Thomas - from what I've read you have recently stated that you are starting a fish store, and now a fish food company. What's your background in business, and what kind of capital do you have secured to kick start these two businesses? Do you have any background in food science regarding aquaculture, if so, what exactly? Do you plan on making this food yourself, with your own equipment, or do you plan on having a USDA certified feed mill manufacture it for you? No offense, but sitting where I am you could be a 20 yr old kid with nothing more than a pipe dream in your pocket. From your questions thus far, that's actually where I'm leaning, because you clearly do not understand the consumer that you are attempting to market your product to.
The reality is that most people that keep large predators, won't buy goldfish crackers to feed their fish. In fact, the vast majority are either feeding live feeders, or frozen bait fish type foods (shrimp, tilapia, earthworms, minnows, etc) - they aren't even feeding pellets. Those that do feed dry foods will be more interested in the nutritional value of the food, and the cost (not always in that order), vs some gimmicky shape such as a goldfish, which to most predatory fish most likely won't represent an actual fish, or trigger any major feed response, compared to a stick, or pellet shaped dry food. As far as food shapes go, most predators prefer long thin pellets (sticks) over round, and soft texture over hard. This has been demonstrated in a number commercially raised predatory species of fish, and documented in at least one study that I am aware of. Which is why you see some of the major manufacturers successfully marketing these types of food sticks for decades now.
Now if you could make that dry food move in the water, that might be something worth marketing.
