Zetts fish farm got me started when I was in WA back in the 90's...they took the time to break it down and explain it well. I find I get better growth on most game oriented fish by balancing a food chain of more natural varieties than by commercial feed. Commercial feed though is readily available and if water parameters are consistant will get you consistant results....it loads into auto feeders well, which cuts labor costs. But, if you take the perch, and feed it live foods, minnows, etc and balance it that way I think you will have a better product. But, you will spend all your time breeding 'bait' and such. So which do you want to spend money on? Food, or labor? For me, MY labor is cheap. So I do absolutely everything I can myself. Though I often don't do it the best way, or most of effecient.....I am free, I have no minimum wage, no taxes, etc and I enjoy it. I am building an experiment, and hopefully will start trials on feeding feeder mice to breeder size tilapia/bass as it's a higher fat/protein content, and VERY cheap to produce. But I am producing, not buying. You have to be creative, ask questions, and try something. IF it doesn't work, as why? And modify your approach. And try again. Sound familiar to the scientific method? You can use worms, bugs, insects, bread, plant matter...etc. I have several DIY food recipies I can share, but it depends on what you are growing too. You don't feed Tilapia the same thing you feed channel catfish and expect to get same results. Fish have a food triangle if you will just like we do....you're seeking a balanced diet based on the nutritional needs of THAT species. Sometimes they are similar, sometimes they aren't. I don't have the exact break downs of protein %'s and the like right now, but I have a book case full of that data and can probably find what's recomended or you can google it for just about any aqucultured species and even the ornamentals these days.