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Bobbss #515667 01/12/20 05:48 PM
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Originally Posted By: Bobbss
Isn't it all the same diameter, and just shorter and longer? Where the MVP sounds like it has multi diameters,or maybe I'm wrong. Does it have as many sizes as the MVP?


Yes, same diameter, different lengths and it has more sizes than MVP. In aquaculture, it's better to feed fish small particle sizes of feed that way they can fit more in their stomach, therefore eating more food per feeding session.


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3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
esshup #515678 01/13/20 07:50 AM
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Originally Posted By: esshup
Originally Posted By: Bobbss
It would be nice if Optimal would do a multi size blend.


They do. The Optimal Bluegill food was multi sized before Purina came out with the multi sized feed. (and it still is) That's the great thing about them, they listen to the pond owners and design feed around their needs. Matt Rayl and I were the ones doing the testing and the ground work for Optimal so they could figure out what feed sizes worked the best for the multi-sized fish in the pond.

I am seeing some pictures of testing that I did for them are now showing up on other Optimal sellers websites without any credit for where the pictures came from. This one was from a feed test between Tractor Supply Sportsman's Choice, Purina AM500 and Optimal Bluegill.


Looks like AM500 would have been way too big of feed size for the target fish. I would think some AM400 would have shown better growth.

I will usually order one bag of small feed (have used AM400 and more recently Optimal largest of the Starter series) and hand throw it close to the bank all aroung the pond in small amounts for a good part of the year. In such small amounts a bag will last me most of the year. The little 2 and 3" BG that hug the protection of the shore line gobble it up. If I throw big feed out there, they will peck at it but can not swallow it. Soon a CC or larger BG shows up and eats it before the small fingerlings can get any to speak of.

I think sizing the feed to the target fish would be very important for successful growth.

I have heard it said on this site that early growth of a fish is important for overall life growth. That is why I make the effort to supplement these fingerling BG early on with the small size feed. Does not cost much (because of the such small amount fed at each feeding) but it does take a lot of time. Of course that is one of the things I enjoy most about the pond, driving around feeding the fish. So it is not a big deal for me.

Optimal Starter #4 what I will be ordering in the next month or two

Last edited by snrub; 01/13/20 07:56 AM.

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kingfish #515683 01/13/20 01:37 PM
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I started with the Optimal Starter #4, then went to the Junior. I was thinking going to the Bluegill when I ordered the last bag, but Dustin told me to stick with the Junior. Is some of the Bluegill around the same size as the Junior or #4? I may just do like John and order a bag of #4 as well.

Last edited by Bobbss; 01/13/20 01:40 PM.

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Bobbss #515703 01/13/20 11:41 PM
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Optimal Jr. is 3.5mm diameter. Optimal BG is 4.5mm in diameter. Both Jr and regular BG have the same lengths of pellets in the bag, varying from 1 to 10 mm in length. The % of each pellet size will vary between the Jr and BG food, but the overall length of the pellets is the same.

As for the different sized fish food in each bag, the dia will stay the same the length will vary. What I do and what a lot of clients do is mix 2 different feeds together. I mix Optimal BG along with Optimal Bass in my feeder. One client has 2 feeders on his pond. The one near the bedding area and near the cover for the YOY fish he feeds a mix of Jr and starter feeds, depending on how close (time wise) to the hatch he's feeding. Sway from the spawning area he's feeding a mixture of Optimal BG and Bass food.


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3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
esshup #515704 01/14/20 02:35 AM
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I have five TH feeders. None of them reliably throw a mixture of LMB and BG feed from Optimal without jamming every 2 to 4 weeks. Even when the aperture was widened, still problems.

My experience inclines me to hand throw anything much larger than 4.5 mm. Unfortunately, I don't live on site so this limits my program considerably.

Also, using really small feed for YOY BG invariably sticks together & sets up in a block during warmer, humid months. Might be able to avoid this problem with bottom type feeders, but huge problems with broadcast.

Maybe others have the magic touch, but that's been my experience. Another fish feeder company advertised a feeder that would throw 1 inch(!) pellets, but apparently that didn't work out because those ads quickly disappeared.

