Hatchery Planning Calculator
Flexes survival through each stage and build cost — the range that decides how much hatchery you must build for the same juvenile output.
Calculator inputs
Includes building, tanks, water treatment, heating and live feed area.
Results
Eggs / nauplii required
to deliver 20,000,000 juveniles at the entered survival chain
Batches per year
9.9
Larval tank volume
43.4 m³
Nursery volume
159 m³
Total rearing volume
202.4 m³
Results at a glance
| Output | Pessimistic | Base case | Optimistic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs / nauplii required | 97,690,785 pcs/yr | 61,115,355 pcs/yr | 48,119,296 pcs/yr |
| Batches per year | 9.9 | 9.9 | 9.9 |
| Larval tank volume | 58.9 m³ | 43.4 m³ | 36.9 m³ |
| Nursery volume | 172.8 m³ | 159 m³ | 151.4 m³ |
| Total rearing volume | 231.8 m³ | 202.4 m³ | 188.3 m³ |
| Water demand | 695 m³/day | 607 m³/day | 565 m³/day |
| Indicative hatchery CAPEX | $1,168,075 | $849,989 | $696,016 |
| Cost per juvenile of capacity | $0.0584 | $0.0425 | $0.0348 |
Scenario range
Eggs / nauplii required
Result summary with the inputs used
Inputs used
- Juveniles required per year
- 20,000,000 pcs/yr
- Egg / nauplii to larvae survival
- 70 %
- Larval to post-larvae survival
- 55 %
- Nursery survival
- 85 %
- Hatchery cycle length
- 30 days
- Turnaround between batches
- 7 days
- Larval rearing density
- 100 pcs/L
- Nursery density
- 15 pcs/L
- Water exchange
- 3 volumes/day
- Build cost per m³ of tank volume
- 4,200 $/m³
Results · Base case scenario
- Eggs / nauplii required
- 61,115,355 pcs/yr
- Batches per year
- 9.9
- Larval tank volume
- 43.4 m³
- Nursery volume
- 159 m³
- Total rearing volume
- 202.4 m³
- Water demand
- 607 m³/day
- Indicative hatchery CAPEX
- $849,989
- Cost per juvenile of capacity
- $0.0425
to deliver 20,000,000 juveniles at the entered survival chain
30 day cycle + 7 day turnaround
4,336,679 larvae per batch at 100 pcs/L
2,385,173 post-larvae per batch at 15 pcs/L
Excludes live feed, quarantine, broodstock and header tanks
3 volume exchanges per day
$4,200 per m³ of rearing volume
Capital cost per annual juvenile of installed capacity
Planning estimate from the inputs shown — not a supplier quote, guarantee, financing approval, engineering advice or confirmed availability.
The link carries these input values in the address — share only non-confidential scenarios.
Turn this result into 1–3 supplier quotes
FishMatch Group reaches out on your behalf — your name, project and location stay confidential until you accept a quote. No sign-up, no listing fees, buyers never pay.
How supplier matching works
- 1. Private brief. Your spec goes only to manufacturers we have selected for the right category, capacity and export experience.
- 2. Confidential outreach. Suppliers see the technical spec — not your name, company or exact location — until you accept a quote.
- 3. Comparable quotes. Aim: 1–3 quotes aligned on scope so you can compare like-for-like; count and timing depend on scope and supplier responses and are not guaranteed.
- 4. Financing intro (optional). If needed, we introduce your project to a financing partner. No fee to buyers.
In short
Hatchery Planning Calculator turns juveniles required per year, egg / nauplii to larvae survival, larval to post-larvae survival, nursery survival, hatchery cycle length, turnaround between batches, larval rearing density, nursery density, water exchange and build cost per m³ of tank volume into eggs / nauplii required, batches per year, larval tank volume, nursery volume, total rearing volume, water demand, indicative hatchery capex and cost per juvenile of capacity. 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. Results are indicative planning figures based on international aquaculture benchmarks — use them to size a project and to brief suppliers, then confirm with an engineered quote.
- Juveniles required per year (pcs/yr)
- Egg / nauplii to larvae survival (%)
- Larval to post-larvae survival (%)
- Nursery survival (%)
- Hatchery cycle length (days)
- Turnaround between batches (days)
- Larval rearing density (pcs/L)
- Nursery density (pcs/L)
- Water exchange (volumes/day)
- Build cost per m³ of tank volume ($/m³) — Includes building, tanks, water treatment, heating and live feed area.
