Forums36
Topics40,960
Posts557,927
Members18,495
|
Most Online3,612 Jan 10th, 2023
|
|
8 members (gautprod, Fishingadventure, Tinylake, Knobber, Groundhog7, Jward87, Theo Gallus, DrewSh),
1,046
guests, and
205
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 159
Fingerling
|
OP
Fingerling
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 159 |
So after beginning this pond project 3 years ago I finally have added fish. Put in 1,000 BG (1 inch) yesterday with minimal (aprox 20) dead loss. I am down in SE GA so I am hoping they will start feeding before it gets too cold. I throw out half a cup of dog food (been saving my optimal BG Jr until my fish arrived) every evening and the FHM attack it.
I checked the water temp this morning and it is 69'. I hope to establish a feeding pattern to jump start these little guys since my pond is a magnet for Coots and Herons.
3/4 Acre South Georgia Pond, 1,500 BG/RES; LMB coming soon
Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do.
Most powerful words ever spoken. (Jesus Christ in Luke 23:34)
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,145 Likes: 488
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
|
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,145 Likes: 488 |
Optimal BG Jr is a relatively large pellet for 1" BG. Three good options as I see it. 1. Build yourself some sort of floating feeding ring to contain the pellets while they soften and before the pellets float to shore where much of it decomposes and grows nuisance FA algae. Plus this will help train the fish for the location of the feeding station. 2. Spend some time crushing or grinding the Optimal Jr into smaller size crumbles so the 1" BG can grasp and swallow the food. 3. Try softening some of the food 1-2hrs prior to feeding the fish. The soften food will will allow the BG and minnows to more quickly pull off bits of pellet they can easily consume.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 12/01/16 10:31 AM.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 425
|
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 425 |
When I started mine I did as Mr. Cody is saying. I bought a cheap 9 dollar blender at Wal Mart. Would hit it a few times and crush it. I put enough to fill the large coffee can about 2/3 full. Then put three 1/3 cups in it and shook it. I would leave it in the fridge. I could feed out of that for a few days...although I didn't have 1000 fish either. Worked very well. I also used the feed ring. Took a week or so...but they found the ring and were ALWAYS there waiting! Its fun...congrats on finally getting them in there!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 159
Fingerling
|
OP
Fingerling
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 159 |
Thanks Mr Bill, I will get a cheap blender today for that. I wondered if that's why the FHM seemed to get the dog food faster. Maybe it softens easier.
3/4 Acre South Georgia Pond, 1,500 BG/RES; LMB coming soon
Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do.
Most powerful words ever spoken. (Jesus Christ in Luke 23:34)
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,898 Likes: 146
|
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,898 Likes: 146 |
Great work! Do your herons leave the area and go south in the winter? I'm in MI and saw a great blue heron at the pond last week and one flying overhead this week. We have no ice yet but I thought those voracious predators would at least have had the sense to fly south by December...
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 159
Fingerling
|
OP
Fingerling
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 159 |
I am not sure on the herons, I do know that I usually pick up a few teal and plenty of coots as it gets cold.
I just crushed up some BG JR in a plastic bag and then soaked it for a bit. I threw it out where I saw a few BG sitting in the shallows and they are attacking it.
3/4 Acre South Georgia Pond, 1,500 BG/RES; LMB coming soon
Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do.
Most powerful words ever spoken. (Jesus Christ in Luke 23:34)
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 6,080 Likes: 1
|
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 6,080 Likes: 1 |
C270 congrats on the new fish. Exciting time!
FWIW My limited experience feeding BG JR late this summer is exactly in line with Bill C's post above. The little 1 inch BG really struggled with all but the smallest pellets. They mostly ate the fragments. The 2 inch could handle even the largest pellets. It was pretty funny to watch a 2 inch guy grab one of the biggest pellets and then run with it to get away from the competition. As I kept watching, they would then reposition the pellet in their mouth until it was lengthwise before they gulped it down.
Be Brave Enough to Suck at Something New!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 28
|
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 28 |
Many Congrats for having fish in your pond, great work. Keep updating us about your pond fish activites. Thanks
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 159
Fingerling
|
OP
Fingerling
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 159 |
The BG must be growing fast, when I throw the feed out the whole side of the pond starts moving. I am sure some of the FHM I put in this summer are helping. I have decided to go with HSB, I figure if I don't like them I can always catch them and add LMB. But if I start with LMB it will be a lot more time consuming keeping the ratios right and correcting it.
3/4 Acre South Georgia Pond, 1,500 BG/RES; LMB coming soon
Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do.
Most powerful words ever spoken. (Jesus Christ in Luke 23:34)
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,930 Likes: 2
|
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,930 Likes: 2 |
SMB and YP could be options as alternates to LMB to pair up with the HSB.
Goofing off is a slang term for engaging in recreation or an idle pastime while obligations of work or society are neglected........... Wikipedia
|
|
|
Moderated by Bill Cody, Bruce Condello, catmandoo, Chris Steelman, Dave Davidson1, esshup, ewest, FireIsHot, Omaha, Sunil, teehjaeh57
|
|