Seaweed Food Aquarium Feeder

Abstract

A seaweed aquarium feeder allows fish to feed on seaweed aquarium food while preventing escape of the food into the aquarium water. The feeder includes a base and hinged lid which closes against the base. The lid includes a recessed seaweed holding windowed area which fits over a protruding area of the base. The food is captured between the recessed seaweed holding windowed area of the lid and the protruding area of the base. Windows in the recessed seaweed holding windowed area allow the fish access to the food. A magnet pocket in the base holds a first magnet the feeder is held against an aquarium wall by cooperation of the first magnet with a second magnet outside the aquarium.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to aquarium feeders and in particular to a seaweed food aquarium feeder.

A preferred aquarium food for some varieties of fish is seaweed. Many fresh and marine fish are herbivores and require constant algae grazing in order to stay healthy and thrive in aquariums. Many of these fish can be large that grow up to 12″ in length have voracious eating habits. These fish require a constant supply of seaweed opposed to quick feedings daily.

Nori seaweed is a preferred seaweed aquarium food but presents many problems in the feeding application. The Nori seaweed is processed into thin, typical 4 inch by 3.5 inch sheets which are very easy to tear. The Nori seaweed is generally inserted into a clip with a suction cup or magnet to stay in a stationary spot for the fish to feed. Unfortunately, the clips provide only one point of contact and are generally unable to hold the Nori seaweed tightly enough to prevent fish from tearing the Nori seaweed near the base of the clip. Further, constant water contact and currents also tends to rip and tear the Nori seaweed apart. The small pieces of the Nori seaweed then circulate through the aquarium until they are drawn into a filter intake clogging the filter.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,012 discloses a feeding device for aquariums. The device of the '012 patent includes mesh walls containing food. The mesh walls lack structure to clamp or hold the food, and fish may tear away portions of the food.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a seaweed aquarium feeder which allows fish to feed on seaweed aquarium food while preventing escape of the food into the aquarium water. The feeder includes a base and hinged lid which closes against the base. The lid includes a recessed seaweed holding windowed area which fits over a protruding area of the base. The food is captured between the recessed seaweed holding windowed area of the lid and the protruding area of the base. Windows in the recessed seaweed holding windowed area allow the fish access to the food. A magnet pocket in the base holds a first magnet the feeder is held against an aquarium wall by cooperation of the first magnet with a second magnet outside the aquarium.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a seaweed feeder. The seaweed feeder solves common seaweed feeding issues holding a folded sheet of seaweed. The seaweed feeder includes a base having a protruding area having a solid back. A lid includes a matching area that fits over the protruding area to sandwich the seaweed, and windows in the lid allow aquarium fish limited access to the seaweed for slow grazing. The entire seaweed portion is contained in the feeder preventing large pieces of the seaweed sheet from being torn by the fish or currents in the water, and promotes all day feeding.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a seaweed feeder including a lid having small windows limiting exposure of seaweed sheets. The windows are preferably between 6 mm and 14 mm long and between 6 mm and 16 mm wide and the lid acts as a clamp sandwiching the seaweed sheet between the lid and solid base preventing or limiting the seaweed sheet from being ripping and pulled apart by large fish.

In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a seaweed feeder magnetically held in the aquarium. A magnet resides in a magnet recess in the base, and an aquarium wall is sandwiched between the magnet and a cooperating external magnet to hold the seaweed feeder in a vertical or horizontal position, or anywhere between vertical and horizontal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an aquarium with three improved aquarium feeders according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a seaweed feeder according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the seaweed feeder according to the present invention.

FIG. 4A shows a cross-sectional view of the seaweed feeder according to the present invention taken along line 20-20 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 4B shows a cross-sectional view of the seaweed feeder according to the present invention with a closed cover.

FIG. 5 shows the seaweed feeder according to the present invention capturing a sheet of seaweed.

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the seaweed feeder according to the present invention containing a sheet of seaweed.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.

Where the terms “about” or “generally” are associated with an element of the invention, it is intended to describe a feature's appearance to the human eye or human perception, and not a precise measurement.

An aquarium 10 with an improved aquarium feeder 60 according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. The seaweed feeder 60 is held against an aquarium wall and holds seaweed 16 accessible to fish.

