FishMatch Group · Project buyer guide
Aquaculture project specification by species and system
Specify an aquaculture project by the species and life stages you will produce, the production system, your measured site and water data, and the basis of your target capacity. Then ask every supplier to state the same items: scope and exclusions, energy and water needs, oxygen and filtration design, biosecurity, installation and commissioning, warranty and after-sales support. Treat any yield, survival or FCR figure in an offer as the supplier's assumption until it has been checked against your site by a qualified specialist.
Published · sources checked · FishMatch Group procurement team. General guidance, not engineering, biological or legal advice; confirm requirements for your species, site and country.
For the full package-by-package list (tanks, pumping, filtration, monitoring, waste, utilities, lifecycle cost), use the aquaculture project RFQ checklist. This page covers what changes by species and system.
Keep supplier claims, verified facts and estimates apart
- Supplier claim
- What an offer or brochure says. Useful, but not proof.
- Verified fact
- Something checked against evidence — your own water test, a certificate confirmed with its issuer, a site visit — with the date it was checked.
- Estimate
- A planning figure from a calculator or an engineer, with its assumptions written down. It is not a quote or a performance promise.
What to specify by production system
For each system: what you put in the RFQ, what every supplier must state in the offer, and what you confirm locally.
Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS)
Specify in your RFQ
- Species and stages in scope, target harvest per year and the stocking basis
- Building: existing, new or outdoor tanks; available floor area
- Water source, make-up water you can abstract, and your measured temperature range
- Power connection and whether backup power is required
Each supplier must state
- Mechanical and biological filtration design basis (feed per day it is sized for)
- Oxygen supply method and backup, UV or ozone if included
- Installed and running power (kW and kWh), make-up water and discharge volumes
- Monitoring and alarms, commissioning plan, acceptance test and training
Confirm locally
- Water abstraction and discharge permits
- Building, electrical and pressure-equipment approvals
- Grid capacity at the site
Ponds and biofloc
Specify in your RFQ
- Pond area and depth, lining (earthen, HDPE, concrete) and drainage
- Intake water source and its measured salinity and temperature through the year
- Aeration approach and backup
- Whether earthworks are in or out of the supplier's scope
Each supplier must state
- Aerator type and the basis for the number per pond
- Pumping, inlet and outlet structures, lining scope and exclusions
- Energy per day for aeration and pumping
- For biofloc: mixing, solids management and monitoring included
Confirm locally
- Land use and water rights
- Effluent discharge rules
- Environmental assessment requirements
Cages and offshore pens
Specify in your RFQ
- Site exposure, depth, current and distance to shore — measured or still to survey
- Species, net-pen volume target and harvest plan
- Feeding method (boat, barge, automatic) and shore base
Each supplier must state
- Mooring design basis and the site survey it relies on
- Cage, net and mooring specifications, and what is excluded
- Installation method, vessels required and after-sales service
Confirm locally
- Marine lease or licence and navigation rules
- Environmental monitoring obligations
- Fish-health rules for moving stock to the site
Hatcheries and nurseries
Specify in your RFQ
- Species, output per month by stage (eggs, larvae, post-larvae, fingerlings)
- Broodstock source and whether it is imported
- Water source and the treatment you expect
Each supplier must state
- Water treatment and disinfection design, temperature control
- Live-feed and larval-rearing systems included
- Biosecurity zoning: quarantine, separated rooms, disinfection points
Confirm locally
- Health certification for imported broodstock, eggs or seed
- Facility registration with the animal-health authority
- Water and discharge permits
What changes in the RFQ by species
These are specification questions, not biological targets. For species biology and production cycles, use the FAO fact sheet and a qualified aquaculture biologist; give your own measured site data in the RFQ.
Shrimp
Penaeus vannamei (whiteleg shrimp) and other penaeids
- Name the species; different shrimp species are not interchangeable in a design.
- State whether specific-pathogen-free (SPF) post-larvae are required and from which hatchery or country they would come.
- Give intake salinity measured across the seasons, not a single reading.
- Describe the biosecurity you expect: reservoir and intake treatment, separation between ponds or tanks, control of carriers.
- Say how the harvest leaves the farm — live, chilled or frozen — so processing and cold-chain scope can be quoted.
Biology reference: FAO Cultured Aquatic Species fact sheet: Penaeus vannamei
Tilapia
Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia)
- State the strain or line you want and whether all-male fingerlings are required.
- Give the water temperature in the coldest month at your site; it affects system choice and heating.
- Say whether fingerlings come from your own hatchery or a supplier, and how many per month.
