Too late, I already purchased it.😆 Unfortunately the study fed baby brine shrimp for the first week or so and then transitioned to the commercial diet, so does not help me with day 1 feeding. There was also no mention of brands of commercial feed, but nutrition analysis was provided for each food tested. Looks like the one that performed the best had 54% crude protein and almost 19% lipids. There was some reference to particle size but, again, not really relevant for day 1.
This article has the most detail of bluegill fry zooplankton preference and would seem to suggest a particle size of 100-200 micron would be best. I bet the aquamax is not going to come close to being that small, but I am considering buying a lab sieve to filter down to that size(and do more grinding if needed).
Here is the article:
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/10/IF you have a way to grind it (a burr coffee grinder will be best, a coffee grinder that "chops" it will create heat) I can send you a pound or two of this if you reimburse me for the shipping. I'll send it flat rate USPS.
![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/z4Xwpm8.jpg)
55% Protein, 15% Fat.
To measure how fine you grind it, I think you can get screen material or sieves of some very fine screen material. 0.0017" is the finest that I see, but it isn't cheap.
https://www.mcmaster.com/sieve-separators/Optimal Starter #0 is 48% Protein / 18% Lipid
The most important phase in growing a trophy fish is in the hatchery, nursery, and juvenile stages. Growth lost early in life will never be recaptured. When fish are very young, they grow at incredible rates gaining 15% of their body weight every day. As they age, this growth rate per day slowly decreases, so gains in early life yield exponential growth rates up until the fortunate soul find the trophy fighting on the end of a line.
The importance of highly digestible, highly attractive, and highly nutritious diets cannot be overemphasized. Starter feeds are formulated to deliver the ultimate in digestible protein, balanced amino acid levels, key antioxidants, fortified micronutrient levels, and innovative palatability enhancers for finicky eaters. By concentrating on these essential building blocks of growth and health, fish are given a superior foundation on their quest to be the next trophy. Optimal starter feeds incorporate over a decade of dedicated research, and we could not be happier with the results, and we are confident you will too.
Optimal Starters come in a range of sizes to fit your needs.
•
Starter #0 is a powder designed for the first feeding of tiny fry. This line is useful for those who hatch their own fish.• Starter #1 is a crumble line for fish that are too big for a powder yet still under half an inch.
The smallest portion that you can buy is a 10# bucket.
