Forums36
Topics40,961
Posts557,949
Members18,499
|
Most Online3,612 Jan 10th, 2023
|
|
6 members (Boondoggle, Dave Davidson1, Angler8689, Sunil, highflyer, Bill Cody),
1,112
guests, and
153
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,902
Lunker
|
OP
Lunker
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,902 |
My pond has RES & SMB. I hand feed the RES daily with softened food & am acustomed to seeing a couple of small SMB taking pellets. About a month ago the SMB numbers increased to more than a dozen from 6" to prob. 12". There are always several larger SMB hanging around with all the excitement of a feeding frenzy going on so yesterday I made a pellet apx 3/4" in diameter & tossed it out. A big SMB hit it hard! Repeated tosses had all the larger SMB fighting for the food. Same thing today. I thought they had to be trained from fry to take fish food. Is my experience as unusual as I think? The food I am mashing to make big pellets sinks. I was thinking of getting some Aqumax LM food to make it easier to feed the larger SMB. Does the LM food float? Do you think they will eventually take floating food?
Pond Boss Subscriber & Books Owner
If you can read this ... thank a teacher. Since it's in english ... thank our military! Ric
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,972 Likes: 276
Moderator Lunker
|
Moderator Lunker
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,972 Likes: 276 |
First off: Goody!
SMB are supposed to take feed easier/quicker than LMB. I may have SMB taking Aquamax pellets (500/600) now in with the YP/RES/male BG, I just have no confirmation, visual or eliminatory.
Aquamax LM pellets float (although about 20% of mine sink within 30 seconds or so).
I expect (some of) your SMB will eat floating food, more as time goes by and more if they are hungry.
"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever." -S. M. Stirling
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,146 Likes: 488
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
|
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,146 Likes: 488 |
Smallmouth and LM bass can be acclimated to eating pellets using the technique used by Ric. Using the proper technique, one can feed train various fish that gather around the feeding frenzy. Ric, Once the larger bass are familar with eating the pellets most in not all those eating sinking pellets will move to the soft floating pellets. Converting them to hard pelets will take a little more time and effort.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 09/06/09 08:17 PM.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,902
Lunker
|
OP
Lunker
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,902 |
Ok, so I'm guessing next year I can switch to hard pelets for the smaller fish after a month or so of starting them off for the season with the soft. Thinking if I soften some LM pelets I might be able to eventually get the larger fish to switch to floating hard pelets. Thanks
Pond Boss Subscriber & Books Owner
If you can read this ... thank a teacher. Since it's in english ... thank our military! Ric
|
|
|
Moderated by Bill Cody, Bruce Condello, catmandoo, Chris Steelman, Dave Davidson1, esshup, ewest, FireIsHot, Omaha, Sunil, teehjaeh57
|
|