Five Benefits of Feeding Fish with Automatic Fish Feeders
Regularly feeding the fish in your lake or pond with an automatic feeder can be beneficial for a variety of reasons. Many waterbodies are lacking a natural food source or don’t produce enough natural food to support the desired predator population. And while not all species eat fish food, every fish in your lake or pond will benefit from the additional food source. Here are five reasons to consider adding fish feeders to your lake or pond this year:
5. Fish Feeders Are Flexible and Dependable
Fish feeders are flexible, dependable and come in multiple sizes to meet the exact needs of your aquatic ecosystem. They are solar-powered and operate on timers so they can easily be placed in almost any location on your property. Feeders can be installed on the shore, on a dock, or on a float. Quality feeders require minimal maintenance and can last a lifetime.
4. Feeders Create Fishing Hot Spots
Feeders create a great fishing location to take children and families anxious to catch fish. Preset timers allow for a reliable and predictable feeding schedule, and this predictable food source causes fish to congregate. Feeders allow you to observe your fish feeding every time while creating a reliable fishing hole, making them great additions to either your private waterbody or community shoreline.
3. Forage Species Rely on Fish Feeders
A wide variety of species eat fish food. Forage species, such as Fathead Minnows, Golden Shiners, Gizzard Shad, and Bluegill, as well as ornamental fish such as Goldfish and Koi, all readily take to fish feed. Predators such as Channel Catfish and Trout naturally consume pelleted feed, while others such as Largemouth Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass can be trained to eat feed.
2. Feeders Support the Food Chain
Fish feed is a great way to support the base of the food chain and to help maintain a healthy fish community. In most lakes and ponds, beneficial plankton is lacking, limiting the food available for the waterbody’s small forage fish. When there are not enough small fish to feed on, the big fish go hungry. When the forage base is healthy, the fish population is better balanced and this helps improve the entire aquatic ecosystem.
1. Pellet Fish Feed Is Cost-Effective
Pellet fish feed is the most cost-effective fisheries management approach to growing fish. Given the efficient conversion rate, fish feed is a less expensive option when looking to support your lake or pond’s forage base or feed-trained predators. Approximately two pounds of quality fish feed will convert into one pound of fish growth, whereas ten pounds of stocked fish will convert to one pound of fish growth. This provides an opportunity for rapid fish growth, allowing predators to put on several pounds of weight in one growing season.
Fish feeders ultimately help balance the lake or pond’s predator-to-prey ratio. When the lake or pond’s fish population is balanced, the entire ecosystem will benefit from the productivity.
Contact the experts at 888-480-5253 for your lake, pond, and fisheries management needs.
SOLitude Lake Management is a nationwide environmental firm committed to providing sustainable solutions that improve water quality, enhance beauty, preserve natural resources and reduce our environmental footprint. SOLitude’s team of aquatic resource management professionals specializes in the development and execution of customized lake, pond, wetland and fisheries management programs that include water quality testing and restoration, nutrient remediation, algae and aquatic weed control, installation and maintenance of fountains and aeration systems, bathymetry, mechanical harvesting and hydro-raking, lake vegetation studies, biological assessments, habitat evaluations, and invasive species management. Services and educational resources are available to clients nationwide, including homeowners associations, multi-family and apartment communities, golf courses, commercial developments, ranches, private landowners, reservoirs, recreational and public lakes, municipalities, drinking water authorities, parks, and state and federal agencies. SOLitude Lake Management is a proud member of the Rentokil Steritech family of companies in North America.
