The state of static production volume coupled with highly volatile market conditions leaves farmers with few options for increasing the profitability of their businesses. Considering that intensive aquaculture feed expenses generally account for 50-70% of the total variable costs, its reduction constitutes a priority for the economical sustainability of aquaculture operations and a prime subject for investigation. Thus, research devoted to the development of nutritious, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective diets is of utmost importance to ensure the success and sustainability of aquaculture enterprises. Formulated aquaculture feeds are among the most expensive animal feeds on the market. In this 12-week study, two commercial tilapia formulations were fed to Nile tilapia in an indoor RAS at the University of Idaho’s Aquaculture Research Institute, Moscow, ID utilizing two feeding strategies. Fish were fed either a single feed throughout the experiment; Diet A (36% CP 6% Lipid), Diet B (40% CP, 10% Lipid) or switched from Diet B to Diet A after 6-weeks for finishing. Results indicated that the fish fed Diet A had significantly lower daily gain and significantly higher FCR than fish fed solely Diet B or the treatment fish fed Diet B for 6 weeks followed by Diet A for the final six weeks. The unit cost of Diet A is lower than Diet B, however we will discuss the impact on final profit due to the feed and production cost differentials.