Hello my son is building an automated tortoise feeder for our tortoise and for his tech project.

[Adamn]

What would be required of an automated tortoise feeder?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I guess you could use a lamp timer with some kind of a "dump" hopper on a hinge and a solenoid or an electric motor to activate the dump mechanism.
There are automatic TURTLE feeders on the market already. Almost identical to the automatic fish feeders. It could rotate and have a few days worth of food inside.
My suggestion would be to look at and study one of the smaller feeders and then design yours in supersize.

 

[Adamn]

Thank you very much. My son will be very grateful.

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't know as I like this idea. My tortoises eat fresh food. How can you keep the food fresh in an automated feeder. I suppose if you were feeding a manufactured diet, it might work.

 

[Arnold_rules]

I think it would work for Matzuri or other pellet food. He can use a timer attached to an electric motor that turns a gear. The gear can be attached to a disk that has a series of PVC pipes containing food. As this disk rotates, it goes over another disk that has a hole over the tortoise pen. When the disk with the food goes over the area with the hole, food drops into the pen. SImplified design of an automatic fsh feeder.

Now, if your son wants to get industrious, I have seen plans for automatic feeders for reef fish. They eat fresh foods too, like ground fish, shrimp and algae. The feeding mechanizism with the food is housed in a refrigerator, an old refrigerator of course. and then tracked to the fish tank. Send me a PM if he realy wants to try it using a refrigerator or wants help with designing a Matzuri feeder.