Auto feeder?

[LeeAberdeen]

Anyone had success with an auto feeder for their discus? I haven't got my fish yet but have heard the juveniles can be very finicky, and wondered if they'd turn their noses up at some machine spitting bits of flake at them? I might need to use one for two days soon after I get them but, as it's only two days, they might be okay without being fed, which would save a load of food being wasted and raising my ammonia levels if they're unlikely to respond to a feeder. Any suggestions?

[DonMD]

It sounds like you're getting new fish, then leaving for a few days. I wonder about the tank you're putting them in, is it cycled? Other fish present?

I use automatic feeders every day for both my adults and my juvies, an Eheim simple feeder. Works great. But the fish are accustomed to the food. Tough if you're introducing new fish. Discus can go a long time without eating, especially adults. I wonder how young these juvies are. Normally discus can go a week or even two without food, unless they are young. It's a curious situation you're putting these fish into. I guess it all depends on the age of the fish, the condition of the tank you're putting them into, and whether they will eat your food. Hard to give you advice without more information.

[LeeAberdeen]

It sounds like you're getting new fish, then leaving for a few days. I wonder about the tank you're putting them in, is it cycled? Other fish present?

I use automatic feeders every day for both my adults and my juvies, an Eheim simple feeder. Works great. But the fish are accustomed to the food. Tough if you're introducing new fish. Discus can go a long time without eating, especially adults. I wonder how young these juvies are. Normally discus can go a week or even two without food, unless they are young. It's a curious situation you're putting these fish into. I guess it all depends on the age of the fish, the condition of the tank you're putting them into, and whether they will eat your food. Hard to give you advice without more information.

Well I'm actually trying to hear of other people's experiences before deciding whether it's okay to leave them, or better to buy them after the two days away. I can easily delay, but if the consensus is there's no problem with auto feeders, I'm happy to get them before.

Not sure why you'd try to draw any conclusion about whether my tank's cycled? The two issues are entirely unrelated but, yes, I've cycled it. Not sure why I'd put any fish in an uncycled tank and potentially kill them? In answer to your other question, they're 2 to 2.5inches, so pretty young, which I know makes a big difference to the feeding. There will just be discus in the tank, along with a pleco.