Penn Plax Daily Double II

Feeder

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Rating:

If you are looking for an absolutely straight forward device to feed your fish on a budget, the Penn Plax Daily Double II will feed your fish crushed flake or granular food twice daily. The unit works best on tanks 20 gallons or less, otherwise you will run in to trouble if you want to mount the unit on the side of the aquarium glass. The feed drum is of poor design; you must be careful that the drop tube remains open and food is near the scoop end otherwise it will not feed your fish. The Penn Plax Daily Double is best suited for owners of small aquariums without strict feeding needs.

The features are limited on the Daily Double II. It had a clamp that allows you to clamp the feeder to the side of the aquarium glass, however the clamp is too shallow to establish a tight grip. The feeder can sit atop the aquarium, but since the feeder weighs only 138 grams without food or a battery, it is recommended that velcro is used to secure the unit to the surface. The unit has a footprint on 3.5" by 3.5", and stands 3.5" tall without the clamp installed. The feeder is powered by a single AA battery, so there is no annoying power cord to deal with. The dispenser lacks efficiency in dispensing food: among the feeders tested before this writing, it was the most inconsistent. This is because the food is scooped out by an orange tube as the drum rotates, and it is dispensed as the drum turns. Food towards the back of the drum will not be dispensed unless the feeder is shaken to allow it to be dropped in to the aquarium. The scoop tube can be twisted to adjust the amount dispensed, and this made the task of finding a setting that dispenses the amount of food you want rather difficult. The drum does not have a way of keeping out humidity, causing food to go stale over a short period of time.

The Daily Double II rotates every twelve hours, powered by a battery. This is nice for those who want to set it and forget it since no programming is required. However the feeder is unsuitable if you require more strict feeding schedules.

Maintaining the feeder is a snap: the drum slides off and the front panel pops off the main drum, and gives you easy access to the inside of the drum for cleaning. The dispenser tube is more difficult to clean, but a quick rinse should be all that's necessary to clean the drum. If necessary, a cotton swab can be used to clean the inside of the dispenser tube. The battery is placed on the top of the back panel under a snap on panel, keeping your fish safe in the event that your battery leaks. Its location makes it simple to change the battery. This feeder is the most simple to clean out of all tested so far.

The Penn Plax Daily Double II is the feeder for those who like all things simple - if feeding by hand isn't simple enough. It is the easiest to care for out of the models tested so far, and requires no programming. However, it is limited to crushed flake food and granules, and it is not the most consistent in terms of the amount of food dispensed. If you are the hobbyist on a budget, and need a feeder to hold your fish over during your vacation, the Daily Double II is the feeder for you.

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This product was sent for testing at no charge. Read more about this here.