Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - Multiple feedings, and how much?

I was wondering if there is any benefit in feeding bluegill multiple times a day vs one or two feedings? Right now, I've got a 2 acre pond, with two feeders going off twice a day for 12 seconds and I just decided to add a third feed time in the middle of the day for 3 seconds. I guess I can have up to 6 or so different feed times and was wondering if I should use those? I thought that multiple feedings would just give predators more chances to grab the fish but frankly the blue heron seem to just walk around the shallow spots of the lake even when the feeders have gone off. Currently there are no bass in the pond but they will be added this spring.

Second question: Is it possible that some of the first bluegill that I put in have spawned and now their offspring are already large enough to eat the fish pellets? Around 2 weeks ago when I refilled the feeders, I noticed that it seemed like the number of fish in the pond increased exponentially. Suddenly it didn't matter how much food I tossed out, it was consumed at a pretty fast rate. My first stocking was only 5 months ago. With that said, there is no aeration system in this pond, if the fish are consuming all of the food with in 5-6 minutes, should I just keep feeding more? I'm feeding aquamax 500.

Thanks,

David

Even without knowing how many BG you stocked 48 seconds of food a day seems like a lot
I saw something similar, didn’t matter how much I fed it seemed as though the fish would clean it up
In under 30 seconds. With that, a fish can only consume so many pellets in X amount of time.
Instead of feeding for 12 seconds try feeding for 4 seconds 3x - 5 minutes apart. Example: 7:30 / 7:35 / 7:40
That should more evenly distribute the food to more fish.
Also as stated above, I tried feeding my fish for a few seconds mid day, the first year they didn’t take to it, now in year 2 I can set the feeder off or hand throw food at any time of day and they will boil the water within a few seconds.
I say don’t over do it this early on, it can start leading to water quality issues if it’s not all getting consumed.
I’m also not sure of the correct feeding amount, it should roughly equal X amount of food per Y amount of fish per day. Something like 2-3# per acre per day if stocked correctly.
They say feed all your fish will consume in 10 minutes, like you, I could probably throw a 50# of food in and it would seem to be gone in under 10 minutes.
Experiment a little, fish food is just a supplement and not a fish’s primary source of nutrition.

Actually no, I didn't say that. I was just saying that 6 lbs feed per acre day ... while it is large amount of feed ... it's not too much for his brand new pond. It would however be too much for yours (I think you would agree with that ... unless you would like to prove me wrong?)

The number of the estimated feed from April 1 through October 31st was 1284 lbs of feed so the FCR I'd anticipate isn't 1.5 but rather around 2.5. I wouldn't expect anywhere close to that FCR next year because a bunch of the feed would just go to maintaining the biomass.

Just endorsing the use of feed to support a higher standing weight of fish and easing it back each year to maintain the same level of production. That's how I would do it ... anyway.

You could even cut it back to 1 second until you notice them feeding again. If the temps keep trending down and you don't see any feed response, empty out the feeder and leave the solar panel attached, just turn the feed times to off until the water warms up in the Spring.

Seems like I read once that 1 sec = 1/4 lb of feed from a Texas Hunter Feeder. One could test to be sure.

Anyways, 48 sec equates to 6 lbs/acre day for CentaxSaj's 2 acre pond. Since his pond is new, this is not an excessive amount and while he might have FA show up next spring the mobilization of nutrients (Nitrogen) is no more than the average 8 year old pond that has never been fed or fertilized. Here I am talking about full year mobilization. Since feeding is normally limited to the warm months, a pond being fed at this rate... especially a pond in its first year that may not otherwise be able to support more than 76 lbs/acre of BG only biomass ... has greater nutrient mobilization per day during the summer than an 8 year old pond. This greater rate of nutrient mobilization is comparable to the annual (whole year) nutrient mobilization of the average 19 year old pond. As a consequence, growth in the warmest 6 months of a pond fed 6 lbs/day of Aquamax is as much in a pond in its first year to be equivalent to the annual maintenance provided by the average 19 year old pond. In BG only, this equates to around 500 lbs per acre. This is balance between brood and YOY. The more brood ... the less YOY ... the less brood ... the more YOY (here talking the split of biomass).

The nitrogen in fish is only a minor fraction of the nitrogen mobilized required to grow or maintain them. This waste nitrogen in the form of labile organics is recycled by biological action over the next 5 years and this adds to the future year productivity. After feeding for 5 years, the feeds contribution in support of BG only biomass is about 600 lbs per year. Given a nonfed, unfertilized pond naturally accumulates nutrients and will on average support a BG only biomass at 207 lbs per acre. The final effect of 5 years of feeding 1200 lbs/year of Aquamax + natural accumulation of nutrients is a pond that could support 800 lbs/acre of BG-only (fall weights). This is equivalent to the average 38 year old pond.

It's important to distinguish that one has not aged a 5-year-old pond an additional 33 years. Only, that the nutrient mobilization is equivalent to a 38-year-old pond. If you stopped feeding in the 6th year, the pond would support around 100 more pounds/acre than a 6-year-old pond would ... around 344 lbs/acre BG only biomass. The labile mobilization effect of the prior 5 years of feeding would decline each year and in year 12 the BG only biomass supported by the pond would be very close to the average unfed, unfertilized pond. Only marginally higher. A twelve year old pond will average 382 lbs of BG-only biomass.

So early feeding doesn't age a pond considerably. It is possible to feed to meet a particular production goal and maintain at that level with a process of declining feed inputs with age. Where the pond's age and accumulated nutrients are capable of supporting that goal, feeding can be curtailed at that time. While feeding does not age a pond considerably, it does mobilize nutrients at levels comparable to older ponds. So the effects of nutrient mobilization are equivalent. For example, support of macrophytes that can absorb nutrients from water (like FA and naiad) and also effects on night-time DO draw down.