I strongly agree with Snipe. For smallies in a tank you will need a VERY good water filtration system or have a constant flow through water system with IMO at least 3-4 complete water changes per day. SMB require higher water quality than BG&LMB. Water filtration needs to be very similar to an aquaculture water recirculation system. I would use one similar to what Cecil Baird showed how to make on this forum. If needed I can provide a link to his posts. Or have a constant or once a day flow through water system.

Smallies feed train relatively easily, IF you do it correctly. Been there done it numerous times. Another option. This is what I would do. While the water is still reasonably warm, I would set up a slow flow through system with water from the pond and your 75 gallon tote. Get those smallies pellet trained using first chopped nightcrawlers and maybe with some chopped BG or small LMB fillets chopped into bits. If food and manure accumulate on the bottom siphon it out because it quickly degrades water qualtiy.
SMB will quickly learn to eat chopped night crawlers (0.7-1" pieces). It is best to do this in lower light or with some sort of cover or partial cover on the tank so the smb do not spook as you add food. At first esp the first 2-4 days add chopped food 2 to 4 times a day until you see them eating the food. Then you can add food 2 times per day. Then soften some high quality pellets (min 40% protein). Gradually add some pellets with chopped worms/fish. Roll the pellets so they sink and mix them into some chopped worms at feed time. As you see fish eating gradually decrease worms and increase % of pellets. SMB will at first reject hard pellets because of texture; they want soft foods until they are trained.

Once you get them eating soft pellets then transfer the smallies into a cage in the pond and feed them some soft pellets 1-3 times/day in winter as long as the water is not ice covered. Caging them give them high quality water versus tank water. In cold water feed an average 2-5 pellets per fish just enough to keep them healthy. Then in spring (water temp 50F) finish raising them in the cage until 6"-8".

If you are adding SMB into a LMB pond all this effort is not worth it because LMB will strongly suppress the life of smallies in a pond environment. If you really want smallies renovate the entire pond and start over with smallies as the main predator.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 10/10/19 09:54 AM.

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