twin for a month so far on a wood plank over a small outdoor Koi pond. It has worked flawlessly so far. The fish seem to like its consistent feeding time. I'm only use one food type (Kaytee Koi's Choice pellets), so using both bins for extra capacity. What I like: -- Twin screw feeders (instead of rotate and dump). The screw feeders seem pretty consistent in how much food they dispense. I haven't had any problems so far with over feeding, under feeding, sticky food, etc. -- Can program it to dispense a wide range of food (for each feeder, 1-3 daily feedings with 1-9 screw turns each time) -- Easy to fill. -- Made in Germany at a reasonable price. Other notes: -- I know it's NOT rated for outdoors. When the winter comes, I'll either bring it indoors or build a better case for it (right now, just have a plastic box on top in case of unexpected rain). -- The included mounting squares are cheezy; I ignored them and used some 2" Velcro. -- For my pond size, the food lasts well over a week. -- For basic settings, user interface isn't bad. Yes, you do have to go through all the settings, but I don't have to dig out the manual, I don't change it often, and it doesn't take more than a minute when I do. Now, if I wanted to set something fancy like random feeding time, I might need to dig out the manual (I think I remember how to do it, but would need to verify).

Over the years I have tried numerous feeders but remained mostly dissatisfied due to irregular portion size as the rotating drum gets low on food. Although this Eheim Twin-feeder does not like big flakes and clogs relatively easy, I discovered Tetra Crisps work perfectly because they are smaller and more consistent in size. Unfortunately, We like to winter in Florida and this feeder only holds enough food for 4 or 5 days (at best) with 3 feedings a day for my large hungry fish. I designed a supplemental tank that sits on top of the feeder and adds about 2 months of additional food to the normally limited food supply. It works great! After 4 weeks of testing, I decided I can easily change this 13 oz tank to a larger supplemental tank for even longer vacation times. For those interested ...I took an empty plastic 13 0z bottle of ketchup (water bottles would probably work fine too) and a small 1.5" x 4" thin piece of balsa that was laying around the house. Obviously, any thin, firm material like plastic, metal or wood should work fine. I wrapped the balsa wood with duct tape to keep any moisture from deteriorating the wood. I then cut out two small notches on one side of the wood to accommodate for the Eheim door-hinges which will then allow this new door-top to fit snug when laid over one side of the Eheim Feeder when a feeder-lid is open. Then, I hot-glued the ketchup cap (thread side up) to the new balsa lid. I did trim away a bit on the side of the cap (before gluing) so when I cut a hole through the cap it was centered over one of the feed tanks. I then drilled a hole about the size of a dime through the center of the cap and the balsa lid. That hole proved to be too small and the Tetra-Crisps still bound up. I enlarged the hole with my Dremmel sander to about the size of a nickel and it works fine. I also put a small 1/16th" hole in the bottom of the ketchup bottle to ensure a vacuum would not prevent the food from dropping. Fortunately, the new vent hole prevents a vacuum and is small enough not to let food fall through when I unscrew the bottle for refilling. I added a couple of rubber bands to hold the whole thing in place above the feeder. It works so well, I think it will even work with flakes although I did not test for that. I intend to switch to a larger bottle- tank to ensure our fish are fed over a 3-month vacation. Even better ...the cap is the same size so I don't have to build a new top. An additional plus is that I did not have to alter or damage the Eheim TwinFeeder in any way and I still have the use of both tanks. The negative side is you must have enough room on top of your fish-tank to accommodate the height of the feeder plus the height of the supplemental ketchup-tank. Hopefully, the attached picture illustrates the end product. Good luck with your "Home-made, Extended Vacation, Fish Feeder Mod"!

仕事場に設置した120ｃｍ水槽用です。毎日朝仕事前に一回は自分で餌やりしますが、残り2-3回などやりたくても時間がとれないこともあります。この機種は作りがしっかりしており、まだ使用期間1ヶ月ですが安定して動作しています。餌箱が2つあり、2種類の餌を入れておき各々3回まで、そして各餌やりの0回から2回まで設定できるため、量の加減また回数の設定も最低1回から6回まで設定できるのも良い点です。最初6回餌やりにして見ていましたが、今は4回です。また一回2回転とするとやはり多いようで1回に変更。斜め上向きの鏡筒の形で中を回転するスクリューで上に餌を持ち上げてから蓋が開いて餌を落す構造です。餌が乾燥するような仕組みもあり、安心して使用できるようです。ただ、欠点として、固定の設置器具が別売りで。またオールガラス水槽などの厚みには対応しますが、水槽上の縁の枠があるタイプには一部つかないかもしれません。またその厚さ設定がやや使いにくいと感じました。水平なガラス蓋を使っている方は、同梱の物で接着する物ですが安心して使えます。今はこちらに変えました。

Great product, keeps the fish all well fed with pellets of 2 types and sizes for a mixed aquarium. No good for flake it breaks it up, use the single Eheim unit for flake.

Works well...very good quality. Can use all type of dry fish food.

Little confusing on set up - large hoppers and runs on aa batteries which is good as I’ve tried several that use usb but cables can be a pain - been using on small Algiers wafers and granulated discus food - no problems with either - found that the single ehime feeder can have a bit of a problem with regular amounts of food being dispersed but this twin feeder doesn’t as it works using a different method - also having the spindles internal and the catch only moving slightly to let out food is great. Don’t know how it goes with flake but might give it a go later - feeders simplify fish keeping as I only do 45 min mainlanders a week and are a shift worker so my fish getting food wether I’m home or no is great - a cycle can be set where it skips a period after it has gone through a cycle is handy as you know a big problem in the hoody is over feeding fish

Es muy útil para programar la alimentación semanal de los peces, el sistema de espiral es mucho más seguro y eficiente que el sistema de tambor-rotación de la mayoría de alimentadores automáticos, ya que te aseguras que no le va a saltar la tapa y caer toda la comida de golpe, además se abre y cierra la exclusa automáticamente protegiéndose de la humedad. Ojo, hay que tener en cuenta que si lo llenas entero saldrá mucha comida así que hay que tener cuidado si tu acuario es pequeño. Como es mi caso, yo lo que hago en lugar de llenarlo entero es colocar en cada vuelta de espiral la cantidad que quiero que suelte cada día, mezclando distintos alimentos sin problemas, e incluso intercalando si por ejemplo quiero que me suelte una pastilla de fondo cada 3 días, lo programo para una vuelta y esa es la cantidad exacta que cae en el acuario, lo recargo a modo de pastillero una vez a la semana y esta funcionando perfectamente, controlo la cantidad exacta que cae.