Making feed pellets from scratch requires a pelleting extruder (₱50–150k), binder control, moisture management, and particle-size consistency. At your stocking density (~13,500/ha), lablab and phytoplankton still supply a significant portion of nutrition in the first 60 days — commercial feed is supplemental, not the sole diet. DIY pellets that break apart in water before the fish eat them are worse than a commercial pellet with additives coated on.
SBS PH product: Listed under Amino Acids. Form: powder or liquid concentrate.
Dose: 0.5–1% of total feed weight per feeding
Stage: Both fingerling and grow-out
Milkfish (Chanos chanos) is a naturally euryhaline species — it evolved moving between seawater, estuaries, and brackishwater. In your Paombong ponds, salinity fluctuates significantly during the June–October monsoon season (can swing from 30 ppt down to 5–10 ppt during heavy rain events). Every time salinity changes, the fish must expend metabolic energy on osmoregulation — adjusting intracellular ion concentrations to match the external environment.
| Study / Source | Species | Finding |
|---|---|---|
| Xue et al. (2006) — Aquaculture | Japanese flounder (euryhaline marine) | Betaine at 1% diet improved FCR by 12%, weight gain by 15% under salinity stress |
| Gaylord et al. (2006) — Aquaculture Nutrition | Rainbow trout | Betaine at 1% spared methionine, improved protein retention efficiency 11% |
| Wang et al. (2021) — Aquaculture | Turbot (marine) | Betaine improved growth, reduced cortisol stress markers during salinity challenge |
| SEAFDEC/AQD feed additive review | Milkfish (general) | Listed as an "effective feed attractant and growth promoter" in milkfish starter diets — appetite stimulation secondary mechanism |
Bonus mechanism: Betaine is also a potent feed attractant — it increases the palatability and feed intake rate of fish. In ponds where natural food is competing with commercial pellets, betaine coating on pellets makes the commercial feed more attractive, improving actual feed uptake per feeding event.
| Without Betaine | With Betaine (conservative 10% FCR gain) | With Betaine (optimistic 15% gain) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FCR (post-phytase baseline) | 1.60 | 1.44 | 1.36 |
| Feed cost saved/box/cycle | — | ~₱48,000 | ~₱72,000 |
| Betaine cost/box/cycle | — | ~₱2,000–3,000 | ~₱2,000–3,000 |
| ROI on betaine cost | — | 16–24× | 24–36× |
SBS PH product: Listed under Enzymes → "Compound Blends"
Dose: Per label (typically 0.05–0.1% of feed, or 500–1,000g per tonne of feed)
Stage: Fingerling and early grow-out (Days 1–90)
Phytase — breaks down phytic acid → releases bound phosphorus + improves protein digestibility. Already proven in milkfish (Philippine Journal of Science). FCR improvement: 10–20%.
Protease — directly breaks down feed proteins into amino acids. Adds another 10–15% improvement in protein digestibility on top of phytase. Works on both plant and animal protein sources.
Xylanase — breaks down non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) in rice bran and soy. NSPs are the "cage" that traps nutrients inside plant cell walls. Xylanase unlocks them.
| Enzyme | FCR Improvement | Standalone |
|---|---|---|
| Phytase only | +10–20% | Current plan |
| Protease added | +additional 10–15% | — |
| Xylanase added | +additional 5–8% | — |
| Full blend | +25–40% total FCR gain | Recommended |
Combined enzyme effects are additive, not exponential. Actual gain depends on feed composition — higher plant-based ingredient content = greater enzyme benefit.
SBS PH product: Listed under Amino Acids → Lysine HCL
Dose: 0.3–0.5% of feed weight (supplement on top of commercial feed protein)
Stage: Fingerling (Days 1–60). Taper at grow-out if using high-CP commercial feed.
Plant-based feed ingredients (rice bran, soybean meal, corn) are all deficient in lysine relative to what fish require for optimal protein synthesis. When a fish's diet is lysine-deficient, it cannot efficiently use the protein in the feed — amino acids are burned for energy instead of being deposited as muscle.
Supplementing lysine directly closes this gap and forces more dietary protein into growth rather than catabolism. This is especially important during the fingerling stage (Days 1–60) when you're feeding the high-protein 28–32% CP starter and the fish are in their fastest growth phase.
| Scenario | Lysine Supplemented | Expected Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Fingerling + commercial 28% CP + lablab | Yes, 0.3% supplement | Protein efficiency improves — more feed protein becomes body protein |
| Grow-out + standard commercial 22% CP | Optional, 0.2% | Smaller benefit if commercial feed is already adequately formulated |
| Fingerling + rice bran supplement only | Yes — critical | Without lysine, plant-based supplement protein is mostly wasted as energy |
SBS PH product: Listed under Feed Additives & Minerals → Choline Chloride
Dose: 0.05–0.1% of feed (500–1,000 mg/kg feed)
Stage: Grow-out (Days 60–harvest). Less critical at fingerling if using a complete commercial feed.
Choline is essential for fat metabolism — specifically for transporting lipids out of the liver. Without adequate choline, fat accumulates in the liver (hepatic lipidosis / "fatty liver"), which impairs liver function, suppresses immunity, and ultimately reduces growth rate as the fish's metabolism becomes less efficient.
