Free tools · 12 languages
Aquaculture calculators
Instant, mobile-friendly calculators for fish and shrimp farm design, biology, water quality and project finance. Pair with our RFQ Builder and international financing network for a full pre-project package.
Pond volume
Pond Volume Calculator
Calculate gross and usable water volume for a rectangular aquaculture pond, raceway or tank. The result feeds stocking-density, pumping, exchange and water-treatment decisions; oxygen equipment must also be checked against biomass, species and temperature.
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Biomass
Biomass Calculator
Total standing biomass (kg of live fish or shrimp) is the master input for oxygen demand, feed load, water-treatment capacity and stocking density. Use a fresh sample weight × surviving count for both finfish and vannamei shrimp systems.
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Stocking density
Stocking Density Calculator
Stocking density (kg per m³ of water) is the single biggest driver of oxygen risk, disease pressure and water-treatment load. RAS tolerates the highest density; ponds and cages the lowest. Overstocking crashes dissolved oxygen before it shows in growth data.
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Oxygen demand
Oxygen Requirement Calculator
Dissolved oxygen (DO) demand scales with biomass, species and water temperature. Aeration, LRP oxygen cones and pure-O₂ injection for RAS or intensive shrimp ponds must exceed peak demand — typically 2–4 hours after feeding — plus a 50% safety margin for warm-water events and power failure recovery.
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FCR
Feed Conversion Ratio Calculator
FCR = feed given ÷ weight gained. Lower is better. It is the single biggest driver of farm profitability.
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Growth days
Fish Growth Calculator
Specific Growth Rate (SGR) is the daily % weight gain. Use it to estimate days from stocking to market-size harvest.
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Water exchange
Water Exchange Calculator
Daily water exchange controls waste dilution, nitrogen load and overall water-quality stability. Recirculating aquaculture (RAS) turns the full system volume over 4–24 times per day through mechanical and biological water treatment; earthen ponds exchange 5–20% per day; shrimp biofloc systems often run near zero exchange.
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Harvest profit
Harvest Profit Calculator
Quick per-cycle P&L: revenue at farmgate minus feed cost. Add fingerling, energy, labor and financing separately for full net.
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Project ROI
Project ROI Calculator
Bank-ready snapshot: payback years, annual ROI% and simple 5-year return. Pair with the RAS / project cost calculator for CAPEX.
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Pump sizing
Pump Sizing Calculator
Pump selection is defined by required flow (m³/h) and total dynamic head (m). Undersized pumps starve biofilters and DO; oversized pumps waste energy and shear fish. Use this to pre-size a RAS recirculation loop, pond intake or cage top-up before contacting suppliers.
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Biofilter sizing
Biofilter Sizing Calculator
Biofilter capacity in a RAS is driven by daily feed load and the ammonia produced per kg of feed (~30 g TAN / kg feed at 45% protein). Media volume is sized to the nitrification rate of the chosen biomedia (typically 0.3–0.7 g TAN / m² / day, or 150–400 g TAN / m³ media / day for K1/K3).
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Shrimp farm
Shrimp Farm Calculator
Whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) farming economics come down to stocking density (PL/m²), survival, average harvest weight and FCR. This tool models yield, feed load and gross margin per cycle for semi-intensive, intensive and biofloc systems — matching what our sourcing engine uses to pre-qualify projects.
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Size a RAS loop: system volume, make-up water, biofilter and oxygen from target biomass.
RAS Sizing Calculator
Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are sized around standing biomass, feed load and target density. This tool derives system volume, daily make-up water, TAN production, MBBR biofilter volume and oxygen demand — the five numbers every RAS engineer starts with.
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Estimate annual feed tonnage and cost from production, FCR and feed price.
Feed Budget Calculator
Feed is 40–60% of aquaculture OPEX. This tool converts production tonnage, FCR and feed price into annual feed load, feed cost and feed cost per kg of fish or shrimp produced — the ratios that decide farm profitability.
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Round tank volume
Round Tank Volume Calculator
Circular tanks are the workhorse of RAS, hatcheries and shrimp nursery systems. Working volume drives oxygen sizing, biofilter load and turnover — get this right before sizing pumps or filtration.
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Solar payback
Solar Aquaculture ROI Calculator
Solar PV cuts pumping, aeration and RAS energy bills 30–90% on well-sited farms. This tool estimates annual generation, energy savings, payback years and 10-year ROI from CAPEX, irradiance and grid tariff.
