Oxygen Requirement Calculator — Fish Oxygen Demand from Feed
Flexes daily feed by ±5–15% to reflect feeding peaks.
Calculator inputs
0.25 from Timmons & Ebeling; use your designer's figure if different
Results
Daily O₂ demand
Average hourly O₂ demand
1.04 kg/hr
Results at a glance
| Output | Pessimistic | Base case | Optimistic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily O₂ demand | 28.7 kg/day | 25 kg/day | 23.8 kg/day |
| Average hourly O₂ demand | 1.2 kg/hr | 1.04 kg/hr | 0.99 kg/hr |
Scenario range
Daily O₂ demand
Result summary with the inputs used
Inputs used
- Daily feed
- 100 kg/day
- Oxygen per kg feed
- 0.25 kg O₂/kg feed
Results · Base case scenario
- Daily O₂ demand
- 25 kg/day
- Average hourly O₂ demand
- 1.04 kg/hr
Peak demand after feeding is higher than this average — your system designer sets the peak and backup margin.
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.
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- 1. Private brief. Your spec goes only to manufacturers we have selected for the right category, capacity and export experience.
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How much oxygen does a fish farm need?
Oxygen demand follows feed. The recirculating aquaculture textbook by Timmons, Ebeling et al. (NRAC 01-002) uses about 0.25 kg O₂ per kg of feed as a design rule: 100 kg of feed a day means about 25 kg O₂ a day. Peak demand after feeding is higher than the average, so your system designer sets the peak and backup margin.
In short
Oxygen Requirement Calculator turns daily feed and oxygen per kg feed into daily o₂ demand and average hourly o₂ demand. Oxygen demand in intensive fish culture follows feed: the fish need oxygen to digest what they eat. The recirculating aquaculture textbook by Timmons, Ebeling et al. (NRAC Publication 01-002) uses about 0.25 kg of oxygen per kg of feed as a design rule. Enter your daily feed and, if your system designer uses a different figure, change it. 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.
- Daily feed (kg/day)
- Oxygen per kg feed (kg O₂/kg feed) — 0.25 from Timmons & Ebeling; use your designer's figure if different
- Daily O₂ demand
- Average hourly O₂ demand
- Enter daily feed and oxygen per kg feed.
- 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 Oxygen Requirement Calculator estimate?
The Oxygen Requirement Calculator estimates daily o₂ demand, average hourly o₂ demand 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.
Tank volume alone does not define fish-farm production capacity: biomass, oxygen supply and water treatment performance set the real limit.
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 Oxygen Requirement Calculator?
These factors move the result more than equipment size does:
- Standing biomass at peak
- Water temperature profile
- Feeding strategy and FCR
- Dissolved oxygen and oxygen supply
Based on: daily feed, oxygen per kg feed.
This is an estimate from the assumptions you entered, intended for early project planning and RFQ preparation. Main variables that may change it: standing biomass at peak, water temperature profile, feeding strategy and fcr, dissolved oxygen and oxygen supply. 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
Oxygen Requirement Calculator · calculation version 3.0.0 · reviewed 2026-08-21 by FishMatch Group technical editorial team · confidence: planning estimate
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
Estimate the fish's daily and average hourly oxygen consumption from daily feed.
How it was calculated
- daily_O2_kg = feed_kg_per_day × O2_kg_per_kg_feed (default 0.25, Timmons & Ebeling, NRAC 01-002)
- average_hourly_O2_kg = daily_O2_kg ÷ 24
Where each value comes from
- Daily feed
- Buyer input
- Oxygen per kg feed
- Reference assumption
What the outputs mean
- Daily oxygen demand (kg/day)
- Average hourly oxygen demand (kg/h)
Biological assumptions
- 0.25 kg O₂ per kg feed is a textbook design rule, not measured site data; replace it with your designer's figure if different.
- Peak demand after feeding is higher than the 24-hour average; no peak margin is applied.
Engineering assumptions
- This is oxygen CONSUMED by the stock. It is not an equipment rating: transfer efficiency, background oxygen and altitude/salinity saturation must be applied before sizing any device.
Limitations
- Does not model biofilter, sediment or bacterial oxygen demand, which can be a large share of total system demand in RAS and biofloc.
- Emergency oxygen (power failure) is a separate calculation and is not covered here.
What must be confirmed before you build
- Transfer efficiency of the proposed oxygenation equipment
- Peak demand and backup margin
- Engineering review of total system oxygen demand
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.
| Daily feed | 100 kg/day |
|---|---|
| Oxygen per kg feed | 0.25 kg O₂/kg feed |
| Daily O₂ demand | 25 kg/day |
|---|---|
| Average hourly O₂ demand | 1.04 kg/hr |
Who should use the oxygen requirement calculator?
Farm managers and engineers responsible for dissolved oxygen in commercial ponds, tanks or raceways.
What decision does it support?
How much oxygen or aeration capacity the planned biomass needs, as a starting point for equipment selection.
What inputs do you need?
- Daily feed (kg/day)
- Oxygen per kg feed (kg O₂/kg feed)
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.
Relate working water volume to oxygen, aeration and feed records: pond geometry, aeration & FCR formulas.
Use biological oxygen demand in equipment sizing
This tool estimates requirement from biomass, species and temperature; use oxygen-demand for supply quantity and LOX cost planning.
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: Oxygen demand 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.
- Verify before you buy: Peak feeding and temperature; size for the worst hour, not the daily average.
- Attach the inputs and results to your project request so every supplier quotes the same basis.
Sources
- Source: Timmons, M.B., Ebeling, J.M. et al., Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, 2nd ed., NRAC Publication 01-002 (2002) — about 0.25 kg O₂ per kg feed.
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.
- Daily feed: starts at 100 kg/day
- Oxygen per kg feed: starts at 0.25 kg O₂/kg feed
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
- Source: Timmons, M.B., Ebeling, J.M. et al., Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, 2nd ed., NRAC Publication 01-002 (2002) — about 0.25 kg O₂ per kg feed.
- This is the fish's oxygen use only. For oxygen transfer efficiency, yearly tonnage and LOX cost, use the Commercial Oxygen Demand & LOX Cost Calculator.
What this result is — and is not
- Use: Oxygen demand from biomass and feeding, for aeration or pure-oxygen sizing.
- Planning estimate, not a supplier quote or guarantee. It only reflects the inputs above.
- Verify before you buy: Peak feeding and temperature; size for the worst hour, not the daily average.
Is your project a fit?
FishMatch Group handles commercial B2B projects with a total budget of USD 250,000 or more — new farms, hatcheries, RAS, cages, processing or expansions. The buyer sends one brief; our team reviews and structures the RFQ, then approaches suitable suppliers on the buyer's behalf. Buyers are not put in direct contact with manufacturers at this stage. Smaller or idea-stage projects can start with the calculators below and send the RFQ once scope and budget are clearer.
Which inputs change the estimate and the RFQ?
Calculator results and supplier quotes both depend on: species and life stage, production target (tonnes per year or PL per cycle), water source and quality (temperature, salinity, flow), system design (pond, cage, RAS, hatchery, processing), site and access, energy supply and price, permits, and timeline.
Calculator figures are planning estimates based on stated assumptions — not engineering designs or supplier quotes. Growth, survival and output depend on project-specific biology and operating conditions and are never guaranteed. Formulas, assumptions and sources: calculator methodology.
2. Equipment & project sourcing
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Start the project RFQ3. Financing (separate)
Financing is a separate track. FishMatch Group does not lend or guarantee financing.
Aquaculture financingOxygen demand FAQs
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