As your fish accumulate body mass toward 300–400g at harvest, fat deposition increases and choline demand rises. Cheap supplemental feeds (rice bran, trash fish) are typically low in choline. Commercial pellets usually include it, but at minimum levels. Adding a small supplement is inexpensive insurance.
| Stage | Days | Additive | Dose | Purpose | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fingerling | 1–60 | High-Protein Base Feed (28–32% CP) | As directed | SEAFDEC 2025 protocol — core of 85-day grow-out | Grobest / Vitarich starter |
| Betaine | 0.5–1% of feed weight | Osmoprotection → energy to growth; feed attractant | SBS PH — Amino Acids | ||
| Compound Enzyme Blend | Per label (~0.05–0.1%) | Phytase + Protease + Xylanase — full digestibility upgrade | SBS PH — Enzyme Blends | ||
| Lysine HCL | 0.3–0.5% of feed weight | Close the #1 limiting amino acid gap in plant-based feeds | SBS PH — Amino Acids | ||
| Grow-Out | 60–harvest | Standard commercial feed (22–25% CP) or rice bran supplement | 4% body weight/day | Transition from high-CP starter | Tateh / Feedmix / Grobest |
| Betaine | 0.5% of feed weight | Continue osmoprotection through harvest | SBS PH — Amino Acids | ||
| Compound Enzyme Blend | Per label (half dose) | Maintain digestibility improvement at lower level | SBS PH — Enzyme Blends | ||
| Choline Chloride | 0.05–0.1% of supplemental feed | Prevent fatty liver accumulation as fish approach market weight | SBS PH — Feed Additives |
Existing pipeline continues unchanged: Probiotics (UPLB BIOTECH MicroBead or OGANIKKU) applied per BFS-009 caretaker protocol. This stack adds on top — it does not replace probiotics.
All additives are applied as a pellet coating, not mixed into a new feed formulation. Rain (caretaker) can execute this with a bucket, kitchen scale, and mixing spoon.
| Metric | Box 1 Target | Box 2 Baseline | How to Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days to harvest | <90 days | ~110 days | Count from stocking date |
| Average body weight (ABW) at harvest | >350g | ~300–350g | Sample 30 fish, weigh, average |
| Survival rate | >80% | ~75–80% | (Fish harvested ÷ fish stocked) × 100 |
| Total harvest weight (kg) | >12,000 kg | ~9,000–10,000 kg | Weigh at buyout |
| FCR | <1.4 | ~1.6–1.8 | Total feed used (kg) ÷ total fish weight gained (kg) |
| Net profit | >₱1.1M | ~₱850k | Revenue − all costs |
| Product | Reason to Skip |
|---|---|
| Beta Carotene | Improves pigmentation and visual appearance — not a growth driver. Relevant for ornamental fish, not market bangus. |
| Glucosamine Sulfate / Chondroitin Sulfate | Joint supplements. Relevant for land animals. No established benefit for milkfish grow-out. |
| Chromium Picolinate | Insulin-sensitizing trace mineral. Negligible impact at milkfish grow-out densities. |
| B-complex vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B12) | Already included at adequate levels in any commercial pellet. Don't add cost without a known deficiency. |
| Vitamin A (multiple forms) | Same — adequately covered by commercial feed. Toxicity risk at over-supplementation. |
| Copper Sulphate, Zinc Oxide | Trace mineral supplements — adequate in commercial feeds. Zinc oxide at high doses can be toxic in aquatic environments. |
| Soy Protein Concentrate, Fish Meal, Fish Oil | Bulk ingredients for DIY pelleting, not additive coating. Only relevant if you later build a custom feed formulation at large scale. |
| Taurine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Valine, Glycine, Cysteine, Arginine, Threonine, Tryptophan | Secondary or tertiary limiting amino acids in milkfish diets. Lysine and methionine come first. Adding all amino acids simultaneously is overkill and creates imbalance — start with lysine only. |
| Additive | Dose | Estimated Qty/box/cycle | Estimated Cost/box/cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Betaine (powder) | 0.5–1% of feed | 90–180 kg over cycle | ₱2,000–4,000 |
| Compound Enzyme Blend | 0.05–0.1% of feed | 9–18 kg over cycle | ₱1,500–3,000 |
| Lysine HCL | 0.3–0.5% of feed (Days 1–60 only) | 5–10 kg | ₱800–1,500 |
| Choline Chloride | 0.05–0.1% (grow-out only) | 3–6 kg | ₱400–800 |
| Total additive stack | ₱4,700–9,300 per box per cycle | ||
| Feed cost saved at conservative 20% FCR improvement | ₱60,000–80,000 per box per cycle | ||
| Net gain after additive cost | ₱50,000–75,000 per box per cycle | ||
Website: sbsph.com — Animal Health & Nutrition
Request: pricing for Betaine, Compound Enzyme Blend (phytase+protease+xylanase), Lysine HCL, and Choline Chloride 60% — minimum order quantities and aquaculture-grade specs.