I read somewhere once that it takes 1.2 pounds of fish food to get 1 pound of fish. I cant find the site anymore, does anyone have this information handy? Specifically for rainbow-trout.
different fish species will have a different fcr.. different diets for the same species will result in different fcr's
largemouth bass (a member of the sunfish family) have an fcr near 10:1!
one of those "it all depends" questions, many studies on different fish have been published, google can be your friend.. i try to find more than one point of view/study/test
I have never seen a 1:1 ratio. Tilapia have been shown to get 1.2:1 under ideal conditions, but that is outdoors, specific strains, and they eat more than what they are fed by humans which is not calculated into the FCR.
What you feed them is important too. 32% cheap fish feed isn't going to give you the results of 45% feed, but the slower (more economical) growth could work out for you if it fits your needs, etc.
and different fish do better with different foods..
32% is great for catfish, but not for trout/gamefish
ohio state did a study that showed a much higher fcr for tilapia (at least a couple different strains), and note in the study they had heaters fail - optimum growth may be a target, but i don't think to many "backyard" fish farmers are going to hit those numbers..
here's the report; http://www.ncrac.org/NR/rdonlyres/B3FB5 ... eport1.pdf
"The research completed at Purdue, ISU, MSU, OSU, and SIUC is defining a tilapia diet and feeding strategies that will improved production in recirculating aquaculture systems."
North Central Regional Aquaculture Center, Purdue University, Illinois State University, Ohio State University, Michigan State University, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale... that's A LOT of peer review and education institutions doing what they do best! What's there to rip apart? That's good data!
It's not like you posted a research study done by AquaMax that concluded that AquaMax yielded the best growth. Or, research that the data shows something opposite of the conclusions or where the researcher even states huge flaws in his research and still draws the conclusion he wants regardless (as we have seen with the nitrate research here on Tilapia). Big difference!