Keep up your feed training, some will transition to pellets but it takes time. I like your addition of minced BG - you're doing everything right, keep on it.

I find hydrated feed is far easier to train fish with - can transition to dry floating feed later once they are on the hydrated. When I feed my caged fish daily I start with dry, floating feed until they won't take anymore, then I switch to hydrated feed and they will consume 4-5x more than dry float feeding. Pretty amazing how much more they can fit into their bellies.

I was losing several caged BRES and HBG I purchased in May - fungus developing in areas where they had lost scales or had minor injuries due to rough handling from hatchery. Lusk taught me many years ago to combat bacterial infections by feeding medicated pellets. I use antibiotic designed for fowl, cattle, horses or hogs either liquid or powder form and mix it with hydrated feed. After a couple days feeding the morts dropped from 10+ daily to 1-2, and after 3 days of treatment I didn't lose another fish. Continued antibiotic hydrated feedings for 14 days, and all surviving fish are eating well and demonstrate no lingering effects of the infection.

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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