How do I find aquaculture equipment suppliers?

Define the project first — species, annual production target, farming method, country, water source and equipment scope — then issue one structured RFQ rather than searching product listings. On FishMatch, the requirement is matched to manufacturers and system suppliers whose range and project experience fit that scope.

How do I source equipment for a shrimp farm?

Convert the tonnage target into standing biomass and pond area, size aeration from the oxygen budget, then scope pumping, feeding, monitoring, biosecurity, backup power and harvest handling as one package before contacting suppliers.

What equipment is needed for a fish farm?

It depends on the system. Ponds and cages centre on aeration or moorings, feeding and handling; tank and RAS systems add mechanical and biological filtration, oxygenation, pumping, controls and redundancy. Water treatment, monitoring and backup power apply to nearly all configurations.

How do I compare RAS suppliers?

Normalise the offers first: rated capacity at stated design conditions, hydraulic and treatment scope, redundancy, installed power and energy per kilogram, infrastructure interfaces, commercial scope and risk allocation. The RAS bid normalizer and the RAS quotation comparison guide on FishMatch follow that method.

What should an aquaculture RFQ include?

Country and site conditions, species and product form, production target and phasing, farming method, water source and quality, design biomass assumptions, equipment scope and exclusions, power supply, project stage, timeline, delivery terms and technical files.

Can consultants use FishMatch for client projects?

Yes. Consultants can define and submit a project on behalf of a client and remain involved through supplier selection. FishMatch organises the procurement layer and does not replace the consultant's design or advisory role.

Does FishMatch charge buyers?

There is no separate buyer-side sourcing fee for submitting a requirement or RFQ. The platform's commercial model is supported primarily by participating manufacturers, suppliers and commercial partners. Equipment, logistics and services remain a commercial matter between buyer and supplier.

Can FishMatch help finance an aquaculture project?

FishMatch does not provide loans or credit. Suitable projects may be introduced to independent third-party financing partners, subject to provider approval, eligibility, jurisdiction, credit considerations and the provider's terms.

How do I source a complete shrimp farm?

Scope it as one project — pond or tank infrastructure, aeration, pumping, water treatment, feeding, monitoring, biosecurity, backup power, harvest and, where relevant, nursery, hatchery and cold chain — and issue a single structured RFQ so package interfaces are visible.

How do I plan equipment for a fish farm expansion?

Start from the incremental production target, check what existing infrastructure can absorb, then size only the additional biomass, oxygen, treatment and power load. The farm expansion calculator on FishMatch is built for that comparison.

Is FishMatch a manufacturer?

No. FishMatch does not manufacture equipment, hold stock or represent a single brand.

Who is responsible for the final design and performance?

The selected supplier is responsible for its own scope — engineering, equipment, installation where contracted, commissioning, warranties and performance commitments. FishMatch is an independent sourcing and coordination platform and is not a party to the supply contract.

How should a buyer compare aquaculture suppliers?

Compare on evidence, not on presentation: delivered projects at a similar scale and climate, engineering support during design, lead time commitments, spare-part and service availability in your region, certification and testing documentation, payment and warranty terms, and willingness to quote against your specification rather than substituting a catalogue package.

What are the warning signs in a supplier quotation?

Treat these as review triggers: no itemised scope, guaranteed biological or financial performance, no named delivery terms or lead time, no spare-parts or service statement, unclear responsibility for installation and commissioning, and equipment sizing that does not reference your water temperature, oxygen demand or biomass targets.

How does FishMatch handle supplier selection?

FishMatch is an independent sourcing layer, not a manufacturer or reseller. Requirements are structured into a single technical RFQ and routed to relevant producers; buyers receive comparable offers without supplier identities being exposed before they choose to proceed. Selection stays with the buyer — FishMatch standardises the comparison basis.

From Production Target to Manufacturer Proposal: How FishMatch Works

Updated 2026-08-27 15 min read

Short answer

How does FishMatch work, step by step?

