5 Popular Automatic Pond Fish Feeders Compared
by Tory Jon | Last Updated: December 31, 2023
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Automatic fish feeders are a great tool for keeping your pond fish on a feeding schedule when you’re away on vacation or can’t feed your fish regularly.
They also make it easy to track the amount of food you feed your fish and when.
But automatic pond fish feeders do come with some drawbacks.
Let's look at the 5 of the best fish feeders available today…
And we'll cover their pros and cons so you can make double sure an automatic fish feeder for your pond is the right choice.
Pond Fish Feeder Comparison Chart
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5 Popular Automatic Pond Fish Feeders
Below are 5 of the best auto fish feeders for ponds and lakes on the market today. We included feeders that are perfect for small backyard ponds up to large farm ponds and lakes. So, it should be easy to find the right model for your unique pond.
Fish Mate P7000 Pond Fish Feeder
Fish Mate is one of the most popular brands of automatic fish feeders for small ponds (and aquariums).
The Fish Mate P7000 Pond Fish Feeder will allow you to program up to 3 feedings per day and allow you to manually serve food in between the programmed ones.
Both the time and the amount of fish food that is dispensed are adjustable, so you can ensure your fish are getting the exact amount of food pellets they need when they need it. Plus, the unit holds roughly 30 cups of fish food, so you won't need to refill it constantly.
This battery-operated automatic fish feeder is powered by 4 alkaline C batteries, which should last up to 12 months before replacing.
Use this outdoor pond fish feeder with dry fish food up to 5/8” in size.
Watch this video to see how easy it is to set up and use the P7000!
Product Specifications
Capacity: 30 cups of fish food
Power: 4 x C batteries
Feeding Settings:: 3 feedings per day
Dispense Amount: Adjustable
Broadcast: Short, a few inches
Placement: Edge of pond
Pros
- Great automatic feeder for small to medium-sized ponds and water gardens
- Long battery life
- Adjustable meal size
- Up to 3 programmable feedings
- 3-year manufacturers guarantee
Cons
- While it is a quality machine, it's not as durable as more expensive models like the Texas Hunter and the Moultrie fish feeders below. It may get easily damaged by raccoons (and other animals) and bad weather
- Not a great solution for large ponds or lakes
Fish Mate P21 Automatic Pond Fish Feeder
Another Fish Mate model, the P21 Automatic Pond Fish Feeder, is a more affordable version with fewer features than the P7000 above. But that doesn't mean it's not the best option for you and your pond.
The P21 outdoor pond fish feeder is ideal for small fish and koi ponds and is perfect for those that don't need all the bells and whistles of the more expensive models.
With this small pond fish feeder, you can only set up one feed per 24 hours. However, it gradually feeds that set amount over several hours and for up to 21 days. And the amount of food pellets dispensed is adjustable, as well, so your fish will always get the right amount of food when they need it.
This energy-efficient model only takes 1 x AA battery that offers a year of continuous use.
Product Specifications
Capacity: 1.5 cups (roughly) of food
Power: 1 x AA
Feeding Settings: Once per day, programmable
Dispense Amount: Adjustable
Broadcast: Downward
Placement: Over the edge of the pond
Pros
- Great automatic feeder for small ponds and water gardens
- Can be used with sticks, pellets, or flakes
- Long battery life
- Adjustable meal size
- 3-year manufacturers guarantee
Cons
- Not ideal for larger ponds or heavily stocked ponds
- Only 1 feeding per 24 hours
- Could get damaged by raccoons (and other animals) and bad weather
Texas Hunter Directional Fish Feeder
The Texas Hunter Directional Pond Fish Feeder is one of the best feeders on the market today.
This high-quality and ultra-durable feeder holds up to 70lbs of fish food with up to 9 programmable feedings in a 24-hour period! The amount of food pellets it dispenses is adjustable from a length of 1 to 60 seconds.
The powerful built-in air blower system will project the food outward in a large 20 ft by 45 ft wedge-shaped pattern and eliminate any food from dropping within 3 to 5 feet from the feeder.
All of this is powered by a 12-volt rechargeable battery. And for those looking for a more environmentally friendly solution, this unit comes pre-wired for an optional 2-watt solar panel power charger.