Wish my feeders could throw 1/2 inch LMB pellets without jamming -- my HSB go nuts for it! -- but it hasn't happened.

Last edited by anthropic; 01/14/20 03:19 AM.

7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




anthropic #515711 01/14/20 09:08 AM
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Texas Avenger is the other fish feeder company.

Where is the TH feeder jamming up? I can tell you how I adjusted mine to stop that problem.


www.hoosierpondpros.com


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3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
snrub #515721 01/14/20 12:05 PM
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Snrub, I've been thinking along the same lines. I started with Optimal for couple years, but have switched to AM MVP due to cost, storage, and supply. I was completely satisfied with the quality of Optimal, and if I was feeding smaller scale I would probably still be using Optimal. I'm feeding about 2000# a year.

I haven't really noticed any difference in growth, plant or algae growth since my switch to AM. Although, it is really hard to see slight changes, and my fish class sizes are so much different than they were 3 years ago. Ponds are always evolving, so there is that factor as well.

I heard Bob say Aquamax is doing some growth studies this year as well, so it will be interesting to see how those results compare to other test.

Last edited by BrianL; 01/14/20 12:06 PM.

1.8 acre pond with CNBG, RES, HSB, and LMB
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esshup #515726 01/14/20 01:49 PM
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Originally Posted By: esshup
...Where is the TH feeder jamming up? I can tell you how I adjusted mine to stop that problem.

With 1/2" pellets?


AL

esshup #515729 01/14/20 02:18 PM
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Originally Posted By: esshup
Originally Posted By: Bobbss
It would be nice if Optimal would do a multi size blend.


They do. The Optimal Bluegill food was multi sized before Purina came out with the multi sized feed. (and it still is) That's the great thing about them, they listen to the pond owners and design feed around their needs. Matt Rayl and I were the ones doing the testing and the ground work for Optimal so they could figure out what feed sizes worked the best for the multi-sized fish in the pond.

I am seeing some pictures of testing that I did for them are now showing up on other Optimal sellers websites without any credit for where the pictures came from. This one was from a feed test between Tractor Supply Sportsman's Choice, Purina AM500 and Optimal Bluegill.


What's up with the bulging eyes on those fish? Stunting? They don't look "right".


Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

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kingfish #515730 01/14/20 04:57 PM
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esshup - are the BG in the picture top to bottom representative individuals respectively fed Sportsman Choice top, Purina middle, and Optimal bottom? I am nosy - do you have full size range measurements for each feeding group? How many in each test group?


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kingfish #515731 01/14/20 05:11 PM
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Did you do a total fish weight in cage? Would be nice to see the ending total of "x" pounds fish, X pounds of feed, and X total number of fish.


1.8 acre pond with CNBG, RES, HSB, and LMB
Trophy Hunter feeder.
Bill Cody #515733 01/14/20 07:54 PM
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[quote=Bill Cody]esshup - are the BG in the picture top to bottom representative individuals respectively fed Sportsman Choice top, Purina middle, and Optimal bottom? I am nosy - do you have full size range measurements for each feeding group? How many in each test group?
Was wondering the same thing, if those three fish are all the same age and just been fed a different feed, all we need to know is what each of them been fed,, whatever the bottom one has been eating is what Im gonna start feeding mine!


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gehajake #515734 01/14/20 08:25 PM
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Bill C. has it right. IIRC 100 fish in each 4' square cage, feed ring in cage, each cage fed same amount of food by weight per day put into feed ring. 3 month test. No weight of fish done, I believe our Dentist in Ne. did that.


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3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
kingfish #515737 01/14/20 09:37 PM
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The best feed is always the feed that doesn't jam the feeders, so it actually gets to the fish. Frustrating.


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




kingfish #515738 01/14/20 09:38 PM
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I can't compare to anything else, I've only feed my BG with Optimal. I stocked them 5-11-19, and while I never caught any, all of them that I seen coming up to feed looked more like #3 by September.


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kingfish #517074 02/20/20 10:57 AM
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I am kingfish the originator of this thread. After several quotes we have decided to go with Cargill Triton fish food for 2020. It is 45% protein and 12% fat and we feel we can grow some healthy CNBG with this.
We are paying $36 per bag on a pallet basis, delivered to us.

