I am starting a recirculating system and will be feed training redear sunfish. My goal is to see how different factors effect redear learning to eat pellets.
My design includes 3 90 gallon tanks for the fish, one 400 gallon as a partial filter, and a yet to be completed stacked tower filter with bio barrels that breakdowns harmful chemicals that are produced by the fish waste.
Don't set your growth benchmark low, and yes, please do a double study comparing BG. I kept a RES till he was 18 month old in a 150 gal rubbermaid tank. The fella was a chubby 10.75" when I released him. He mostly fed on 2" white papershell craydads, grass shrimp, and some of the small Ram snails, occasionally Gams and Rosy Fathead minnows. Shellcrackers need love too.