When feeding either manually or with an auto feeder, food typically floats on the surface of the water due to the dry nature of the food and the surface tension of the water. This creates an imbalance, where larger, more dominant fish can feed first, leaving smaller fish, often hiding in rocks, outcompeted and unable to access as much food. The Food Regulator Cup solves this by allowing the food to sink before the fish begin eating and dispersing the food 360 degrees into powerhead streams, which helps distribute the food throughout the tank evenly.