Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Gnash has got hold of some high protein Trout food...why not feed the Silvers the same food? Is there a reason why people only feed silvers ~35% protein food?
I know they get a fat deposit, but couldnt they be fed less - therefore saving on food costs?

It is cheaper?

lower protein is cheaper, however freight to us makes it economical to get the higher protein food - if the sp dont get heart disease

just make sure they get plenty of exercise.

OBO, bought a bag of barra pellets (44% protein) for my barra, then vb confiscated my fish

Guess what my SP have been feeding on since Nov

Looks like my sp are gonna be fat

That is another advantage of having a round tank and using a venturi drain...the fish get continual exercise swimming against the current

Does muscled up SP make them taste tough

I don't know about fish, but when it comes to land based animals, the muscle is the best bit... that's one of the reasons why free range chicken tastes better than caged... cos they get to use their breasts and legs. Makes them all the more enjoyable.

I reckon it's false economy OBO. The higher protein food will just end up as fat in their gut cavity. Seems like you have little choice tho. The higher protein stuff won't harm the silvers, they just don't need it.

lol i thought the muscle was WHAT we ate rofl(except in the case of McD's)....and as for free range, the meat is more tender coz they are less stressed...tough meat is a sign of stress...and old age...sorry les

doesnt protien build muscle???????????????????????????????????carbs build fat......trout bulk up fast on high protien food and its all muscle

Take a look at the ausyfish site ,, red the analysis experiment on food for Jade Perch , that should give you a good starting point.

http://www.ausyfish.com/Jade_Research.htm

Yes, high protein (read expensive) feed is not really needed for SP. They are primarily Omnivores/ herbivoresw ,, unlike Barra which are extremely efficient Carnivores.

I guess there is a reason why SP food is made with a certain level of proteins/fats etc , maybe because those are the best levels for SP.

Good food , good water , warm home , lots of oxygen and watch them grow/grow/grow.

It depends on the size of the Perch as to whether feeding high protein pellets will make the fish grow quicker.
I know that many growers will feed the juvenile Perch the high protein pellets to push them on in growth a bit. As they get larger I would say that there is no benefit otherwise the aquaculture industry would be doing it.

Troutman , I do that with my Tilapia ,, they start on 40% protein until about 3-4 inches , then down to normal Tilapia / catfish food around 25-30% ( brand dependant in Thailand).

With Tilapia , after 9 months ALL fish are removed , the growth rate after 9 months reduces considerably whether they are 1kg or 300 grammes. I wonder if this applies to other fish? Perhaps it happens with SP at 14 months ,, trout at 20 months , etc etc, love to find out.

I know with trout you will get the greatest growth rates in the first 2 years, after this the fish mature and a lot of energy goes into milt and egg production. I imagine this is a similar pattern in many fish. This is why triploid trout are so popular with recreational fisherman in that they will be much larger for their age than normal diploid fish.