Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding BG won't eat AM500

Actually none of the fish will touch it, they'll feed on AM600 without issue but it's too big for BG.. So, now that Optimal is gone, what to feed the BG? I'd been using Optimal BG for several years and everyone was happy. I don't understand the issue with 500, are there different ingredients than 600? The fish will come up take a look and back down they go, actually at times, they won't even come up to look.. Some of the BG will take it but spit it out. It's fresh food this week.

Time... AM500 will be consumed, in time..

AQ500 tastes the same as AQ600.

To me, anyway.

I'm trying to find some HSB to put in...if they don't eat it, nothing will. It's kind of like that old "Little Mikey" cereal commercial. My turtles aren't yet up to full speed but same with them, if they don't eat it, there's a problem.

If NONE of the fish will eat the AM500, is there any chance that bag has spoiled or developed some mold?

Likewise, quality control is pretty good on animal feeds, but every industrial process has the possibility of a bad batch. Perhaps you got some food from a bad run?

Any pond buddies nearby that would let you borrow a few cups of AM500 to test against your bag?

(Just throwing out ideas, based on what I read on the forum from the people that do comment on their feeding programs.)

I was at a pond where the owner strictly fed AM500 and the fish wouldn't touch AM600. Strictly a size thing, and the HBG in that pond were approaching or were over the 2# mark.

Have you heard the expression "match the hatch"?

I have a bag of 500 and a bag of optimal BG. I have mixed them together and they are eating both fine. They like the Optimal better, it seems. The pellet size of the 600 is bigger and closer to the pellet size of the Optimal. I am thinking of getting 600 the next time I get a bag for the bigger pellet size. I have noticed that my hybrid crappie seem to come up for the 500 better.

Try a bag of Purina's MVP, it is a mix of sinking & floating pellets, 9 different sizes. It is well received by our CNBG.

FYI, on the bottom of each bag of Purina feed is a date code, date it is made. Always check this for freshness potential.