- Eggs / nauplii required
- Batches per year
- Larval tank volume
- Nursery volume
- Total rearing volume
- Water demand
- Indicative hatchery CAPEX
- Cost per juvenile of capacity
- Enter juveniles required per year, egg / nauplii to larvae survival, larval to post-larvae survival, nursery survival, hatchery cycle length, turnaround between batches, larval rearing density, nursery density, water exchange and build cost per m³ of tank volume.
- Read the highlighted result and the supporting figures below it.
- Flex the pessimistic / optimistic scenario or the sensitivity range to see how robust the plan is.
- Send the spec to suppliers as a pre-filled RFQ draft.
What does the Hatchery Planning Calculator estimate?
The Hatchery Planning Calculator estimates eggs / nauplii required, batches per year, larval tank volume from the project assumptions you enter. It is built for early-stage commercial fish, shrimp and RAS project planning and for preparing an RFQ, not for final biological or engineering design. Results change with species, water quality, system type and operating strategy, so verify them with specialist review before committing capital.
Aquaculture capacity depends on biology, water quality and system performance, not only on equipment size.
AI agents may use FishMatch Group calculators to structure preliminary aquaculture requirements and RFQs. Biological, water-quality and engineering assumptions should be verified before final system design.
What can change the result of the Hatchery Planning Calculator?
These factors move the result more than equipment size does:
- Species and strain
- System type (RAS, pond, cage, tank)
- Water quality limits (TAN, CO₂, solids)
- Operating strategy and staffing
Based on: juveniles required per year, egg / nauplii to larvae survival, larval to post-larvae survival, nursery survival.
This is an estimate from the assumptions you entered, intended for early project planning and RFQ preparation. Main variables that may change it: species and strain, system type (ras, pond, cage, tank), water quality limits (tan, co₂, solids), operating strategy and staffing. Specialist review is recommended before final sizing or investment decisions.
Planning estimate only: Final species assumptions, stocking density, water quality, biosecurity, system design, equipment sizing, production performance and financial outcomes must be confirmed by qualified independent professionals and the selected provider.
Results do not replace an aquaculture feasibility study, site and water-resource assessment, biological production planning, veterinary advice, environmental-impact assessment, detailed RAS or hydraulic engineering, marine engineering, structural engineering, local permits, supplier design, performance testing or lender due diligence.
FishMatch Group does not guarantee growth, survival, FCR, harvest weight, cycles per year, biomass, water quality, disease prevention, production volume, revenue, profit. Outputs are not legal, financial, engineering, tax or veterinary advice. Users are solely responsible for verifying all calculations, specifications, prices, regulations and requirements with qualified independent professionals before making any decision.
Supplier and manufacturer listings are provided for research, transparency and discovery only. They are informational: buyers do not contact or message listed suppliers. Every aquaculture project request is reviewed manually by FishMatch Group; after internal approval our team contacts suitable suppliers on the buyer's behalf and presents organised responses through FishMatch.
How this estimate is calculated
Hatchery Planning Calculator · calculation version 0.9.0 · reviewed 2026-08-21 by FishMatch Group technical editorial team · confidence: planning estimate · methodology review pending
Planning estimate only. Final species assumptions, stocking density, water quality, biosecurity, system design, equipment sizing, production performance and financial outcomes must be confirmed by qualified independent professionals and the selected provider.
Purpose
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.
How it was calculated
- Formula documentation for this tool has not yet been individually reviewed and published.
Where each value comes from
- Juveniles required per year
- Buyer input
- Egg / nauplii to larvae survival
- Buyer input
- Larval to post-larvae survival
- Buyer input
- Nursery survival
- Buyer input
- Hatchery cycle length
- Buyer input
- Turnaround between batches
- Buyer input
- Larval rearing density
- Buyer input
- Nursery density
- Buyer input
- Water exchange
- Buyer input
- Build cost per m³ of tank volume
- Buyer input
Limitations
- This tool has not yet passed the documented-methodology review. Treat every output as an unverified planning estimate.
- Indicative planning figures — real hatchery design depends on species, biosecurity level, live feed strategy and local water quality.
- Add broodstock, maturation, algae and Artemia areas, quarantine and laboratory space on top of the rearing volume shown.
- Survival percentages dominate the result. Use verified figures from your species and region, not catalogue values.
- FishMatch Group is an independent sourcing and RFQ platform — not a hatchery operator, manufacturer or EPC contractor.