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Solar payback (full)
Solar ROI & Payback (Load + Diesel + Tariff)
Purpose-built for solar-hybrid aquaculture: enter your daily load profile, required battery autonomy, grid tariff and diesel assumptions. The tool sizes PV + battery, computes annual grid + diesel savings and returns simple payback and 10-year ROI.
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Solar pump PV
Solar Pump Sizing Calculator
Solar-direct or hybrid pumps need a PV array sized to deliver the daily volume against total dynamic head (TDH). This tool converts flow × head into required kWh/day and PV kWp using pump and system efficiency.
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Battery kWh
Battery Storage Sizing Calculator
Aquaculture critical loads — oxygenation, biofilter pumps, alarms — cannot tolerate outages. This tool sizes an LFP battery bank in kWh from critical-load kW, autonomy hours and depth-of-discharge (DoD).
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Monthly OPEX
Operating Cost (OPEX) Calculator
OPEX drives profitability more than CAPEX for most farms. This tool sums the major operating costs — feed, electricity, labor, fingerlings, water and maintenance — and expresses the total as $/month and $/kg produced.
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Total kW load
Aquaculture Power Requirement Calculator
Every backup-power design starts from the same question: how many kW does the farm actually consume — and how many of those kW are critical (life-support) versus non-critical (lights, offices, processing)? This tool sums the main aquaculture loads so you can size a generator, UPS or solar-hybrid system correctly.
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Genset kVA
Aquaculture Generator Sizing Calculator
This tool sizes a prime or standby generator for aquaculture from the farm's critical kW load, applies motor-starting headroom and site derating (altitude, temperature), and estimates fuel burn and monthly fuel cost.
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Commercial CAPEX
Commercial Aquaculture CAPEX Estimator
Rapid CAPEX for a commercial fish farm, shrimp farm, RAS plant or sea-cage project. Sizes total investment from target production, applies system-specific CAPEX/kg benchmarks, then breaks it into the six lines every bank wants: land & civil, process equipment, engineering & permitting, working capital, contingency and financing costs.
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Commercial ROI/IRR
Commercial Aquaculture ROI & IRR Calculator
Investor-grade returns model for commercial aquaculture: annual EBITDA, payback, levered IRR estimate and Debt-Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR). Accounts for equity/debt split, interest, tax and a realistic 3-year ramp-up.
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Annual energy $
Aquaculture Energy Cost Calculator
Energy is 8–25% of commercial aquaculture OPEX and is the single line most sensitive to design. This tool converts your connected kW load and tariff into annual kWh, annual $ and $/kg-fish so you can compare grid, solar-hybrid and diesel scenarios apples-to-apples.
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Water use
Aquaculture Water Consumption Calculator
Water permits are the #1 approval risk for commercial aquaculture. This tool converts system volume, exchange rate and evaporation into daily/annual make-up water and per-kg-fish intensity — the number regulators, banks and ESG auditors actually ask for.
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O₂ demand + LOX $
Commercial Oxygen Demand & LOX Cost Calculator
Convert peak standing biomass and species-specific respiration into daily delivered oxygen, annual tonnage and an indicative LOX budget. Unlike the biological Oxygen Requirement Calculator, this commercial tool includes transfer efficiency, a selectable safety margin and delivered oxygen price.
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Annual feed $
Commercial Feed Consumption & Budget Calculator
Feed is the single largest cost line in commercial aquaculture — 40–65% of OPEX. This sizes annual feed tonnage from harvest target, FCR and mortality, then converts to $/year and $/kg fish so you can benchmark suppliers and pre-negotiate volume contracts.
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Processing plant
Aquaculture Processing Plant Capacity Calculator
Sizes a processing plant from annual harvest input: daily throughput (t/day), gutted/HOG/filet yield, required headcount and indicative CAPEX. Use this before scoping equipment (grader, killing line, filet line, IQF).
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Cold storage kW
Aquaculture Cold Storage & Refrigeration Calculator
Every commercial aquaculture project needs a chilled buffer (0–4 °C) plus a frozen store (–20 to –25 °C). This tool sizes room volume, pallet capacity, refrigeration load (kW), annual energy cost and indicative CAPEX so you can spec the cold-chain package before contacting suppliers.
