The 11 Best Automatic Fish Feeders to Buy in 2024

Quick Facts

• Feeder type: Barrel feeder
• Capacity: 100ml (approx. 1/2 cup)
• Uses ventilation: Yes
• Power source: 2 AA batteries

The Eheim Automatic Feeding Unit is a great everyday feeder, made by one of the largest fish tank accessory manufacturers in the world. It includes the 2 AA batteries the unit needs to operate, and utilizes a 2-stage low battery indicator to ensure your fish never go hungry.

One of the most attractive qualities of this Eheim feeder is that it includes a fan and ventilation system. This is something many other barrel feeders don’t include, and can help you keep your fish’s food dry and unspoiled between fills.

It also has a 3-year warranty, tied for the longest warranty available of all the automatic feeders featured on this list (its cousin, the Eheim Twin Automatic Feeder, and the Fish Mate P7000 Pond Fish Feeder both have long warranties as well).

Unfortunately, this feeder is not without its flaws. First, it’s one of the most expensive barrel feeders on the market, making it a poor choice for thrifty consumers compared to cheaper models like the Jaok Automatic Fish Feeder.

Eheim also makes one major oversight in the design of this feeder: while other barrel feeders, like the Jaok feeder, have multiple mounting options such as clamps or velcro, the Eheim auto feeder comes with none. Instead, the portion of the feeder containing the buttons, LCD, and motor is simply weighted so the feeder barrel can hang over the water.

This is great if you’ve got a tank that’s equipped with an always-open feeding hole, or another configuration where the feeder can sit above an open portion of the tank. However, the inclusion of an optional mounting clip would make this feeder more universally useful.

Still, given the effective ventilation system, long 3-year warranty, and solid construction, it sits at the top of the list as one of the best fish feeders you can find.

Quick Facts

• Feeder type: Barrel feeder
• Capacity: 200ml (approx. 1 cup)
• Uses ventilation: No
• Power source: USB/rechargeable battery

The Zacro Automatic Fish Feeder is certainly a strong contender for our top pick. Similar to other barrel feeders in this style, it has a large 200ml storage container and allows you to provide 4 separate feedings per day. With up to 3 rotations per feeding, it’s especially useful if you have a large tank with lots of fish.

The Zacro feeder is easy to program, with a short video tutorial online, and runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The battery works up to 6 months per charge, and it is capable of handling 800 full charge cycles before you’ll need a new one.

It also has two options for mounting, using adhesive or a clamp. The clamp offers a nice touch, allowing you to rotate it 360 degrees, making it both versatile and easy to work with.

However, as with most barrel feeders, it’s not a great solution for smaller tanks with few fish. You can rectify this issue easily yourself, but you might find a good portion feeder to work better for small communities. It also doesn’t come with a USB wall plug adapter, meaning you’ll need to supply your own to charge the feeder.

Quick Facts

• Feeder type: Barrel feeder
• Capacity: 200ml (approx. 1 cup)
• Uses ventilation: No
• Power source: 2 AA batteries

The Jaok Automatic Fish Feeder is the most economical barrel feeder we’ve found, very comparable to other more expensive barrel feeders. This makes it a great choice if you’re on a tight budget or if you need to purchase multiple feeders without breaking the bank.

The Jaok feeder features a large 200ml food container and can provide up to 4 feedings per day. It also has multiple mounting methods via clamp or velcro. And while clamps are a common feature among barrel feeders, the use of velcro is not.

This means that, unlike other feeders that utilize adhesive strips, you can easily remove the feeder from its base and replace it without having to replace the adhesive strip as well. A rotating clamp base would make the Jaok feeder even more versatile, but perhaps that’s reserved for more premium models.

Like many other battery-operated models, it also requires 2 AA batteries to operate, and touts a long battery life of 3 to 6 months. However, you’ll certainly want to replace the batteries with name-brand batteries. The batteries that come with this feeder are cheap and won’t last as long as the touted 3-6 months Jaok claims.

Quick Facts

• Feeder type: Barrel feeder
• Capacity: 200ml (approx. 1 cup)
• Uses ventilation: No
• Power source: 2 AA batteries

The Kuiensi Automatic Fish Feeder is another great barrel feeder that you’ll love if you value portion control. Like many other barrel feeders, it has a large 200ml food storage capacity, multiple feed timers, and operates using 2 AA batteries.