A perspective view of a seaweed feeder 60 is shown in FIG. 2, a top view of the seaweed feeder 60 is shown in FIG. 3, a cross-sectional view of the seaweed feeder 60 taken along line 20-20 of FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. 4A, and a cross-sectional view of the seaweed feeder 60 with a closed cover is shown in FIG. 4B. The seaweed feeder 60 includes a base 66 having a generally rectangular (may have rounded edges and corners) protruding platform 72 and a magnet pocket 68. The protruding area 72 preferably has a solid face 73 (i.e., no openings). A lid 62 is connected to the base 66 by a hinge 64. The lid 62 further includes a a generally rectangular recessed windowed area 74 having an interference fit into the protruding area 72, and a multiplicity of windows 70, for example, between 12 and 40 windows 70 in between six and ten rows and two and four columns and preferably 24 windows 70 in eight rows and three columns.

The seaweed feeder 60 has an overall length L1 of preferably 313 mm. The base 66 has a length L2 of preferably about 179 mm, and the lid 62 has a length L3 of preferably about 134 mm. The base 66 and lid 62 preferably have a width W1 of preferably about 68 mm. The base 66 has a height H3 of preferably between 7 mm and 10 mm and more preferably about 7.8 mm and the lid 62 has a height H4 of preferably between 7 mm and 10 mm and more preferably about 7.5 mm. The windows have a length L4 of preferably between 6 mm and 14 mm and more preferably about 10 mm, and a width W2 of preferably between 6 mm and 16 mm and more preferably about 12 mm. When the lid 62 is closed, a gap G is created between the recessed windowed area 74 and the protruding area 72 for the seaweed food 16. The gap G may vary and conforms to the thickness of the seaweed sheet 16 (see FIG. 5).

The seaweed feeder 60 is shown capturing a sheet of seaweed 16 between the base 66 and lid 62 in FIG. 5 and a top view of the seaweed feeder 60 is shown closed and containing the sheet of seaweed 16 in FIG. 6. A magnet 78a resides in the magnet pocket 68 (see FIG. 2), and the seaweed feeder 60 may be held to the aquarium 10 wall (see FIG. 10) by a cooperating magnet 78b the exterior of the aquarium.

The seaweed feeder 60 is preferably made from plastic, and more preferably from Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and most preferably from ABS.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A seaweed feeder, comprising: a base including a generally rectangular protruding platform;a lid hingedly attached to the base and including a recessed seaweed holding windowed area having a profile providing an interference fit to the rectangular protruding platform of the base, the windowed area including a multiplicity of windows therethrough; andthe lid rotatable to position the recessed seaweed holding windowed area of the lid over the rectangular protruding platform of the base creating a gap to contain the seaweed.

2. The seaweed feeder of claim 1, wherein the windows have a length L4 between 6 mm and 14 mm and a width W2 between 6 mm and 16 mm.

3. The seaweed feeder of claim 1, wherein the length L4 is about 10 mm and a width W2 about 12 mm.

4. The seaweed feeder of claim 2, wherein the multiplicity of windows comprises six and ten rows and between two and four columns of the windows.

5. The seaweed feeder of claim 4, wherein the multiplicity of windows comprises eight rows and three columns of the windows.

6. The seaweed feeder of claim 4, wherein the lid is hingedly attached to the base.

7. The seaweed feeder of claim 1, wherein the base further includes a magnet pocket containing a first magnet, and a second magnet cooperates with the first magnet to sandwich an aquarium wall to hold the seaweed feeder in place in an aquarium.

8. The seaweed feeder of claim 1, wherein the seaweed feeder is made from Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS).

9. The seaweed feeder of claim 1, wherein generally rectangular protruding platform has a solid face

10. A seaweed feeder residing in an aquarium, comprising: the aquarium including aquarium walls;the seaweed feeder including: a base including: a generally rectangular protruding platform; andmagnet pocket containing a first magnet;a lid attached to the base by a hinge and including a generally rectangular, recessed seaweed holding windowed area having a profile providing an interference fit over the platform of the base, the recessed seaweed holding windowed area including between six and ten rows and between two and four columns of windows therethrough, the windows between 6 mm and 14 mm long and between 6 mm and 16 mm wide;the lid is rotatable about the hinge to position the recessed seaweed holding windowed area of the lid over the platform of the base creating a gap to contain the seaweed; anda second magnet cooperating with the first magnet holding the seaweed feeder against one of the aquarium walls.

11. A seaweed feeder, comprising: a base including: a generally rectangular protruding platform having a solid face; andmagnet pocket containing a first magnet;a lid attached to the base by a hinge and including a recessed generally rectangular seaweed holding windowed area having a profile providing an interference fit over the platform of the base, the recessed seaweed holding windowed area including eight rows and three columns of windows therethrough, the windows 10 mm long and 12 mm wide;the lid is rotatable about the hinge to position the recessed seaweed holding windowed area of the lid over the platform of the base creating a gap to contain the seaweed; anda second magnet cooperating with the first magnet holding the seaweed feeder against an aquarium wall.