Yes they are really growing on all the tiny FHM's in that pond. I was told bu Mike at Keo that they would not eat much feed as long as they had minnows to eat but would readily switch over to feed once the minnow population dwindled. I had yet to see one feeding on any of the feed I threw in so got curious and captured one with the cast net. Only sampled the one because the size they are right now the cast net is a perfect size to gill net them. Will go another couple weeks when they get bigger and less likely to kill them with the net and sample again. I was happy with the RES growth too.
I'm feeding daily and the FHM's are gobbling it up. So feeding the FHM to feed the HSB and RES.
I don't have the correct size feed. Optimal was out of #4 starter that I wanted but got 10# of #2 which is really small. But the FHM will eat it if the HSB don't. Also been feeding Optimal Jr and Aquamax MVP (mixing it together and hand feeding). The FHM peck at it till it softens and gets consumed or it soaks up and sinks and they eat it off the bottom. I think the FHM will keep reproducing babies till the HSB get big enough to eat the adults. My thinking is by then they will be big enough to eat the Optimal Jr so I should be able to keep them fed either with FHM or fish food.