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Loan / DSCR
Aquaculture Financing & Loan Amortization Calculator
Lender-side view of a commercial aquaculture loan: monthly and annual debt service, total interest paid, interest-during-construction (IDC) and the resulting DSCR at your projected EBITDA. Use before approaching a bank, EXIM agency or aquaculture-specialist fund.
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Aeration sizing
Aquaculture Aeration Calculator
Aeration is sized against peak oxygen demand, not average demand. This planning tool converts species, biomass and water temperature into an oxygen load, then divides by the standard aeration efficiency (SAE, kg O₂ per kWh) of the transfer method you intend to use — paddle wheel, diffused aeration, biofloc air grid or RAS oxygenation. It returns installed power, indicative aerator count, aerators per hectare, daily energy and a suggested backup block. Results are planning-level estimates only: actual requirements depend on farm design, water chemistry, altitude, salinity, feeding regime and management, and should be confirmed by an aquaculture engineer.
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Expansion planner
Aquaculture Farm Expansion Planner
Existing producers rarely expand by adding ponds alone — capacity is usually limited by water, oxygen, pumping or power long before it is limited by area. This planner converts your current and target annual production into the incremental infrastructure the extra tonnage implies: additional standing biomass, water volume, aeration power, pump flow, connected load and an indicative CAPEX band. Use it to structure a system-by-system review before requesting equipment quotes.
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Vacuum sizing
Shrimp Harvest Vacuum & Pump Sizing
Shrimp harvest vacuum (fish pump) systems are specified by live product throughput, the water carried with the product, hose diameter, lift height and the vacuum level the pump must hold without damaging the animals. Size the duty here, then request comparable quotes on the same spec.
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Hatchery capacity
Hatchery Capacity Calculator
Hatchery capacity is driven by target fry or post-larvae output, survival through larval rearing, cycle length and the density the larval system can hold. Size the duty here — tank volume, water demand and broodstock requirement — then request comparable quotes on one written specification.
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Water treatment
Aquaculture Water Treatment Calculator
Water treatment duty on a fish or shrimp farm is set by the flow you must treat per hour, the solids load the mechanical stage removes and the disinfection dose the incoming or recirculated water needs. Size those three here so every supplier quotes the same duty point.
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Equipment cost
Fish & Shrimp Farm Equipment Cost Calculator
Most aquaculture budgets fail because equipment is priced as one number instead of a line-item scope. This tool splits an indicative equipment budget across aeration, pumping, filtration, feeding, monitoring, biosecurity and installation so you can request quotes package by package.
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See how survival rate moves shrimp farm revenue and profit per cycle.
Shrimp Survival Rate Profit Calculator
Survival is the single variable that decides whether a vannamei cycle is profitable. This tool converts post-larvae stocked, survival, harvest weight, price and production cost into harvest volume, revenue and indicative profit — and shows what each 10-point survival step is worth on the same farm.
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Flow rate, turnover time and make-up water for a recirculating system.
RAS Water Turnover Calculator
A recirculating system is defined by how fast the whole water volume passes through treatment. This tool turns tank volume, standing biomass, feeding rate and target turnovers per hour into required recirculation flow, turnover time, daily new-water demand and the ammonia load your biofilter has to handle.
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Compare two project options on 5-year total cost of ownership and cost per kg.
Aquaculture TCO Comparison Calculator
Purchase price rarely decides which aquaculture option is cheaper. This tool compares Option A and Option B on CAPEX plus five years of energy, feed, labour and maintenance, and reports annual operating cost, cost per kg produced and total cost of ownership so quotes can be judged on lifetime economics.
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Break down what a kilo of farmed shrimp actually costs to produce.
Shrimp Production Cost per Kg Calculator
Cost per kilogram is the number that decides whether a shrimp farm survives a price cycle. This tool converts annual harvest, FCR, feed price, post-larvae cost, energy, labour, treatment chemicals and maintenance into a full cost-per-kg breakdown, then shows how sensitive that figure is to FCR, survival, feed price and energy tariff.
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Daily feed, cycle feed volume and feed cost for a shrimp cycle.
Shrimp Feed Requirement Calculator
Feed is the largest single cost on almost every intensive shrimp farm, and feed volume drives silo sizing, automatic feeder capacity and working capital. This tool converts post-larvae stocked, survival, target harvest weight, FCR, feeding rate and feed price into daily feed at harvest, total cycle feed and cycle and annual feed cost.
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Preliminary aeration horsepower, unit count and energy cost for a shrimp pond.
