Fish are one of the most efficient domestic animals at converting feed, to flesh.
That is a fact.
All fish will grow at a reasonably quick rate on any decent quality food, if all other factors such as genetics, water quality, etc, are equal. Some fish are simply hard wired to grow at a much greater rate than others, and this is also widely species specific.
That is also a fact.
Last but not least, it doesn't matter how good a food is, if your fish refuse to eat it, or eat enough of it at each feeding to promote optimum growth within that species. Personally speaking I have had little difficulty training most fish to eat whatever I want them to eat, especially with regards to cichlids.
And Forrest, if your main issue is price, why not take a closer look at the aquaculture feed that Jeff linked to? I first posted that formula (along with another formula that Reed sells) over a year ago when people were looking for a less costly alternative to some of the more premium brands. Surely you could split the order with a few of your local fish buddies, or maybe even some of your DIY youtube followers? Boom!
How hard would it be to split up 44 pounds of food with a few fellow MFKer's, at that price? It's even made in Japan, just like Hikari. lol