Operating Cost (OPEX) Calculator
Flexes feed, energy, labor and overheads — the four dominant OPEX lines.
Calculator inputs
Results
Total monthly OPEX
2.76 $/kg produced
Feed
$26,400
Energy
$2,700
Labor + fingerlings + other
$12,260
Results at a glance
| Output | Pessimistic | Base case | Optimistic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total monthly OPEX | $52,798 | $41,360 | $34,503 |
| Feed | $33,396 | $26,400 | $21,859 |
| Energy | $3,415 | $2,700 | $2,187 |
| Labor + fingerlings + other | $15,987 | $12,260 | $10,457 |
Scenario range
Total monthly OPEX
Result summary with the inputs used
Inputs used
- Monthly harvest
- 15,000 kg/month
- Feed used
- 22,000 kg/month
- Feed price
- 1.2 $/kg
- Electricity
- 18,000 kWh/month
- Electricity tariff
- 0.15 $/kWh
- Labor
- 6,000 $/month
- Fingerlings / PL
- 2,500 $/month
- Water / maintenance / other
- 10 % of above
Results · Base case scenario
- Total monthly OPEX
- $41,360
- Feed
- $26,400
- Energy
- $2,700
- Labor + fingerlings + other
- $12,260
2.76 $/kg produced
64% of OPEX
7% of OPEX
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
Operating Cost (OPEX) Calculator turns monthly harvest, feed used, feed price, electricity, electricity tariff, labor, fingerlings / pl and water / maintenance / other into total monthly opex, feed, energy and labor + fingerlings + other. 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 $/kg produced. Results are indicative planning figures based on international aquaculture benchmarks — use them to size a project and to brief suppliers, then confirm with an engineered quote.
- Monthly harvest (kg/month)
- Feed used (kg/month)
- Feed price ($/kg)
- Electricity (kWh/month)
- Electricity tariff ($/kWh)
- Labor ($/month)
- Fingerlings / PL ($/month)
- Water / maintenance / other (% of above)
- Total monthly OPEX
- Feed
- Energy
- Labor + fingerlings + other
- Enter monthly harvest, feed used, feed price, electricity, electricity tariff, labor, fingerlings / pl and water / maintenance / other.
- 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 Operating Cost (OPEX) Calculator estimate?
The Operating Cost (OPEX) Calculator estimates total monthly opex, feed, energy 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.
Two aquaculture systems with the same nominal capacity can differ widely in cost because scope, redundancy, energy strategy and site conditions differ.
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 Operating Cost (OPEX) 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: monthly harvest, feed used, feed price, electricity.
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
Operating Cost (OPEX) 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
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.
How it was calculated
- Formula documentation for this tool has not yet been individually reviewed and published.
Where each value comes from
- Monthly harvest
- Buyer input
- Feed used
- Buyer input
- Feed price
- Buyer input
- Electricity
- Buyer input
- Electricity tariff
- Buyer input
- Labor
- Buyer input
- Fingerlings / PL
- Buyer input
- Water / maintenance / other
- Buyer input
Limitations
- This tool has not yet passed the documented-methodology review. Treat every output as an unverified planning estimate.
- To test how much solar could offset, see the Solar ROI calculator.
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.
| Monthly harvest | 15000 kg/month |
|---|---|
| Feed used | 22000 kg/month |
| Feed price | 1.2 $/kg |
| Electricity | 18000 kWh/month |
| Electricity tariff | 0.15 $/kWh |
| Labor | 6000 $/month |
| Fingerlings / PL | 2500 $/month |
| Water / maintenance / other | 10 % of above |
| Total monthly OPEX | $41,360 |
|---|---|
| Feed | $26,400 |
| Energy | $2,700 |
| Labor + fingerlings + other | $12,260 |
Who should use the operating cost (opex) calculator?
Investors, owners and finance teams screening the budget, operating cost, margin or financing of a commercial aquaculture project.
What decision does it support?
Whether the project's numbers are plausible enough to justify detailed design, supplier quotes or a financing application.
What inputs do you need?
- Monthly harvest (kg/month)
- Feed used (kg/month)
- Feed price ($/kg)
- Electricity (kWh/month)
- Electricity tariff ($/kWh)
- Labor ($/month)
- Fingerlings / PL ($/month)
- Water / maintenance / other (% of above)
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.
Technical checklist
Short answer: Monthly OPEX 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.
- Monthly harvest: starts at 15000 kg/month
- Feed used: starts at 22000 kg/month
- Feed price: starts at 1.2 $/kg
- Electricity: starts at 18000 kWh/month
- Electricity tariff: starts at 0.15 $/kWh
- Labor: starts at 6000 $/month
- Fingerlings / PL: starts at 2500 $/month
- Water / maintenance / other: starts at 10 % of above
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
- To test how much solar could offset, see the Solar ROI calculator.
Monthly OPEX FAQs
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