Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Starting fish on pellets

I put BG and Res in my pond last year also have fhm and GSH have been feeding hydrated aqua max 42percent and skretings 42percent. Also 32 percent catfish food mostly for the minnows. The BG will eat the hydrated food readily but when I feed it unhydrated they take it in and spit it out. How can I get them to eat it as is without soaking it.

I'm pretty sure if you put it in the water when its dry, it will hydrate itself.

Greedy fish who want to eat first will learn to eat it quickly.

I'm with Theo. What brand feed are they picking and spitting? When you say you are feeding the 32% feed to the minnows, how can you ensure that only the minnows are eating the feed?

I am only hand feeding so I can watch what feed is consumed because of the size and color difference between the 32 and 42 percent food. The minnows peck at any food floating. The hydrated food sinks and the BG eat it pretty quickly. But I would like to not have to soak it. I guess I need to let them get hungry maybe when the water warms up they will be more likely to eat the dry food

According to some who are truly breaking ground with feeding fish, their belief is that more #s of fish uptake feed if you soak it before feeding it to the fish. As Theo said, an aggressive fish will take the dry feed readily. Some amount of less aggressive fish will not.

One prominent individual uses a conveyor belt system now, as you can't really hydrate feed in automated feeders.