However, what really makes this feeder stick out among the others is its food door and 1-year warranty. Featuring nine adjustment settings, it allows for a smaller opening, making it a better choice than other similar barrel feeders if you’ve got a smaller tank or use fine granulated food.

Additionally, it features multiple modes of installation (adhesive and clamp). Like some of the more premium barrel feeders, the Kuiensi feeder can rotate on its clamp, making it useful for nearly any setup, and generally easier to work with and clean.

The Kuiensi feeder does not come with the batteries it requires to operate, meaning you’ll have to source them yourself. There’s also an issue with the battery life of this model.

Many other comparable feeders, like the Jaok Automatic Fish Feeder, tout a battery life of 3 to 6 months. Meanwhile, this feeder only allows for 1 to 3 months of operation per set of batteries. Your batteries will outlast your business trip, but they might not outlast your pocketbook.

If you value better portion control over battery life, then this feeder might be for you. But there’s no denying more power-efficient feeders on the market exist.

Quick Facts

• Feeder type: Underwater feeder
• Capacity: Up to 14 days of feeding
• Uses ventilation: No
• Power source: None

The API Automatic Fish Feeder is another feeder from an established brand with over 50 years in the aquatics industry. This feeder is doesn’t use any power or run on any timers, making it a great choice if you don’t like electronic feeders or their expensive price tags.

In fact, this feeder is nothing more than a small dissolvable brick containing pellets of fish food. That means you’ll find it easy to “set up” – drop it in and walk away. The feeder works with all common types of fish, from bettas and guppies to plecos and loaches. However, depending on the size of your aquatic community, it might not provide sufficient food for a full 14 days.

There are also a few prerequisites, aside from the number of fish in your tank. Since this feeder dissolves in the tank, it requires aeration and a filtering system. The aeration helps the pyramid dissolve in a timely manner, while the filtration ensures your tank doesn’t quickly dirty from the dissolved material.

That means it’s not suitable for fish bowls or tanks that don’t have aeration and filtration. You should also keep in mind, you have no control over the food you’re leaving your fish. If you’ve got your fish on a strict diet, you might want to consider another feeder for your holiday or vacation needs.

Quick Facts

• Feeder type: Stationary
• Capacity: (2) 80ml chambers (approx. 1/3 cup each)
• Uses ventilation: Yes
• Power source: 4 AA batteries

Another great automatic feeder from Eheim, their Twin Automatic Feeder is truly in a class of its own. This feeder is perhaps the most unique on the list, both because it’s one of two stationary feeders on the list, and because it can handle two different types of foods simultaneously.

Not only can it handle two different types of food, but both chambers have separate portion controls. That means if you have a large community with varying needs, you can appropriately feed your fish with different types of foods without worrying about inconsistent portions. For example, if you use flakes for your goldfish and guppies, and pellets for bottom feeders and shy mid-dwelling fish, you don’t have to worry about either going hungry.

Along with the aerated chambers, the food dispensers sit high above the base of the feeder. This means the dispensers stay out of range of random splashes, keeping food dry to prevent clumping, caking, and rotting.

Of course, it’s not without its flaws. One noticeable difference between this feeder and others is its size, being much larger than other automatic feeders. This means it’s not appropriate for all aquariums, as it – like the Eheim Automatic Feeding Unit – does not feature a mounting clamp or additional mounting hardware. Its large size also makes it rather unsightly.

Additionally, this unit being larger than others, it requires 4 AA batteries – twice the amount of batteries as other feeders. It does not include batteries, but given its price tag well above $50, that should be the least of your problems. That’s to say it’s expensive. In fact, it’s so expensive, you could likely buy 2 of almost any other feeder on this list and still spend less money than you would on this feeder.

Still, given its unique nature, flexibility for varied tanks, 3-year warranty, and durable construction, it certainly is a worthy consideration if you’re a serious fish enthusiast. And even if you’re not, you’ll likely find it useful for years after other feeders have kicked the bucket.