FishMatch is a specialized B2B procurement platform for aquaculture projects. It is not a manufacturer, not an EPC contractor, not a lender and not a replacement for a consultant.

The process runs in ten steps: define the species; set the production target; select the farming method; use the planning calculators to convert the target into indicative system requirements; prepare a structured RFQ; match relevant manufacturers and system suppliers; compare technical proposals on scope, energy and terms; scope supporting infrastructure; explore financing routes with independent third parties where the project is suitable; and finally select a supplier, with the buyer contracting directly.

What FishMatch is:: Independent aquaculture procurement platform
What it does:: Structures projects, provides planning tools, prepares RFQs, connects manufacturers
Is it a manufacturer?:: No
Is it a lender?:: No — introductions to third parties only
Does it replace consultants?:: No

Define the species

Species is the first constraint, because it sets temperature range, oxygen demand, feed type, handling method and market form. Common commercial species on aquaculture projects include:

Shrimp (vannamei, monodon)

Ponds, intensive lined systems, biofloc, nurseries and hatcheries; aeration and water quality dominate the equipment scope.

Tilapia

Ponds, tanks, cages and RAS; feed, aeration and water exchange drive operating cost.

Salmon and trout

Cold-water systems: hatcheries, smolt or post-smolt RAS, raceways and sea cages.

Seabass and seabream

Marine hatcheries, nurseries and sea cage grow-out with associated moorings and handling.

Catfish

Ponds, tanks and recirculating systems, commonly with local feed supply chains.

Other commercial species

Scope follows the same logic: temperature range, oxygen demand, handling profile and market form.

Species choice depends on market access, climate, water and local expertise. It is a decision for the operator and their technical advisers — see the species overview for background.

Define the production target

Annual tonnage — and how it is split across cycles — is the number everything else is derived from. It determines standing biomass at peak, and peak biomass drives tank, pond or cage count, oxygen demand, filtration duty, feed volume, harvesting capacity and, ultimately, installed power and capital cost.

A target expressed as "we want a shrimp farm" cannot be quoted. A target expressed as "additional 300 tonnes per year of vannamei, two cycles, lined intensive ponds, brackish water, grid plus generator backup" can be.

Select the farming method

No system is universally superior. Each carries a different capital profile, operating cost structure, biosecurity level and site requirement, and the right answer depends on land, water, energy price, climate, market and the operator's experience.

Ponds

Lower capital intensity per tonne, higher land and water requirement. Equipment focus: aeration, pumping, liners, feeders, monitoring.

Raceways

High flow, simple hydraulics, strong control of grading and harvest. Equipment focus: pumping, oxygen, screens, solids handling.

Tanks

Flexible layout and biosecurity control. Equipment focus: tanks, flow distribution, oxygen, monitoring.

Cages

Lowest capital per tonne where the site allows, but exposed to environment and site licensing. Equipment focus: cages, nets, moorings, feed barges, handling.

RAS

Highest control and lowest water use, with the highest capital and energy intensity. Equipment focus: filtration, biofilters, oxygenation, pumps, controls, redundancy.

Biofloc

Intensive, management-sensitive systems. Equipment focus: aeration and mixing capacity, solids control, monitoring.

Compare options on lifetime cost with the TCO comparison tool or the system advisor.

Use the FishMatch calculators

The workflow is always the same: production goal → system assumptions → calculator → indicative requirement → RFQ. Each tool below is a live page.

Convert the annual target into standing biomassBiomass calculator Test the stocking plan against water volumeStocking density Size ponds or tanksPond volume / tank volume Size a land-based systemRAS sizing Check recirculation flowRAS water turnover Quantify the oxygen budgetOxygen requirement Turn oxygen demand into aeration scopeAeration sizing Size shrimp pond aeration per hectareShrimp pond aeration Estimate treatment dutyFiltration Estimate pumping dutyPump sizing Estimate feed volume and spendFeed budget Aggregate installed electrical loadPower requirement Build an indicative capital envelopeCommercial CAPEX Test the business caseCommercial ROI Normalise an incoming RAS quotationRAS bid normalizer

All outputs are indicative planning figures based on the assumptions entered. They do not replace site-specific engineering or supplier verification — see the calculator methodology.

