Know-how from the mill
We do not recommend a feed until we know your farm.
The same feed performs differently in two systems. That is why we check five factors, in this order. Each one decides something different about the feed.
Five factors, five decisions
Species and goal
Table fish, stocking fish, broodfish, flesh colour, caviar, smoking.
Decides: feed line and nutrient profile.
System and water
Pond, flow-through, recirculating (RAS), net pen; l/s, water exchange.
Decides: sinking or floating, phosphorus content.
Temperature and oxygen
Water temperature over the year, oxygen at the outlet.
Decides: energy content (fat) and daily feeding rate.
Fish weight and stocking
Start and target weight, kg/m³, grading.
Decides: pellet size and feed amount per day.
Quantity and logistics
Annual production, storage, delivery frequency.
Decides: bag, big bag or silo; ● from 3 t; own recipe from 2–4 t depending on the feed type.
Why temperature decides so much
kg feed per 100 kg fish per day
Values as a table
| Water temperature (°C) | kg feed per 100 kg fish per day |
|---|---|
| 2 °C | 0.3 |
| 4 °C | 0.4 |
| 6 °C | 0.5 |
| 8 °C | 0.6 |
| 10 °C | 0.6 |
| 12 °C | 0.8 |
| 14 °C | 1.0 |
| 16 °C | 1.2 |
| 18 °C | 0.8 |
| 20 °C | 0.7 |
- Four times as much: at 16 °C your fish need four times as much feed as at 2 °C.
- Above the optimum: the feeding rate falls again. Oxygen runs short.
- That is why: we ask about the temperature profile over the whole year, not an average.
Oxygen and water parameters
Which water parameters affect growth the most?
Temperature first: fish grow fastest at the optimum for their species. Then oxygen: it falls as the water gets warmer, and feed intake falls with it. Add to that CO₂, ammonia, nitrite and a stable pH.
What do I do if oxygen falls or the temperature is above the optimum?
Increase the oxygen supply shortly before each feeding, by as much as the feeding will use on top. That way your fish have enough oxygen during the meal and afterwards. Read the optimum temperature for your feed from its feeding table: it is where the feeding rate is highest.
How does the feed affect these water parameters?
Whatever the fish does not use ends up in the water: nitrogen from protein as ammonia, phosphorus as nutrient load, leftovers as oxygen demand in the biofilter. Digestible feed with the right protein-to-energy ratio and a ration with no leftovers take the load off the system. What counts most is that no feed is left uneaten.
How do I get a better FCR in practice?
I change pellet size gradually
Where weight classes overlap, I mix the old and new pellet size for 3–5 days.
I feed by temperature
I take the feeding rate from the table on the product page and reduce it above the optimum.
I watch the oxygen
I keep to the guide values for water parameters. If oxygen falls, I reduce the feeding rate.
I know my biomass
Every 2–4 weeks I weigh a sample and recalculate the feeding rate.
I avoid uneaten feed
I feed more often in small portions and check that everything is eaten.
I store feed correctly
Dry, cool and shaded. I use opened bags quickly.
I measure the result: FCR = kg feed fed ÷ kg weight gain. Only then can I see whether my steps are working.
Your farm check: what we ask
- Annual production per species
- Water: l/s, water exchange
- Tanks: dimensions and stocking density (kg/m³)
- Measuring equipment: O₂, CO₂, ammonia, pH
- Feeding: by hand or automatic feeder, how often
- Current feed (label) and FCR achieved
- Goal: fillet, caviar, smoked fish
- Fingerlings bought in or own fry
- Market weight
How we work: an example
Trout in a flow-through system, winter 6–8 °C, summer up to 15 °C, fingerlings 25 g, target 350 g.
Winter
FM 44/18 EX, the cold-water feed for 2–8 °C, with less fat.
From 8 °C
FM 44/24 EX, more energy as metabolism picks up.
Quantity
from the trout feed requirement plan, converted to your stock.
Ordering
delivery frequency to match your storage space.