Quick Facts

• Feeder type: Portion feeder
• Capacity: Up to 14 feedings
• Uses ventilation: Yes (optional)
• Power source: 1 AA battery

The Fish Mate F14 Aquarium Fish Feeder is another exceptional feeder from an established aquatics brand. Being the only portion feeder on the list, it’s got a set of unique benefits and drawbacks to it.

First, unlike many other electronic feeders that use digital timers, the F14 uses a reliable quartz timer. It essentially operates like an analog clock and uses pins as timers. This is beneficial because most digital feeders may lose their settings when the battery dies, whereas this feeder physically retains its settings, meaning no timing mishaps after battery or power outages.

Like other feeders, it can supply your fish with multiple meals per day. However, unlike other feeders, it also allows you to feed your fish every other day (by putting food in every other portion container). Coupled with the control it gives you over portion sizes, it’s a remarkable feeder for fish bowls and small tanks with few fish.

The F14 also comes with an optional airline slot, which is good for aerated tanks, as it will keep your food dry when the lid is closed. If you don’t have an airline, then you may find that you need to open the lid to prevent condensation in the food chambers. This is why we highly recommend doing thorough supervised testing with your feeder before leaving it alone for extended periods.

One of the major drawbacks of this feeder is that it’s not suitable for large tanks, unless you plan to purchase multiple feeders. As per the manufacturer, it’s suitable for tanks up to 150 liters, or roughly 40 gallons.

If you have a large tank or a lot of fish, you’re better off purchasing a barrel feeder like the Kuiensi model. But if you have a fish bowl or small tank with few fish, this is possibly the best feeder for your fish.

Quick Facts

• Feeder type: Barrel feeder
• Capacity: 50ml (approx. 1/4 cup)
• Uses ventilation: No
• Power source: 2 AAA batteries

The Proche Navi-E Automatic Fish Feeder is another barrel feeder with a unique design. While other barrel feeders have a small sliding door that adjusts to attempt to portion your fish’s food, this one has an adjustable gear inside the food barrel.

The trapdoor on this feeder does not click shut, but rather, opens when the barrel rotates. As the barrel finishes its rotation, the door closes itself back up, keeping moisture out of the food compartment. However, as the trap door falls below the feeder, you should ensure that it’s placed high enough above the water to ensure the door doesn’t get wet.

This feeder operates on 2 AAA batteries and the manufacturer includes batteries to get you started. There’s no indication of how long the batteries should last, so if you’re leaving for an extended period, we recommend using fresh batteries prior to your trip until you’ve got a good idea as to how long they last.

Perhaps one of the biggest drawbacks of the Navi-E is that it’s difficult to turn off. If you want to skip a day’s feeding to give your fish a special treat, you’ll have to turn it off in one of two ways.

First, you can remove the feeder to access the battery compartment and pull the batteries out. If this is too much work for you, you can instead choose to delete your timers. Either way, this is a terribly poor design choice from the manufacturer, as a simple power button could mitigate this issue altogether and make the unit much more effective.

It does redeem itself with a 1-year warranty and its unique trapdoor design. Overall, it’s a worthy consideration and a good alternative to other barrel feeders if you’re concerned about portion control and moisture.

Quick Facts

• Feeder type: Barrel feeder
• Capacity: 100ml (approx. 1/2 cup)
• Uses ventilation: No
• Power source: USB power plug

The HDE Automatic Fish Feeder seems rather plain at first glance. Like many other feeders, it has multiple installation methods via clamp or adhesive. However, unlike other feeders, it doesn’t feature an LCD display or buttons. That’s because while other feeders brand themselves as “smart feeders” due to timing functionality, this feeder truly is a smart feeder as most understand it: WiFi capable.

The HDE connects to a smartphone app via WiFi, allowing you to control the feeding schedule from your phone. In case you’re curious, it works with both Android and iPhone, via the iLONDA app, or optionally the SmartLife app with Alexa integration. Not only does this mean you can change settings remotely, it also means that you can see if it’s working in the first place.

Since the HDE feeder doesn’t have buttons, it means you need to have WiFi and a smartphone to use the feeder. If you’re one of the few in the world that still doesn’t have both, then this feeder is certainly not for you.

