Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Optimal vs. Purina

Okay, I decided to up my game and feed my Bluegill a higher quality of food than I was getting at the local Tractor Supply. I ordered two bags of the Optimal Bluegill (40% crude protein, 10% crude fat, 4% crude fiber, etc.). However, I researched the Purina Aquamax Sport Fish MVP (43% protein, 12% fat, etc.). Purina says they have a mixture of different sized pellets and have some pellets that will sink for the fish who are afraid to surface feed. Pound for pound, the Purina is a bit less expensive. I have to drive just a bit to get it at the nearest Purina retailer which is no big deal. Also, as I am farm tax exempt, I can save on taxes on the Purina. Pond Boss guy endorses Purina. Anybody out there using the Purina Aquamax MVP? Your thoughts?

I feed Aquamax 500, 600, and Largemouth. I tried a bag of MVP when it came out. I can get a 50 lb bag of 500 or 600 for a little less, and consider a mix of the two to do the same kind of job as MVP's mixed pellet sizes. Some 500/600 pellets sink right away (more when a big BG or YP smacks into them at the surface), although there are not as many sinkers as with MVP.

MVP is, IMHO, good fish food (43% protein vs 41% for 500/600 and 45% for LM). If you want a decent % of sinking pellets, it's good to use.

I feed 2 ponds daily. I have never paid tax on Optimal shipped to me. If you want different pellet sizes of Optimal. I mixed optimal jr. and optimal blue gill for at least 1 year to 18 months. Then go with Optimal Bluegill. In my opinion fish grow much faster on Optimal. It is the best food I have used and the owner is great guy and not a large corporation. Delivered to your door for free optimal

I avoid the Optimal vs Purina debates, because I think the choice that makes the most sense is the one that works for the individual wrt availability and price.

I don't recall anyone doing a double blind study between the two.

Theo, I agree with you. I switched years ago when Purina was having supply issues and &Optimal was just starting in the Pond feed business & have never looked back. Too convenient to get it delivered as I have to go to a mom & pop feed store for Aquamax that is about 20 miles away. TSC doesn't carry it here locally. I have more feed size and protein level choices with Optimal too.

I used both Purina MVP and Optimal. MVP was cheaper by the pound & available seven minutes from my pond, so I probably used more of it.

Both are very good, in my humble opinion. My fish enjoyed them about equally. Optimal claims that it has less waste & thus is healthier for the fish, which may be true. If your pond is very fertile, easily slipping into blue green algae issues, Optimal might be preferable. At my infertile place, this wasn't much of an issue.

October , through May , I mix Trout and BG Optimal .My RBT go from 10"-12" to 17"-19" hogs , don't get in their path for the Optimal. Now, my hunch is Purina will provide equivalent results , but Mark ships my 2 bags a month to my front door and Purina dealer , after multiple calls , didn't return calls, told me they couldn't get Fish Feed because of minimum orders, might be able to get some in 3-6 months , they would call me if and when they got any in stock . ( 2 and a half years now, guess how many calls ) Now, just as I believe "P" can grow fish, and very healthy fish, I'm sure there are very top end , professional Feed dealers for Purina . Suspicion if my SMB , YP, RBT, CC, ETC , all had Hooves instead of fins , Had white faces , had tails designed to swat flies instead of to swim , phone calls would be returned , feed would be readily available , LOL !!!June - September it's all BG , sometimes mixed with JR , still delivered to my front door , just a quick text message to Mark , and in return I get a courteous "Thank You , it's on the way " , Feed that I ordered on my Front porch in 4-7 working days of my text , and extra happy GSH, BG, GSF, in season RBT, CC, and a few YP that have trained themselves. May you have happy, pudgy , beautifully colored fishes with which ever brand you choose , Front door delivery is hard to beat. Thank You, Mark ! And Snipe , for the excellent referral.

I usually feed the Purina game fish chow, (I am not that worried about the max performance as much), get it from my local mom and pop feed dealer that I like to patronize, the last time they were out of the game fish so I bought a couple bags of the Purina MVP. wow, there is a pretty big difference in the quality of the feed, and the fish love that stuff!

So I started keeping it in the truck to hand feed when I get by there and put the way cheaper game fish in the feeder, in 15 acres I could never feed enough to feed them all for maximum growth, and couldn't afford to if I wanted, I just kinda supplement feed to keep them hungry and then hand feed to watch them come sailing up when you walk or drive up to the pond.

I have fed the optimal several times and it appears to be super high quality feed as well, you can see them be more aggressive to a feed that they really like. I don't think a person is gonna go very wrong with either choice, a little more spendy but in this case I do think you get what you pay for. and the fish will thank you for it.