Tips, Tricks & AdditivesUpdated 2 months ago

A collection of useful ideas from our team and community for getting more out of your aF4.

Food tips

Mix and match food types
Varying the food in your reservoir is a great way to provide a more nutritious and diverse diet for your fish. Some of our favourite combinations:

• Mysis shrimp mixed with spirulina-enhanced brine shrimp — great nutritional variety for reef tanks and community fish
• Brine shrimp mixed with daphnia — works well for smaller fish and fry
• Mysis mixed with cyclops — good for finicky eaters that prefer smaller particles

Add supplements directly to the reservoir
Liquid supplements and nutritional additives that require refrigeration can be added directly to the food slurry in the reservoir. While this method isn't as precise as measured dosing, it's a convenient way to get a regular nutritional boost into every feed.

A few doses of Selcon™ or similar HUFA supplement added to each reservoir load is a popular choice among reef keepers. Phytoplankton and marine snow can also be added this way for tanks with corals and filter feeders.

NOTE: Use with care - some additives may accelerate bacterial growth in the reservoir and should be excluded when utilizing the aF4 for maximum duration.

Additives & medications

Medicating food
The aF4 is useful for hospital tanks where you need to dose food with medication, garlic extract, or appetite stimulants. Adding these to the reservoir slurry allows the food to absorb the additive before being dispensed — a more reliable delivery method than adding medication to the water column.

Common uses include:

• Garlic extract to stimulate appetite in finicky or newly introduced fish
• Metronidazole or other medications absorbed into food for targeted treatment
• Selcon and similar supplements to aid recovery in sick or stressed fish

Always follow the dosing instructions for any medication you use. The aF4 dispenses your selected feed quantity per cycle — factor this into your dosing calculations.

Refrigerated liquid additives
If you use additives that require refrigeration — such as certain live phytoplankton cultures or refrigerated supplements — the aF4's cooling system makes it a convenient way to store and dose them alongside food. Bear in mind that dosing quantity is not as precise as a dedicated dosing pump, so this approach works best as a supplement rather than a primary dosing method.

Practical tips

Pre-load reservoirs for vacation coverage
Before going away, load 1–2 spare reservoirs with food and store them in the refrigerator. Brief your fish sitter on how to swap the reservoir — it's a simple task that takes under a minute and means your fish are fed properly while you're away. See our Food Prep Tools & Accessories Guide for spare reservoir options.

Use the aF4 for hospital tanks
The aF4 works well as a dedicated feeder for hospital or quarantine tanks — particularly useful when medicating through food or when you want consistent, measured feeding during a treatment period.

Monitor your first few feeds after a new food load
Any time you load a new food type or use a food you haven't tried before, stay nearby for the first 2–3 feed cycles to confirm everything is dispensing correctly. This is especially important with large particle foods.

Run a Feed Now before leaving the house
If you're heading out and want to confirm the aF4 is working before you go, press Feed Now and watch the output tube. A healthy dispense — food slurry appearing within a few seconds — tells you everything is working as expected.

Related articles

• Compatible Foods & Brands Guide — recommended food types and brands
• Loading the Reservoir Guide — quick load, max fill, and dilution
• Food Prep Tools & Accessories Guide — spare reservoirs and useful tools
• Sheet Food Preparation Guide — preparing large particle foods

Have a tip you'd like to share? Email us — we'd love to hear it.