The feeder is powered by a micro-USB cable. This is both good and bad: it means you don’t have to worry about dead batteries, but it also means it has to be plugged in all the time, as it doesn’t have an internal battery.

Another nice feature is the dispenser door. On the smallest setting, there is a divider that makes two holes, great for small granules, as it limits the amount of food dispensed. If you use large pellets or other large food, you might want to opt for another feeder, such as the Zacro Automatic Fish Feeder.

Finally, because the feeder utilizes WiFi and a smartphone, it introduces a plethora of new potential problems. As it turns out, you might not die without WiFi, but apparently your fish could if you’re out of town and your WiFi goes down. Regardless, it’s a nifty feeder for everyday use. Only use this if you have confidence in your network and its setup. We’d prefer more backup functionality, but at least with this feeder, you’ll know if something went wrong.

Quick Facts

• Feeder type: Barrel feeder
• Capacity: Unknown
• Uses ventilation: No
• Power source: 1 AA battery

The Penn-Plax Daily Double II Automatic Fish Feeder is another quartz timer-based fish feeder that provides up to 4 weeks of food. This feeder is certainly unique in its design, and is the only non-digital barrel feeder on the list. Because of this, it’s simple to set up: simply add food, insert the battery, and put it above your fish tank.

Like many other barrel feeders, you can clamp the Daily Double to the side of your tank or use it free-standing above the tank. However, you’ll want to ensure that the feeder is mounted at least a few inches above the water’s surface to prevent splashes or moisture from entering the feeder.

While mounting the feeder a few inches above the water is a general precaution for all feeders, it’s especially important for this one. Since it operates on a quartz timer, it means that the barrel rotates slowly as time passes, leaving the open feeding hole exposed towards the water for a longer period than other barrel feeders, a major humidity risk.

We also don’t love that you have no control over the timer or amount of times you can feed your fish per day with this feeder. With 2 adjustable feeding holes, it provides food once every 12 hours, which may be too much for smaller fish tanks with few fish.

If you’re looking for an exceptional barrel feeder, you might want to consider another like the Eheim Automatic Fish Feeder. However, if you want to forego dealing with digital feeders, but find that the Fish Mate F14 Aquarium Fish Feeder doesn’t provide ample time between refills, then this feeder is worthy of consideration.

Quick Facts

• Feeder type: Stationary
• Capacity: 30 cups
• Uses ventilation: No
• Power source: 4 C batteries

For those of you with a fish pond or extremely large (300+ gallon) fish tank at home, the Fish Mate P7000 Pond Fish Feeder is a great choice. It features a large capacity 30-cup food container, capable of holding up to 6.5 pounds of food, and provides configurable feeding portions starting at 1 tablespoon per feeding, up to 3 feedings per day. All this means you can go up to a maximum of 90 days between refills.

The P7000’s LCD display is easy to read, even outside. One major benefit is its clock, which works in AM/PM mode, rather than military time like most other digitally-controlled feeders. You can also find instructions for the P7000 online, which is great if you lose the instructions that come with the feeder. You can also register the product online to take advantage of the manufacturer’s 3-year warranty.

Unfortunately, it comes with a few distinct drawbacks. First, it’s meant for pellets and sticks and is rather unsuitable for flakes. It’s also rather expensive, due in part to a lack of rivaling products and niche demand. These aren’t huge drawbacks, but they are worth considering.

However, its biggest drawback is its general lack of sturdiness in harsh climates and areas with problematic wildlife populations. The feeder, while marketed as weatherproof, can degrade in prolonged high heat and may suffer in extremely low temperatures during winter months.

Common opportunistic animals can also present a major problem. Since animals, such as small rodents, can tamper with the feeder, it can lead to accidental overfeeding, missing food, and even missing fish (for example, raccoons can trigger the feeder, drawing fish close to it for a quick and easy ‘sashimi-style’ dinner).

For its intended outdoor use, it’s easy enough to remedy the issue with a bucket and drill. But considering the high cost of this feeder, this is a problem the manufacturer should’ve considered when designing the feeder.

Nevertheless, it’s one of the best solutions available for ponds and huge aquariums, and will ensure your fish are fed when you’re not home.