1. Producing Quality Aquafeeds with Insta-Pro
Dave Albin, PhD
Applied Nutrition Technologist

2. Aquaculture Demand Increasing
Aquaculture is fastest-growing sector in ag
Global demand for seafood, animal protein
Limited wild fish catches (FAO)
Million metric tons

3. Varied Aquaculture Production
Fish farming systems around the world
Ponds, intensive raceways, tanks, open-ocean aquaculture in nets, etc.
Various species used - fresh and saltwater finfish, shellfish, carnivores vs. omnivores, etc.
Feed and nutrient requirements:
Nutrient requirements vary; in some cases, not well defined
Buoyancy differences of pellets
Size differences of pellets (small fish may need crumbles)
Tremendous economic pressures due to the high costs of some essential ingredients (fish meal and oil)
Extruders, aux. equip. – optimal fish nutrition in pellets

4. Medium Shear Extrusion (MS3000)
to make shaped products, like pellets for fish feed

5. Medium Shear Extrusion (MS3000)
to make shaped products, like pellets for fish feed
Complete aqua diet (formulated for appropriate species, age, mixed {pulverized and sifted for small pellets})

6. Medium Shear Extrusion (MS3000)
to make shaped products, like pellets for fish feed
Preconditioner (mixing, steam heat, moisture)

7. Medium Shear Extrusion (MS3000)
to make shaped products, like pellets for fish feed
Extruder (cooking via friction, homogenizing, forcing diet forward)

8. Medium Shear Extrusion Basic principles of operation
HTST PROCESS
time
~130ºC
15 – 20 sec

9. Mixing & Cooking Section
Product flow inside extruder barrel
Longitudinal fluting allows back flow
Shear lock acts as flow control valve

10. Medium Shear Extrusion (MS3000)
to make shaped products, like pellets for fish feed
Dies and cutterhead (shaping & sizing pellets, cutting)

11. Cutterhead Assembly

12. Dies Plates and Fish Pellets
1.5 mm plate
2.0 mm plate

13. Dies Plates and Fish Pellets
1.5 mm plate
2.0 mm plate
2.1 mm pellets
2.7 mm pellets

14. Equipment Research Continuing…

15. Equipment Research Continuing…
1.0 mm plate = 1.4 mm pellets for juvenile fish
1 cm

17. Example: Fingerling Carp Diet
Ingredient %
Nutrient
ExPress® soy meal 28
Dry matter
87.9
Wheat 27
Crude protein
32.6
Wheat gluten meal 17
Crude fat
5.8
Wheat bran 15
Crude fiber
4.1
Menhaden fish meal 5
Dicalcium phosphate
2.8
Fish + veg oil
2.0
Vitamins/minerals
to 100%
Approx. 30 g BW
Floating pellets:
2 mm
Please note: example purposes only using data from Manomaitis and Cremer (2004); all ingredients should be analyzed for nutrient content, and formulations should meet local requirements

18. Example: Grower Salmonid Diet
Ingredient %
Nutrient
Fish meal 41
Dry matter
91.9
Corn gluten meal 12
Crude protein
49.5
Soybean meal 8
Crude fat 19
Wheat midds/protein concentrates/veg oil
16.8
Ash
9.2
Corn starch 2
Vitamins/minerals
~90%
For extrusion
Fish oil (external coated) 10
After extrusion and drying
Approx. 100 g BW
Sinking pellets:
3 mm
Please note: example purposes only using data from Tibbetts et al. (2013); all ingredients should be analyzed for nutrient content, and formulations should meet local requirements

19. Example: Catfish Pellets
MS3000 exceeds industry standard of 80-85%; well gelatinized starch (“% cook”) is required to optimize digestibility and performance

20. Southern Illinois University Fish feeding experiment
Insta-Pro produced fish feed, sent to SIU
Hybrid striped bass
Fingerling, 20 g
Fed until body weight more than doubled
One diet – soybean meal, wheat, fish meal – based, with soy and fish oils (38% CP, 11% fat)
Same diet processed in different ways
Two extruder temperatures (108 and 127oC)
Three pellet sizes (3.5, 4.5, and 6 mm)
Small, ideal, and large & mixtures of different sizes

21. Extrusion temperature Optimize for growth

22. Extrusion temperature Optimize for growth

23. Extrusion temperature Optimize for juvenile fish intake

24. Extrusion temperature Optimize for juvenile fish intake
127oC
108oC

25. Extrusion temperature Maximized palatability, growth
Extruder
127oC
Pellet Mill (similar or lower temperature)
108oC

26. Pellet size Uniform pellets = less fish variation

27. MS3000 – Fish Feed Plant

28. Conclusions
Aquaculture is diverse, rapidly growing, and constantly changing
Insta-Pro and aquaculture:
Equipment and knowledge to make complete aquafeeds for outstanding performance
Fish studies allow high-quality pellet production
Small and inexpensive enough for start-up operations, but scalable to allow for sustainable growth
Insta-Pro recognized around the world for durable equipment, and a focus on quality feed products
Also includes oilseed, by-products, and human product processing

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Urbandale, Iowa 50323
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