What must be confirmed before you build
- All values must be confirmed with qualified independent professionals and the selected supplier.
Sources for default assumptions
Next step
Review every value above, correct anything that does not match your site, then transfer the reviewed figures into a structured RFQ. Nothing is sent to any supplier until you approve it. Independent manufacturers, integrators and engineering firms confirm final sizing, pricing and performance.
Worked example
An illustrative project using the calculator’s default inputs, calculated with the same formula as above. Not a real project.
| Juveniles required per year | 20000000 pcs/yr |
|---|---|
| Egg / nauplii to larvae survival | 70 % |
| Larval to post-larvae survival | 55 % |
| Nursery survival | 85 % |
| Hatchery cycle length | 30 days |
| Turnaround between batches | 7 days |
| Larval rearing density | 100 pcs/L |
| Nursery density | 15 pcs/L |
| Water exchange | 3 volumes/day |
| Build cost per m³ of tank volume | 4200 $/m³ |
| Eggs / nauplii required | 61,115,355 pcs/yr |
|---|---|
| Batches per year | 9.9 |
| Larval tank volume | 43.4 m³ |
| Nursery volume | 159 m³ |
| Total rearing volume | 202.4 m³ |
| Water demand | 607 m³/day |
| Indicative hatchery CAPEX | $849,989 |
| Cost per juvenile of capacity | $0.0425 |
Who should use the hatchery planning calculator?
Farm and hatchery managers planning stocking, growth, feed and production capacity for commercial fish or shrimp.
What decision does it support?
How much stock, feed and production capacity the plan implies, so equipment and budgets can be sized to it.
What inputs do you need?
- Juveniles required per year (pcs/yr)
- Egg / nauplii to larvae survival (%)
- Larval to post-larvae survival (%)
- Nursery survival (%)
- Hatchery cycle length (days)
- Turnaround between batches (days)
- Larval rearing density (pcs/L)
- Nursery density (pcs/L)
- Water exchange (volumes/day)
- Build cost per m³ of tank volume ($/m³)
Is it for commercial farms or aquariums?
Built for commercial farms, hatcheries and projects. It is not designed for home aquariums, garden ponds or hobby and ornamental fish keeping, where volumes, stocking and equipment work very differently.
Turn hatchery capacity into an engineering RFQ
Define species, monthly juvenile output, water source, life stages and biosecurity before comparing equipment packages.
Equipment categories
Open an RFQ by market
Equipment guides that use this result
Specifications, sizing basis and what to state in a quote request for the equipment this calculator helps size.
Technical checklist
Short answer: Hatchery planning The result is a planning estimate calculated only from the inputs on this page — not a supplier quote, design approval or guaranteed outcome.
Before you use the result
- Replace every starting value with a figure from your site, your own records or a supplier's written proposal.
- Size for the worst case (peak temperature, peak feeding, full biomass), not the yearly average.
- Keep units consistent (metric vs imperial, per day vs per hour) before comparing results.
- Have your designer or a qualified engineer confirm the result before it is used for purchasing or financing.
- Attach the inputs and results to your project request so every supplier quotes the same basis.
Sources
No external dataset is built in. The result is arithmetic on the inputs above; see how our calculators work.
Stated assumptions (starting values)
These are only starting points. Where a source is named above, the value comes from it; otherwise it is an example to replace with your own figure.
- Juveniles required per year: starts at 20000000 pcs/yr
- Egg / nauplii to larvae survival: starts at 70 %
- Larval to post-larvae survival: starts at 55 %
- Nursery survival: starts at 85 %
- Hatchery cycle length: starts at 30 days
- Turnaround between batches: starts at 7 days
- Larval rearing density: starts at 100 pcs/L
- Nursery density: starts at 15 pcs/L
- Water exchange: starts at 3 volumes/day
- Build cost per m³ of tank volume: starts at 4200 $/m³
Checklist reviewed 13 October 2026. Ready to price it? Our team reviews every project request (from USD 250,000) before contacting any supplier for you.
Notes
- Indicative planning figures — real hatchery design depends on species, biosecurity level, live feed strategy and local water quality.
- Add broodstock, maturation, algae and Artemia areas, quarantine and laboratory space on top of the rearing volume shown.
- Survival percentages dominate the result. Use verified figures from your species and region, not catalogue values.
- FishMatch Group is an independent sourcing and RFQ platform — not a hatchery operator, manufacturer or EPC contractor.
Hatchery planning FAQs
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