Product Specifications
Capacity: 70lbs of fish food
Power: 12-volt rechargeable battery (optional solar power charger)
Feeding Settings: Up to 9 feedings per day, programmable
Dispense Amount: Adjustable (1-60 seconds)
Broadcast: 20 ft by 45 ft wedge-shaped pattern
Placement: Edge of pond or lake
Pros
- Made from galvanized steel with a locking lid so no animals will be able to break-in
- Arguably the best automatic fish feeder for medium to large ponds and lakes
- Can be dock mounted
- Optional solar panel charger
- Adjustable meal sizes
- Timer allows up to 9 programmable feedings
- Low profile design for easy refilling
- 5-year manufacturers guarantee
Cons
- No cons at the moment. This is really the best fish feeder for ponds at this time
Moultrie 30 Gallon Directional Fish Feeder With Tripod
Moultrie pond fish feeders are among the best on the market. They are extremely versatile and are used to feed many types of animals, including fish and deer, as well as used in ponds, lakes, on roads, trails, and anywhere else you can think of.
The Moultrie 30-gallon Auto Feeder is a high-quality and durable product with a spreader that casts fish feed out up to 30 ft and covers a 30-degree area.
The digital timer allows you to program up to 6 feedings per day, with each feeding dispensing for up to 20 seconds in length.
This automatic feeder is super easy to set up (no tools required) and sits nicely in or on the edge of your pond with its handy tripod base.
This unit requires a 6-volt battery (not included) and has the option to add the Moultrie Deluxe Solar Panel.
Product Specifications
Capacity: 30 gallons of food
Power: 6-volt battery (optional solar panel)
Feeding Settings: Up to 6 feedings per day programmable
Dispense Amount: Adjustable (1-20 seconds)
Broadcast: 30 degrees, and up to 30 ft depending on the height
Placement: Edge of pond or lake
Pros
- Great directional pond feeder for medium to large ponds and lakes
- Optional solar charger
- Adjustable feeding size
- Up to 6 programmable feedings with a digital timer
- Easy to setup
- Extremely versatile
Cons
- Moultrie has the shortest warranty of all the reviewed feeders, at only 12 months
Moultrie Directional Fish Feeder (Hanging)
For exceptional Moultrie quality at the most affordable price, their hanging directional fish feeders are the way to go!
The Moultrie 6.5-gallon directional feeder for ponds features anti-clog technology and casts feed in one direction with a 30-degree path.
The programmable timer allows up to 6 feedings per day, with each feeding lasting 1 to 20 seconds.
Unlike the Moultrie model above with a tripod base, this model is designed to hang just about anywhere. Typically, you'd want to hang this on the edge of your pond (from a tree or similar or build a base to hang it from).
This unit is powered by a 6-volt battery (not included) and comes with a 1-year warranty.
Feeder Specifications
Capacity: 6.5 gallons of food
Power: 6-volt battery
Feeding Settings: Up to 6 feedings per day, programmable
Dispense Amount: Adjustable (1-20 seconds)
Broadcast: 30-degrees, up to 20 ft depending on the height
Placement: Edge of pond or lake
Pros
- Great feeder for medium to large ponds and lakes
- Adjustable meal sizes
- Timer allows up to 6 programmable feedings
- Easy to setup
- Extremely versatile
Cons
- Moultrie has the shortest warranty of all the reviewed feeders, at only 12 months
- May not be the best choice if you don't have an ideal spot to hang it from
Should You Use an Automatic Fish Feeder?
Automatic pond fish feeders can make caring for your fish a simple, mostly hands-off process.
And while feeders certainly have their advantages, they do have a few drawbacks.
Let's look at both the pros and cons of automatic fish feeders to see if it's the right choice for you.
Benefits
- Easy To Use & Setup: Automatic pond feeders set up quickly (usually can be done within minutes) and just require periodic refilling. Even the more expensive, feature-rich models are easy to set up and maintain. For example, the Moultrie Tripod model above requires no tools and is set up in minutes!
- Vacation Fish Feeder: Who's going to feed your fish if you go on vacation? Or fall ill? Or simply don't have the time to feed your fish multiple times a day on a regular schedule? This is where automatic fish feeders really shine.
- Creates An Automated Routine: Minus the periodic refilling, auto fish feeders provide a mostly hands-off experience, which makes it super easy to put your koi or other fish on a regular feeding schedule that encourages maximum growth and happy, lively fish.