Shrimp Pond Aeration Calculator
Aeration is the largest single power draw on most shrimp farms and the main safety margin against a night-time oxygen crash. This tool converts pond area, depth, stocking density, target harvest weight and aerator type into a preliminary aeration requirement in HP and kW, an indicative number of units and the energy cost of running them.
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Operational oxygen risk screen for a shrimp pond or tank.
Shrimp Dissolved Oxygen Risk Planner
Most shrimp losses happen at night, when photosynthesis stops and respiration peaks. This planner is an operational screening tool, not a biological prediction: it compares your installed aeration against an indicative oxygen demand derived from biomass, temperature, salinity and feeding rate, and returns a low, medium or high risk indication with the checks and backup considerations that go with it.
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Total farm electricity: aeration, pumping, oxygen, feeding, treatment and cost per kg.
Shrimp Farm Energy Calculator
Energy is usually the second-largest operating cost on an intensive shrimp farm and the first place a modernisation project finds savings. This tool adds up installed load across aeration, pumping, oxygen generation, automatic feeding, water treatment, lighting and monitoring, applies realistic run hours to each, and reports kWh per day, per cycle and per year alongside energy cost per kilogram harvested.
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Normalise a RAS or aquaculture quotation into CAPEX per tonne, CAPEX per standing biomass, energy per kg and scope-gap flags.
RAS Bid Normalizer
Two RAS quotations are almost never for the same thing. One includes buildings, oxygen and installation; the other is equipment ex-works. This tool normalises a single offer into comparable unit figures — CAPEX per annual tonne, CAPEX per kg of peak standing biomass, energy per kg — and estimates an adjusted CAPEX that adds typical allowances for the scope items the supplier excluded. Run it once per offer and compare the adjusted figures, not the headline prices.
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FCR cost impact
Cost of Poor FCR Calculator
Feed is normally the largest single operating cost on a fed aquaculture farm, so the gap between your current feed conversion ratio and a realistic target converts directly into money. This tool compares two FCR scenarios at the same annual production, shows the difference in feed tonnage and cost, and expresses that difference as the annual budget available for feeding, monitoring and control infrastructure. It is scenario modelling, not a performance guarantee — no equipment supplier can promise an FCR.
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Expansion readiness
Expansion Readiness Assessment
Most commercial farms hit a capacity ceiling in the supporting systems long before they run out of land. Rate the current headroom on nine infrastructure areas and the tool returns a readiness score, a route recommendation (use existing infrastructure, upgrade selected systems, expand physically, or intensify instead) and the systems that should go into an engineering and supplier capacity review before any equipment is ordered.
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Cost pressure
Aquaculture Cost Pressure Calculator
When farm-gate prices fall, the controllable variable is cost per kilogram produced. This tool splits your production cost into feed, energy, labour and other operating cost, then compares that baseline with a scenario in which feed conversion, energy consumption, labour hours and survival improve. It returns the indicative cost per kilogram in both cases and the annual difference between them, which is the budget a modernization programme has to justify. It is decision-support modelling, not a promise: no equipment supplier can guarantee an FCR, a survival rate or an energy saving.
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CAPEX estimator
Aquaculture CAPEX Estimator
Planning-level CAPEX for a commercial aquaculture project. Enter target annual production and system type; the tool applies indicative $/tonne build costs, then layers civil works, equipment, engineering and contingency to produce a total investment and a cost per tonne of installed capacity.
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OPEX estimator
Aquaculture OPEX Estimator
Builds an annual operating budget from the cost lines that actually move: feed, juveniles, energy, labour, maintenance and overheads. Outputs total OPEX, cost per kg produced and the share of each line so you can see where the farm's money really goes.
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RAS feasibility
RAS Feasibility Calculator
A first-pass feasibility screen for a RAS project. Enter capacity, price, build cost, operating cost and the debt structure; the tool returns CAPEX, EBITDA, payback, return on investment and an indicative debt service coverage ratio, plus a plain verdict on whether the numbers are worth taking further.
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Shrimp upgrade
Shrimp Farm Upgrade Calculator
Tests whether intensifying an existing shrimp farm pays. Enter current pond area, yield and cycles, then the intensification target and the upgrade budget; the tool returns added production, extra operating cost, incremental margin, payback and cost per additional kg.
