Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Forage fish-How many varieties is "enough"?

I must disagree (until the experts chime in).

Condello always says that "Mr. Opportunist" who eats both plentiful natural forage AND chows down on pellets grows bigger than "Mr. Natural " (who won't eat pellets) or "The Pellet Pig" (won't eat anything else).

Various Pros & PMs point out that fish have a finite lifespan, and while growth can resume following a period of poor diet, the growth that might have been attained during that time is lost for good.

P.S. If a non-feeding philosophy is right for your goals, desires, or situation, go for it. Your non-fed pond with beau coup forage could produce bigger fish than a fed pond with no natural feed. But great forage + feeding will produce the most or the biggest fish (depending on management) IMHO.

P.P.S. One must be much more careful of water quality when one is feeding.