- Note the product you plan to sell (whole fish or fillet) so processing scope is clear.
Biology reference: FAO Cultured Aquatic Species fact sheet: Oreochromis niloticus
Salmon and trout
Salmo salar (Atlantic salmon), Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout)
- Define the life-stage scope: eggs and hatchery, smolt production, freshwater grow-out or sea cages.
- Give the highest summer water temperature measured at the site and the oxygen supply you expect.
- State the egg or smolt source and the health certification you will require.
- For sea sites, say whether a licence is held or still to be applied for.
Biology reference: FAO Cultured Aquatic Species fact sheets: Salmo salar and Oncorhynchus mykiss · FAO fact sheet: Oncorhynchus mykiss
Seabass and seabream
Dicentrarchus labrax (European seabass) and gilthead seabream
- Say whether fry come from your own hatchery or are bought in, and from where.
- Choose marine cages or land-based tanks, and give site exposure or building details accordingly.
- Give the measured temperature range at the site.
- State harvest size and whether processing and ice are part of the project.
Biology reference: FAO Cultured Aquatic Species fact sheet: Dicentrarchus labrax
Permits and rules: confirm locally
Permits and rules depend on the country, the region and the site. The list below is what to ask about, not what applies to you. Confirm each item with the competent authority or a local specialist before you rely on it.
- Site rights: land use, or a marine lease or licence for cages.
- Water: abstraction rights and effluent discharge limits.
- Environmental assessment, where the project size or location requires one.
- Building, electrical and pressure-equipment approvals.
- Animal health: facility registration and health certificates for imported broodstock, eggs, seed or fingerlings. The WOAH Aquatic Animal Health Code is the international reference; your national authority sets the actual requirements.
- Feed and veterinary medicines: national registration rules.
- Food safety, if the project includes processing.
International reference: WOAH Aquatic Animal Health Code, checked 21 October 2026. National requirements may differ and change.
Comparing the offers you receive
Put every offer on the same capacity basis, then compare scope and exclusions, energy and water needs, oxygen and filtration design, installation and commissioning, warranty and after-sales support line by line — not only the total price.
Project offer comparison rows → · How to compare RAS quotations → · On-site vs liquid oxygen →
Buying harvested fish or shrimp instead?
Farm and equipment projects and harvested seafood are separate requests. To buy fish or shrimp, send a seafood brief: our team reviews the specification and looks for suitable producers. FishMatch does not show live harvest inventory or offer instant trade.
How FishMatch handles a project request
FishMatch Group is a buyer-first, supplier-neutral sourcing service. Buyers use it free; managed project requests start at USD 250,000 total project value.
Our team clarifies the specification, approaches suitable suppliers in different countries, compares their offers on one basis with each line labelled as a supplier claim, a verified fact or an estimate, and coordinates the next steps. Supplier identities and contacts are shared only with approval.
We do not build, install or operate farms. We do not guarantee yields, survival, FCR, regulatory compliance, sale prices or project results.
Project specification questions
What should an aquaculture project RFQ include?
Species and life stages, production system, target capacity and its basis, measured water data (source, temperature, salinity), site status, power, seed supply, biosecurity level, the equipment scope you need, permits status, required standards, timeline and budget range.
Can a supplier guarantee yield, survival or FCR?
Treat any such figure as a supplier assumption. Results depend on stock, water, feed and management on your site. Ask for the assumptions behind the figure and have them checked by a qualified specialist.
How do I compare offers for different systems?
Put each offer on the same capacity basis and list scope, exclusions, energy and water needs, oxygen and filtration design, installation and commissioning, warranty and after-sales support side by side, with each line labelled as a claim, a verified fact or an estimate.
Which permits does a fish or shrimp farm need?
It depends on the country and site. Typical topics are site rights, water abstraction and discharge, environmental assessment, building and electrical approvals, animal health for imported stock, and food safety if you process. Confirm each with the competent authority.
Is buying harvested fish or shrimp the same request?
No. Buying harvested seafood uses a separate seafood brief that our team reviews. FishMatch does not show live harvest inventory or offer instant trade.
Sources (checked 21 October 2026)
- FAO Cultured Aquatic Species Information Programme — Penaeus vannamei
- FAO Cultured Aquatic Species Information Programme — Oreochromis niloticus
- FAO Cultured Aquatic Species Information Programme — Salmo salar
- FAO Cultured Aquatic Species Information Programme — Oncorhynchus mykiss
- FAO Cultured Aquatic Species Information Programme — Dicentrarchus labrax
- WOAH — Aquatic Animal Health Code (online access)