just added 60 BG to my system

[MikeH]

  I recently added 60 (2-3") BG to my 700 Gal system (250 G FT) and will be adding 50 more very soon. I had Tilapia before but switched when temps dropped and all 128 tilapia died.

  My question is, I have been feeding my BG tilapia food for now and will be buying some BG food soon. Is this ok for the fish for now? 

  I have noticed because I only feed in the morning and in the evening about 1/4 cup at a time. is this ok? I mean the food is gone usually within 1 - 2 minutes, they literally boil the surface to eat.

[Leo White Bear]

Mike-

  I find that my BGs are opportunistic eaters.  They will eat just about anything that falls into the tank.  You may need to supplement their diet with more protein as they are meat eaters and need a bit more than vegetation based food.  Find some red worms or even night crawlers (cut up into chunks) and feed this also until you could find something like Aquamax 400.

  As long as the food you give them is consumed within 15 minutes you're doing fine for now.

[MikeH]

Thank you Leo, the food is a 45% protein base, we do feed about 12-15 red worms every couple days as a treat but will step that up considerably. We were thinging of going with "aquamax grower" as I read it is supposed to be real good although I don't know.
I can get either that or the "aquamax 400" reasonably priced in the 50# bag.
I thought just came up, should I be feeding them more like say 3 times a day or is twice ok.?
Thank you,

[Leo White Bear]

Depends, the 2  3" BG consume the food within 1 - 2 minutes.  Within this time it is not assured that everyone is getting the food.  Chances are that the bigger ones are wolfing it all down while the littler and shyer ones are going hungry. 

  I, personally, would try feeding them twice a day and see if the food is consumed in the next 10 - 15 minutes.  If there is no food left after 10-minutes after the second feeding, give them a bit more and check again in 10-minutes. 

  If after the second feeding, there is food left floating after 10-minutes, cut back a bit and scoop out the uneaten food.  Keep records on how much you feed them as this will allow you to "tweak" the feeding program.

  If you have incorporated an in-line filtering system, extra food will foul it and you may be cleaning it too frequently or there may be food laying on the floor of the FT.  Either will throw-off your ammonia levels and possibly the pH making more work for you.  We both know that more work decreased the fun of aquaponics. 

  The food you have seems to be adequate enough along with the worm treats so I think you'll be OK for now.  Don't rush out to get the carnivorous fish food just yet, until you have about 5-cups left in the bag and then mix the two together in something like an ice cream container or a sealable 1-gallon container.  I have found that a sudden change in types of food throw-off the consumption until they get very hungry and are forced to feed on what you give them.  This will stress the fish and you don't want to do that.

[MikeH]

Oh ok, it all sounds great. Reason I wanted the carnivorous feed is due to my other system has Tilapia, and don't want to run out of food to early for any single breed.

[Leo White Bear]

mike-

  Reading through the past posts you said that "all 128 Talipia died", I was under the impression that you just had the BG's.  At any rate, go out and buy the carnivorous feed and please both species.