Prepare a structured RFQ

Suppliers need enough context to engineer an answer. A complete brief usually carries:

Country, site and ambient design conditions
Species, product form and market
Annual production target and phasing
Farming method and system configuration
Water source, salinity, temperature range and discharge route
Design biomass and stocking assumptions
Equipment categories in scope and out of scope
Electricity supply, tariff and backup expectations
Existing infrastructure and site constraints
Project stage, timeline and delivery terms
Technical files: drawings, layouts, water analyses, specifications

Build it in the RFQ builder, check it against the RFQ checklist, or read a worked example RFQ.

Match relevant manufacturers

The requirement is reviewed against manufacturer and system-supplier profiles — product range, system type, species experience, project scale and served markets — and shared with those whose scope fits. Multi-package projects can be split so each package reaches suppliers that genuinely build that part.

FishMatch is supplier-neutral and does not claim that all suppliers are certified or audited. Buyer-side due diligence remains part of the process; the supplier qualification checklist sets out what to request.

Compare technical proposals

Compare on a common basis before comparing price:

System design and process flow
Rated capacity at the stated design conditions
Power requirement and energy per kilogram
Oxygen and aeration provision, including emergency oxygen
Water treatment scope and expected performance basis
Automation, instrumentation and alarming
Included equipment and quantities
Excluded scope and buyer-supplied items
Commissioning scope and acceptance criteria
Training scope and language
Warranty duration and conditions
Delivery, lead time and Incoterms
Recommended spare parts and local support
Payment terms, milestones and guarantees

For land-based systems, follow how to compare RAS quotations and run each offer through the RAS bid normalizer.

Scope the supporting infrastructure

Projects stall on the packages nobody scoped: power, water delivery, monitoring, feed handling. Bring them into the same brief.

Pumps and pipework Aeration and oxygen Monitoring and IoT Feeding systems Hatchery equipment Cage systems RAS systems Shrimp farming equipment Backup power Water quality centre

Explore a financing path where relevant

FishMatch does not provide loans, leasing or credit and is not a lender or financial adviser. Where a project is of suitable size and maturity, it may be introduced to independent third-party financing partners. Any outcome depends on provider approval, project eligibility, jurisdiction, credit considerations and the provider's own terms. No financing outcome is guaranteed.

Financing overview · Pre-qualifier · Does FishMatch provide financing?

Example scenario — commercial shrimp farm expansion (hypothetical)

The following is an illustrative walkthrough, not a real customer case, and contains no guaranteed production or commercial outcome.

1. The trigger

A shrimp producer with existing lined ponds wants to add capacity on adjacent land and to modernise aeration on the current ponds.

2. The target

The company sets an additional annual tonnage target and a phasing plan across two cycles per year.

3. Planning tools

Biomass, stocking density and pond volume calculators convert the target into pond area and standing biomass. Shrimp pond aeration and oxygen tools translate that into indicative aeration capacity and installed power.

4. Requirement structure

The scope is split into packages: pond construction interfaces and liners, aeration, pumping, feeding, monitoring, backup power and harvest handling.

5. RFQ

One structured RFQ carries species, target, system type, water source, site conditions, phasing, timeline and the technical files.

6. Supplier responses

Relevant manufacturers respond with proposals against the same basis, including their own exclusions and lead times.

7. Comparison

Proposals are normalised on scope, installed power, energy per kilogram, warranty and commissioning before price is compared.

8. Commercial route

Where relevant, supplier payment terms are discussed and, for suitable projects, an introduction to independent financing partners may be explored.

9. Decision

The buyer selects a preferred solution and contracts directly with that supplier.

Frequently asked questions

Build your aquaculture RFQ

Run the sizing tools, then turn the numbers into a structured requirement manufacturers can quote against.

Build your RFQ Open the calculators Submit a requirement