Neptune AFS Automatic Feeding System - Don't Miss These Tips!
Need to feed your saltwater fish, but not around all day to do it by hand? Neptune Systems has you covered with the Automatic Feeding System (AFS). Feed multiple times a day for those reef tank fish with high energy needs, or just supplement your morning or evening feeding automatically. Here are our top 10 tips to get the most out of your new AFS Automatic Feeder!
1) Take it Off the Tank to Refill
It's important to remove the AFS from the aquarium when it's time to refill the pellets. This will help avoid spilling any leftover pellets into the tank, which could cause big problems for the water quality and tank inhabitants if a large amount of food gets added all at once. This tip applies to almost all automatic feeders.
2) Don't Mix Different Pellet Sizes
While it might seem like a good idea, mixing different pellet sizes doesn't work like you might think. Smaller pellets will generally separate from the larger pellets and be added to the aquarium at a faster rate. If you need to feed two different pellet sizes, it's best to use two separate AFS feeders to fine tune the amount of each pellet you're feeding.
3) Don't Feed Too Much
It's easy to overfeed when using an autofeeder. Pellets are more nutrient dense vs frozen foods, so feed small amounts at a time, ensuring your fish have a chance to eat the pellets.
4) Monitor Nitrates and Phosphates
Monitoring your aquarium's nutrient levels can help you determine if you're feeding too much, which as we discovered in the last tip, is easy to do when using an automatic feeder if you aren't careful.
5) Protect the AquaBus Cable
Position the AFS in an area that isn't going to expose it to high humidity like a closed hood without ventilation. High humidity will not only affect the AquaBus cable ports, but can also cause issues with the food dispensing properly if water gets into the feeding drum.
6) Use a Feeding Ring
Most pellets float or don't sink immediately, so using a feeding ring can help keep the food in the tank so that the fish have a chance to eat it rather than it getting sucked into your overflow and filtration system.
7) Hang on the Hood
Get creative with your AFS placement. While most reefers will attach the AFS to the side of the tank, we've found great success in mounting the AFS to our light rails, which not only keeps it out of view, but also keeps it away from areas with high humidity.
8) Paper Test It
Don't test how much you're feeding over the tank. Put the AFS on the table over a piece of white paper to easily see how much food it's adding with each rotation.
9) Have it Go Off When You're Not Around
Automatic feeders aren't silent. If the noise is something that bothers you, setting the AFS to go off when you're not around is the way to go.
10) Consider the Crossover Diet
The AFS can feed just about any flake or pellet food, but our favorite food to use with the AFS is the Neptune Systems Crossover Diet Pellets. With a micro-film of coral food applied to the surface of every pellet, these pellets work to feed both fish and corals without any extra effort.
Adam has been reef keeping since 2010 and got his start on the Bulk Reef Supply Customer Service team. He believes the best tanks are built around what you enjoy, not what’s trending. Adam is especially interested in simplifying the hobby, exploring the latest gear, and helping others focus on long-term success over chasing perfection.
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