ZAF Hardware
ZAF+ is an extension of ZAF. The two devices share many similarities but ZAF+ is an improved version of ZAF that allows for precise food distribution thanks to valves placed upstream of each tank. While ZAF+ is more complicated to build, we have kept the original ZAF principle: it is designed to be as simple as possible, does not require complex machining or 3D printing, and all components are commercially available and can be assembled using common tools.
Here we describe the construction of ZAF+ scaled to feed up to 30 tanks -- a typical average number of tanks found in most standalone zebrafish racks. We provide here a straightforward hardware and electronics assembly manual for building ZAF+. ZAF+ is modular and can be adapted to the user’s facility needs and scaled accordingly. Additionally, the number of valves can be adjusted to provide food to a larger number of tanks, the frame can be optimized to the fish facility layout, etc... The customization possibilities are numerous!