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Cage capacity
Cage Farming Capacity Calculator
Sizes a cage farm from the production target. Enter cage geometry, stocking density, harvest weight and cycle length; the tool returns cages required, standing biomass, annual output, peak daily feed and an indicative capital cost per tonne of capacity.
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Hatchery planning
Hatchery Planning Calculator
Works back from grow-out demand to hatchery scale. Enter the juveniles required, survival through each stage and cycle length; the tool returns eggs or nauplii needed, batches per year, larval and nursery tank volume, water demand and an indicative build cost.
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Feed mill capacity
Feed Mill Capacity Calculator
Sizes an aquafeed extrusion line from annual demand. Enter tonnage, shift pattern, uptime and line rate; the tool returns required capacity in tonnes per hour, number of lines, raw material and storage needs, energy use and an indicative capital cost.
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Project planning
RAS Farm Cost Calculator
Estimate CAPEX, OPEX and payback for a recirculating aquaculture system.
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Project planning
Aquaculture Project Calculator
CAPEX, feed and financing estimate across RAS, pond, cage, biofloc.
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Project planning
Full Project Cost Calculator
Multi-line project cost breakdown for aquaculture builds.
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Global reach
Used by buyers across 40+ aquaculture markets
IndiaVietnamIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesMalaysiaChinaJapanSouth KoreaBangladeshSri LankaEcuadorPeruMexicoBrazilChileColombiaHondurasEgyptSaudi ArabiaUAETurkeyMoroccoTunisiaOmanKuwaitNorwayIcelandSpainGreecePortugalItalyGermanyFranceNigeriaGhanaKenyaUgandaSouth AfricaSenegalUSACanadaAustraliaNew Zealand
Read the calculators guide in 12 languages
FAQ
Working on behalf of a client?
Send us one fish, shrimp, hatchery or RAS project and we will help evaluate sourcing options — supplier shortlist, RFQ preparation and quotation comparison. Your client relationship stays with you.
How we work with consultantsShort answer
How do you size and cost Calculators?
Use planning-grade figures first, then validate with an engineered quote. The Calculators model on this page converts your project inputs into indicative sizing and cost figures based on international aquaculture benchmarks. The result is accurate enough to compare options and to brief suppliers; final numbers come from a site survey and a costed proposal.
- Accuracy:
- Planning-grade benchmarks, not engineering design figures
- Cost:
- Free, no sign-up, calculated in your browser
- Next step:
- Send the result straight into a pre-filled RFQ
- Validation:
- Confirm with a site survey and a costed supplier quote
How do you size and cost Calculators?
Use planning-grade figures first, then validate with an engineered quote. The Calculators model on this page converts your project inputs into indicative sizing and cost figures based on international aquaculture benchmarks. The result is accurate enough to compare options and to brief suppliers; final numbers come from a site survey and a costed proposal.
How does FishMatch Group source suppliers for this requirement?
You submit one structured request. We translate it into a technical RFQ, run it against qualified manufacturers and integrators in the relevant categories, and return normalised quotations you can compare side by side on scope, lead time and total cost of ownership.
Do buyers see supplier names during the sourcing process?
No. Supplier identities stay confidential during discovery and evaluation. You receive anonymised, comparable technical and commercial packages, and introductions happen only after both sides are qualified and agree to proceed.
Before you request quotes
Costs & budgeting
How much does a commercial fish farm cost to build?
Budget ranges depend on system type, not on country alone. Pond and cage projects are usually the lowest capital per tonne of annual output, while recirculating (RAS) projects carry the highest equipment and energy share because filtration, oxygenation and backup power are mandatory. Reliable numbers come from a sized bill of quantities — species, target tonnage, water source and grow-out temperature — not from a generic price list. Use the FishMatch calculators to size the project, then submit an RFQ so quotes are priced against the same specification.
What drives the price differences between aquaculture equipment quotes?
Most spread between quotes comes from scope, not from margin: included spares, installation and commissioning, control and automation level, materials (HDPE vs steel vs FRP), certification and testing, delivery terms (EXW vs CIF) and warranty length. Two quotes are only comparable when they answer the same specification. A structured RFQ fixes the scope so differences reflect real engineering choices.
What operating costs should a business plan include?
Feed is normally the largest recurring cost, followed by energy (highest in RAS), labour, fingerlings or post-larvae, health management, water treatment consumables and maintenance. Financing cost and working capital for the first production cycle are frequently underestimated. FishMatch cost tools separate CAPEX from OPEX so the payback assumption is visible rather than implied.