Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding TH feeder size

After reading about TH feeders on here and talking with people, I am going to bite the bullet and get one. I have a 3/4 acre pond and was wondering is it worth it to pay $100 more and go from 70lbs to 175lbs of feed? I mean how long will 70 lbs of feed last?

If you live on the property, or can check the feeder at least once a week I see no reason to upgrade. Of course how long 70 pounds depends on how much and how often you feed. However I would think that it would easily last more than a week, perhaps several weeks on a 3/4 acre pond's needs.

Agree with Bing. I have a 70 pound an feed for 8 seconds per day. I don't live there. I check on it and don't run out.

From my experience, I want the larger feeder because when we take vacation and we are gone for 9 to 14 days the larger feeder can be on its last leg so to speak when I get back. I have even run out of feed but it has not happened but once or twice when feeding, lets say 4 feeding times at 8 to 12 seconds per time. It depends on how long u might be gone from the pond

Tracy

Good move on the TX Feeder. I've got another brand that isn't holding up very well.
I did get the smaller size, and find it does just fine. I was feeding 8 seconds a day also, and the feed lasted over two weeks easy. (When it was running).
I think even if you run out, it's not that big of a deal. My feeder has quit on me at least a dozen times in the last two years. When I get it fired back up, the fish come right back. I may not get "optimum" growth, but I don't think there is any serious negative side effect to having it shit off for a few days.

I live on my property so it has not been a big issue. I have a TH in the 70 lb. I put 50 lbs. in at a time for my 2 acre pond and get 15 days from that feeding 15 seconds in the A.M. and 15 seconds in the P.M. Feeder has NEVER failed me in a year and a half feeding every day...even through the winter!!

I would get the larger size. You don't have to fill it all the way, but capacity is there if you need it. You will be able to go 2+ months with a 175# on one fill up. Nice not having to keep extra bags laying around to fill up every couple weeks.

I have a 175 and go thru 200#s a month with 2 ac BOW.

I prefer the price of the smaller unit, have used it for 8 years and never run out of food, and it's small enough to handle solo on and off the trailer every Winter/Spring. Also, if you're challenged like me and leave the lid off followed by a rain event [multiple times], digging 50% less maggot infested moldy feed from the smaller unit will be a positive. All depends on how often you elect to fill the feeder - is it worth the extra $ to feed 50%+ less often? If so, go for it.

This is on but off the subject...not trying to hijack. But have any of you tried the TH hanging fish feeder?? The one that is more like the other brands? It has a spinner on the bottom and multiple plates that you can use to change the pattern. I'm thinking about asking "santa" to bring me one. But am leaning towards gathering parts for an aeration system. I hand feed now. Any thoughts on that one? I think its just 50# capacity. Thanks!

Yes, I have had one for over a year, but I haven't mounted it yet.

Good price, typically well built as all TH feeders are, but the amount of food dropped below the feeder doesn't really work for me.

It comes with a slinger, and a straight throw drops 75% of the food straight down. Great little feeder, but my water's too shallow for that style of feeder.

There are some astounding amounts of feed being discussed here. Fascinating how goals, fertility, location, and species all interact in regards to feed usage. I'm hand feeding four ponds once a day, approximating 2.5 surface acres, and 40 lbs of Optimal usually lasts me 2-3 weeks, depending upon the mood of the fish. Quite pleased with the growth of my BG.

I agree with sprkplug. You guys are tossing out a ton of feed. I am planning on stocking 70 feed trained 12 inch LMB and 400 adult BG this coming spring and am buying the 70 lb. TX Hunter dock-mounted feeder. This is the size recommended by our lake mgmt. company who recommends feeding a total of 70 lbs. per month to these fish.

Granted, there are other LMB in the BOW and lots of BG. We are assuming the feed trained LMB and BG will also learn to eat smaller BG and whatever other forage they can get in their maw.

I don't want to have to refill a feeder any more frequently than once every 3-4 weeks as i do not live on the property. I am hoping i can fine tune the setting on the TH feeder to toss out a touch more than 1 pound of food twice each day. BM61.

70 lb a month means 70/30 lb per day, roughly 2.3 lb. Since a TH feeder throws about 1 lb per 12 seconds, that would mean a total of 28 seconds per day. Two feedings of 14 seconds per day will do it.

I have several of the 70 lb TH feeders. If you fill them up to near the top, you should get 3 weeks easily before needing a refill.

One warning: You may wish to feed at a lesser level until the fish get the idea, otherwise you might have a LOT of waste. In my case, it took them about 3 weeks to understand & full utilize the feeders, even though the fish were presumably feed trained BG.

Thanks for the advice anthropic. My pure guess would have been for a shorter feeding time to get that quantity of food out there. I didn't realize....and I have read a lot of material on the TH feeder...that it took 12 seconds to throw a pound of feed. I thought it would have done that in a much shorter time. And starting off with a lesser level of feed makes a lot of sense as well.

Looking forward to getting this feeding "experiment" up and running in one of our small BOWs (just 1.6 acres). We have never fed fish before. I know what feeder and feed I am going to use now just waiting for next spring to start...trying to manage 3 BOWs and hit the budget limit for 2016 at this point. In 2017 the budget is mostly focused on corrective stocking, adding some new genetics and a few other semi-big ticket misc items. BM61.

What's a pond management budget limit?

When I purchased my 3 TH feeders two of them were used. All of the three will hold 250 lbs of fish food. The reason I bought two used ones was because of good price and the seller said they would not throw lmb food due to the size of the feed and he had to buy feeders that would throw the larger lmb feed. So, are the new TH feeders now set up the throw lmb feed? He had the spinner plates set at the max width. I adjusted the new one to throw the maximum by adjusting the spinner plate and now all three are set at the max sized opening so I can throw 1/4", 3/16th and 1/8" Cargills 4512. I have also seen Optimal thrown by my feeders. Another here wanted to try the 1/8" for his then small cnbg, so we did a trade. I believe it was back before the different sizes of Optimal was available. But I could be wrong.

Tracy

peachgrower, did you ever get your TH hanging feeder? I have one. Took some doing to get it raccoon proof but it's going now. It does drop quite a bit of food straight down but I live with it. I have two baffles off and a third one bent out about 45° to help with the problem. I'm feeding 2 seconds a day and going through about 50 pounds a month. Does this sound right to anyone who owns one?