I started hand feeding Optimal to my BG about two months ago. While I see some eating it, I do see a lot of them spitting it back out. I'm only there on weekends so they only get it a few times a week. The majority of it gets eaten by CC and turtles. I've got native BG that are not pellet trained and some Ots CNBG which I assume are the ones that don't spit it out. Guess I'll just keep throwing it out there see if they take to it.
My larger native BG that I stocked in December have become pellet trained by the smaller CNBG from the fish truck last September. I have noticed BG eating a Optimal pellet, spitting it out, then swallowing the next pellet they find. My pond is clear, and one day I watched an 8"or so native BG spit out every other pellet it found, and swallow every other pellet. Several eaten and several spit out.
