My CNBG continue to eat vigorously (3 feeders, each a total of 12 seconds a day, throwing Optimal BG), but I'm a bit worried about water temps approaching 85 and rising. Am I potentially harming the CNBG by encouraging them to stay shallow?

Should I cut back, maybe quit feeding entirely, in the heat? My pond is relatively infertile, few signs of algae so far, if that makes a difference. Aeration has not been installed yet, either.

Good question and one that I am interested in knowing the answer also.

I have cut back about a third on quantity feeding since the hot weather started. I could feed two or three times what I am feeding and they would eat it.

Like you, concerned about water quality. Do have some FA here around the edges, but I consider it better than bluegreen algae so maybe the FA is the lesser of the two evils. I'm a little hesitant of getting after it too agressively.

Ant because of you not having air setup in your pond IMO I would back off. I have my feeder setup to go off 2 seconds in the morning and 1 second in the evening... but I have air also. Your BG can stand water temps into the low 90's they may not like it very much but they can stand it.... The problem is warm/hot water has less D.O. in it as you know and throwing a bunch of food in the water isn't helping that situation either... unless your BG have no other way of eating in your pond I would back off.. specially if I did not have air setup. And if you do feed make it early and as late as you can in the evening... when it's cooler.. If you don't have air running and mixing your water your deeper water may not have much D.O. anyway ....so your BG may not even be in the deepest areas...

RC

My water temperature in Central Illinois was 89 degrees two feet down at 5:00 PM yesterday. In my 3 acre pond with air and three feeders the bluegill and feed trained bass were eating all I fed in less than a minute with each feeder set at three seconds each twice a day. My fish are feeding faster and heavier than any time I can recall. I would have thought that feeding would slow down not speed up.

There are several aspects to the questions. Temp is one , food demand (fish metabolism) is another and water quality (DO + weather , wind etc)is a third. In addition local adaptation of the BG population is a factor - all are not the same wrt temp profile.

Most likely if the fish are eating well things are ok. Fish will usually tell you what to do. Its the usually that concerns us all as the time to go from ok to uh-oh can be quick. BG max metabolism is good into the high 80s in most cases. You also have to consider your BG population. If its a new pond the young BG will have a faster growth rate and food demand. DO's at 5 ppm is ok. Most do not have that type of data. If in doubt then you should cut back if you have a high feed rate and limited water.

I did an interesting experiment this weekend. Fish have been feeding well. I am very slowly easing up the aeration system as it's relatively new. At 2 hrs/day, 1-3 am. I measured water temps and it was 76 at 1' and 70 about 12' down (not exactly sure where the thermometer landed out there). I decided to run the aerator for 2.5 more hours Saturday afternoon when it was in the 90s. Right afterward I measured temps and it was 74 degrees top and bottom, so I concluded it was pretty mixed out. This is a shaded ravine, so I don't expect 80s.

I also noted an oily film with surface bubbles that had been pushed out from the aerator. When the aerator shut off, the film started heading back to the centerpoint. Shortly after, it was feeding time. It was hot, sunny and this film was on the surface in the feeding zone. I took the film to be some of the badness from the bottom that had been brought up as it is not normal. There was none of the awful smell you get with really stratified water. Would have loved to have an O2 meter to see what I'd done to that profile.

The fish were not interested. A little lethargic nibbling but no aggression. The next day, feeding was back to normal. Perhaps it was messing with their routine, perhaps they had gone to the far side of the pond with the bottom junk brought up. For whatever reason, normally hungry fish just didn't show up to eat. Snappers didn't mind the extra food. Definitely learned not to mess with the fishes' schedule and environment.

With the winds we have had over the last 30 days, I bet the DO levels are still OK. At least with the increased evaporation, we get DO from the higher winds.