Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Optimal Bluegill fish food

Haven't seen a dog yet that doesn't like fish feed!

After 6 weeks of attempting to feed train my RES on Aquamax 500 and observing no pellet strikes, on day 10 of feeding Optimal I observed 102 strikes in 15 min on a half cup feeding. Impressive stuff. Well done guys.

Very similar to my observations. So far every single result has been positive. I'm very excited for next year.

Yep!

I have quite a few RES eating Aquamax this year but really look forward to trying the Optimal food out. This is the first year I have seen good numbers of RES and SMB going after the Aquamax.

there will be another formulation that is more tailored to the top end predator fish in the pond..... wink grin

Man, I can't wait for this. With my Blue cats in my large pond now, I may have to make a run east to pick up a large order of the 'predator' feed.

When that comes to production, that will be shippable too.

I really like how the shipping was worked out as a fixed price of $45.00 per bag including shipping to any place in the continental US. They had to do some serious number crunching to pull that off!!!

As a bump, and if anyone is interested in this feed, you can order it from here: Hoosier Pond Pros

I heard through the grapevine today (I'm not on Facebook) that one of the members here who has been feeding Optimal for a few months did a comparison between Aquamax and Optimal. He found out that 40# of Optimal was the equivalent to 60# of Aquamax.

I just ordered two bags. Thanks for info, JKB! Don't have fish stocked yet, but should be very soon so I'll need to feed...

My plan is to hit HPP up in the spring for some. I would really like my non-pellet trained SF to start hitting pellets. I realize there is no guarantee but, I figure it's worth a try, even if only some go for it.

Thank you for the order!!

You'll get a FedEx tracking number as soon as it's generated.

esshup, I am thinking of the Optimal for feeding my CNBG this winter. After seeing some of the reports here on BG growth with Optimal, I am thinking that, if my fish reduce their intake of fish food during our winter here, the Optimal may help to add weight even at less fish food intake or feedings, compared to the Cargill's 4512.(Optimal out performed Purina that out performed Cargill's) I have only this past winter for observation or comparison to this upcoming winter on my pond. Last yr (2015) my water temp hit 42 for a short time of maybe two weeks around Feb the 22nd but the rest of the winter (Dec through Feb) it held at or around 51 degrees at what I might call a normal winter here. The 51 degree water hit @ or around the end of November. I am thinking I will harvest some Tilapia @ or around that time and then start the Optimal feeding. I am hoping to add weight through the winter months using the Optimal. I should have some HSB in the pond by then, so I am guessing I will be feeding them the Cargil's feed, but will wait on Overton's fishery to make their HSB feeding recommendations.
Question, How long does it take to get the Optimal after placing an order? and do you think Optimal will out perform the other fish food during our winter months?

Thanks

Tracy

I I just got a couple of bags. It's a little more $$ than the AM500, but not too bad.
I'm hoping the YP, will adapt to it. I know it's a BG formula, but I thought I'd give it a try.
Besides, I have HBG in the pond now. Along with some HSB, and SMB. (From Rex)

Tracy:

I honestly don't know how it will perform vs. the Cargill that you are feeding now, I can't get that formula up here. Next year I'll run another feed test with that specific Cargill formula - I'll either bring up a bag with me if I'm down there, or have one shipped up here. It's too late in the year now for us up here to do a test, the water is cooling down fast.

I heard from Matt this morning. He talked to someone that also did a feed test with LMB. They cut open the LMB and the livers of the Optimal fed (yes, this was the BG food) were red, the LMB that were fed the other food had white fatty livers. Growth was about the same.

One of the goals for developing the new Optimal fish food was NOT to produce exceptionally faster growing fish but to produce healthier fish with longer life spans, especially for the sunfishes. If your fish are healthier and live longer eating an artificial pellet they will ultimately grow larger compared to dying prematurely at less than their potential maximum size.

So far early feeding studies of the Optimal fish food for sunfish are showing the fish also grow better eating Optimal compared to other better quality high protein fish foods. Growing better and longer live spans; that is a win, win benefit.

I've kinda shared my Optimal story on here already. Essentially I have a RES only pond in which they are in heaven. 350 RES in a pond full of snails and FHM. As mentioned above, I tried feed training them on Aquamax but mostly fed it to the FHM. With Optimal the RES are now feeding on it vigorously, even with the decreasing water temps. I can't recommend this food enough for RES and feed training.

Haven't heard from them yet, Scott. Don't know if I did something wrong or there is some holdup elsewhere.

Have searched this thread and somehow am missing one thing. Is this optimal feed floating? And how long does it stay afloat. Is it part floating and part sinking?

Yes. Mine lasts for at least 5 min and is usually eaten by that poine.

I could be wrong, but I think the Optimal folks make their feed float with a different method than Purina. This same method in turn may be why the feed is less harmful to the fish's livers. Again could be wrong on this. But I am hopeful that this is one of the issues that is been sorted out.

The Zeigler Silver I have, most of it will float for a good day or so, but by then it expands quite a bit, but still floats. Could be the fat?

Water has been in the 40's for a while now. I blocked off the inlet to the sump so the feed won't get sucked in. Every morning I toss some in and it's gone when I get home. Nothing in the sump, so they have to still be eating it. I haven't seen a HBG in weeks now. There are quite a few places to hide and I see the inside bottom of some 4" PVC pipe is really clean compared to the sediment all over everything. I think they like my randomness of dropping in PVC pipe sections.

Last HBG I saw was a brute!, so I'll just let them do their thing until I tuck them away in the basement for the winter.

I ordered a bag of Optimal (latest run stuff with the 3 sizes) going on 2 weeks ago. Was told back then it might be ready to ship sometime this week. I said no problem, not in a big hurry.
See how it works with YP.

Thanks for the info JKB. I didn't now this was coming out with multiple sizes in the same bag. To me that is a huge plus and makes me want to order it even more next spring. Being able to feed multiple size classes is one of the main reason I am feeding my current chow.

I'd like to see some starter feed sizes I can use for my own hatched fish, as they become larger in size, and of course large enough to feed my large yellow perch.

Matt is delivering fish (I think he spent the last 3 days from sunup to past sundown stocking fish) and he said he would get to boxing and shipping later on this week. That's the food going to Haughton?