Your thoughts

kingfish #517075 02/20/20 11:09 AM
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Originally Posted By: kingfish
I am kingfish the originator of this thread. After several quotes we have decided to go with Cargill Triton fish food for 2020. It is 45% protein and 12% fat and we feel we can grow some healthy CNBG with this.
We are paying $36 per bag on a pallet basis, delivered to us.

Your thoughts



That is Cargill's Hybrid striped bass formulation. It will work great for bluegill. It has slightly higher carbohydrates vs. the 48/18 formulation. I really liked the 48/18 for growing LMB.

kingfish #535692 05/27/21 02:56 AM
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Kingfish how did your fish do during the 2020 year on the cargill feed ?

kingfish #538210 07/28/21 11:34 AM
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Billy here we are in the mid season of 2021 and we are still feeding the Triton with much success. Our CNB eat it so quickly that it doe not get wet.
Needless to say we are pleased.

My biggest fear is dying and my wife selling all of my fishing tackle for what I told her I paid for it.......

kingfish #538224 07/28/21 04:51 PM
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I've never heard of this feed. You said you paid $36 per bag, but didn't mention the bag size. If its a 50 lb bag for $36, and its 45% protein, doesn't that totally annihilate Optimal and Purina?

I just found these for sale at Overton's: https://overtonfisheries.com/cargill-premium-fish-feed

The prices listed are for direct pickup at their location, but it seems to be $40 per 50lb bag.


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kingfish #538227 07/28/21 06:01 PM
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Cargill's Triton line is what I feed here, and they come in 50# bags. Solid food that stores well, and offers several sizes I use here. In the hatchery pond, and the feeder at the top of our pond, I feed a 50/50 mix of 1/8" pellets, and 3/16 pellets, thrown for 1 second, once a day. That carpets the water, but has very little volume. All CNBG eat here. At the dam feeder, I only throw the 3/8" pellets. It's hotter, and more expensive, but it's worth it to me. 4 seconds in the morning, and 3 at evening time. That feeds my HSB, larger CNBG, and feed trained F1 LMB. Everybody's happy.


AL

kingfish #538239 07/28/21 11:34 PM
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I'd love to see what that price per bag would be delivered via FedEx or UPS to your door.


www.hoosierpondpros.com


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3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
kingfish #538246 07/29/21 07:53 AM
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Walk in price and shipping price is on Overton's website.


AL

teehjaeh57 #538247 07/29/21 08:02 AM
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Originally Posted by teehjaeh57
Originally Posted by esshup
Originally Posted by Bobbss
It would be nice if Optimal would do a multi size blend.

They do. The Optimal Bluegill food was multi sized before Purina came out with the multi sized feed. (and it still is) That's the great thing about them, they listen to the pond owners and design feed around their needs. Matt Rayl and I were the ones doing the testing and the ground work for Optimal so they could figure out what feed sizes worked the best for the multi-sized fish in the pond.

I am seeing some pictures of testing that I did for them are now showing up on other Optimal sellers websites without any credit for where the pictures came from. This one was from a feed test between Tractor Supply Sportsman's Choice, Purina AM500 and Optimal Bluegill.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

What's up with the bulging eyes on those fish? Stunting? They don't look "right".

Dang, I agree. All look very poor to me. Yeah those don't any look well at all.


It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers


kingfish #538248 07/29/21 08:03 AM
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esshup, I purchase the Cargill 4512 formula from their Louisiana plant and they ship it to me direct on a regular large freight truck TO MY HOUSE. I purchase a 1/2 pallet at a time...20 bags. These are 50 POUND BAGS. I split the order with another member here on the forum. We also split the freight charges. We have been doing this for 5 or 6 years with fantastic customer service! We also use the 1/8th and 3/16th size pellets. NEVER had a problem with them. Delivered to my door including shipping is around $37 a bag!! I use this feed for everything and ya'll know i had some pure florida LMB that weighed 5 1/4 pounds at ONLY 18 inch long!!


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