Automated chameleon feeding?

[radstusky]

I was wondering if anyone has figured out a good way to automate feeding their chameleons? I am thinking about making something for this, and was just looking for some ideas. I was thinking of possibly using one of those cat feeders or possibly modifying a fish feeder, but I have to find the right model that will work for this. As well as the right feeder insect for that matter. I was thinking of using dubia, but maybe there's a better alternative like butterworms perhaps. I'm going to be away for about 8 days in November around Thanksgiving so I'm trying to get something together before then.

 

[carol5208]

Hi Stuart! Where have you been? If you figure out a way, you should get a patent on it! Wouldn't that be nice, an automatic feeding system!! How is Leo doing???

 

[Jamelon]

that would be awesome to have an automated feeding system. I was thinking of trying to draw up something for it, it would deal with cup feeding though, because that would be easiest i think of having a system where it drops the feeders into the cup. But then again if something goes wrong while u are away then someone is going to be very very hungry when you get back, and i dont know if i would want to take the risk of something malfunctioning and it stop working.

 

[carol5208]

that would be awesome to have an automated feeding system. I was thinking of trying to draw up something for it, it would deal with cup feeding though, because that would be easiest i think of having a system where it drops the feeders into the cup. But then again if something goes wrong while u are away then someone is going to be very very hungry when you get back, and i dont know if i would want to take the risk of something malfunctioning and it stop working.

ditto on that! I guess the key is to have someone to check up on things to make sure the feeder is working!

 

[pssh]

I imagine a fish feeder would work with worms and maybe roaches. I would make sure you still have someone check in on him every day while you are gone.

 

[radstusky]

Hi Stuart! Where have you been? If you figure out a way, you should get a patent on it! Wouldn't that be nice, an automatic feeding system!! How is Leo doing???

Hey Carol, I haven't gone anywhere, still here . I will however be going to the Chicago area around Thanksgiving, so that's why I want to get this automated feeding system figured out.

that would be awesome to have an automated feeding system. I was thinking of trying to draw up something for it, it would deal with cup feeding though, because that would be easiest i think of having a system where it drops the feeders into the cup. But then again if something goes wrong while u are away then someone is going to be very very hungry when you get back, and i dont know if i would want to take the risk of something malfunctioning and it stop working.

Dropping the feeders into a cup is what I have in mind if I can modify a fish feeder. I found this one, http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4443, which I think might work if the little compartments were a bit bigger. They're not big enough for a roach I don't think (they are 5/8"x5/8"x1/2"), and I was thinking of a couple of roaches in each section plus maybe some roach food too. The other option I was thinking of would be the cat feeders, which would have to be on the ground or mounted horizontally in the middle of the cage. What I'm worried about with the cat feeders, is that the roaches would be free to roam around inside from cup to cup and wouldn't really be contained at all within their own cup, which would make it rather useless.

As far as making sure he's getting fed, I do have my webcam back up in there, so I plan on monitoring that way. Although a controllable cam, like this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030FR08W/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=A2XGFHB09ZZLWN would be much better, and maybe I'll get one of these in there some day. They're pricey, but not too bad when you consider what it would cost for a pet sitter. I'd have a friend on call in case something doesn't work, of course.

 

[summoner12]

I think a hose with a small suction on it and a metering device to coun the number of crickets sucked in.

 

[Dez]

I always wondered if one of those auto dog or cat food feeders would work for a temporary set up. Its a feeder on a timer with 5 compartments for 5 days of feeding.. each day the top turns and opens the next compartment

You could put 6 crickets in each compartment with a little gutload and water crystals... then when the timer goes off the compartment opens and the crickets run out...?

I don't know if it would actually work.. I have no idea if those things are cricket proof or they would all just escape..


Maybe you could mount it upside down and have the crix fall out...? I don't know more investigation is needed

Edit: I see radstusky has mentioned the cat feeder already

 

[ChamOh]

^^ even if crix didn't jump out, the cham could easily eat them out of their little containers.

 

[radstusky]

I always wondered if one of those auto dog or cat food feeders would work for a temporary set up. Its a feeder on a timer with 5 compartments for 5 days of feeding.. each day the top turns and opens the next compartment

You could put 6 crickets in each compartment with a little gutload and water crystals... then when the timer goes off the compartment opens and the crickets run out...?

I don't know if it would actually work.. I have no idea if those things are cricket proof or they would all just escape..


Maybe you could mount it upside down and have the crix fall out...? I don't know more investigation is needed

Edit: I see radstusky has mentioned the cat feeder already

Yes, this is one option, and I also don't know how "sealed" the compartments are. I actually stopped at Petco to see if I could check one out, but they just so happened to be sold out of them. My feeling is that the cockroaches could just go from one compartment to another freely, but maybe that's OK actually. I mean if I put some gutload in each compartment then when it opens up, there should still be a number of cockroaches in each and eventually they'd all get released. I could also use some superworms or maybe even butterworms, which I think are rather immobile (I've never had any so I'm not positive about that, anyone know?)