- Ideal For Heavily Stocked Ponds & Fish Farms: An automatic pond feeder is a no-brainer for heavily stocked koi ponds and fish farms. Simply keeping up with feeding in these environments can be difficult, and fish feeders can help keep the fish on a natural feeding pattern without someone always being present to manually feed.
- Minimizes Food Waste: In the long run, an automatic fish feeder for your pond may actually help save you money due to minimizing food waste. You can set the exact amount of food your fish will eat and the number of feedings they should get per day. This can help alleviate overfeeding, which can be easy to do when you're hand-feeding fish. Overfeeding is not only a waste of money; it can also lead to water quality issues as the uneaten food sinks to the bottom and adds to the pond sludge on the pond floor.
Drawbacks
- Chance of Failure: As with anything in life, there is a chance that your automatic feeder could break down and fail. If left unattended for too long, this could be detrimental to your fish's health. Fortunately, this can be mitigated by choosing a quality model, proper care and cleaning, and daily feeder checks (or as often as possible).
- Social Impact: One of the best things about having pet koi or other pond fish is social interaction. Your aquatic pets enjoy being fed, and they will even get to know you over time. With auto fish feeders, you tend to lose this interaction. That doesn't mean you can't use a fish pond feeder, though. You can easily have the feeder set up to run when you're not at home, but you can still hand feed and interact with them when you are home.
- May Be Costly: If you have a small backyard pond, then most feature-rich feeders may be a bit much and costly for what you need. Also, unless you opt for a model with a solar-powered charger, you'll have an increased electric bill or a minimal battery cost.
Setting Up an Automatic Fish Feeder
Setting up an automatic pond fish feeder will vary by brand and model. However, most of them follow the same basic steps.
Step1: Program The Feeder Schedule
After unpacking the product and putting it together, we'll first need to program the number of feedings we want it to dispense on a daily basis. If you're unsure how much you should feed your fish, you can view our chart below.
Keep in mind, you may want to schedule feedings for when you are away, but allow yourself to hand feed your fish once every day or so to get some social interaction with them.
Step 2: Set The Amount of Food To Be Dispensed
As well as programming the number of times to dispense the food, we'll also need to set up the amount of food to be dispensed. This is important to get right (and may take some trial and error) to avoid overfeeding your fish which is a waste of money and can lead to water quality issues.
Step 3: Put The Automatic Pond Feeder In Place
Once everything is programmed, it's time to put the automatic feeder in place. Most fish feeders will sit on the edge of the water of your pond. If you have a tripod feeder or one with legs, then it's really as simple as setting it next to your pond or lake.
Hanging feeders need to be placed over your pond or near the edge of the water. If you have a tree to hang it from, then great! Otherwise, you may have to build a stand to hang it from. Installing a pole next to your pond with a hook to hang the feeder from is pretty common.
Less common are floating fish feeders for ponds and lakes. The Pond King Floating Fish feeder is one such example. These auto feeders are overkill for most backyard or medium-sized ponds but may come in handy if:
- You have limited room along the bank of your pond
- The water level in your pond or lake fluctuates
- You have a large pond or lake
- You need a large food capacity in your feeder (100 lbs.)
Important
Be sure to follow the instructions that come with your specific model of feeder.
How Much to Feed Your Pond Fish
The number of times you should feed your fish every day will depend on the pond's temperature. Essentially, the colder the water temperature, the less you must feed them. This chart will help you decide the number of feedings you should program your automatic feeder for.
| Temperature | Feedings |
|---|---|
| Above 60F (16C) | Up to 5 times a day |
| 50 – 60F (10 - 16C) | Once a day |
| 40 – 50F (4 – 10C) | Once every other day |
| Below 40F (4C) | Do not feed |
As for the amount of pellet food to dispense, this will just depend on the number and size of fish you have in your pond. Only feed your fish as much as they will consume in one feeding and no more, as not to create waste and fuel algae growth. You may have to hand feed them a few times to figure out exactly how much they typically eat in a feeding.
And be sure to use a high-quality fish food that is highly digestible and full of essential nutrients like Kaytee Koi Choice Premium Fish Food. It's one of the highest quality foods available for koi, goldfish, and other pond fish.
