Flagship buyer guide · FishMatch Group
The outcome comes first. Procurement follows.
A practical guide for shrimp and fish farm owners, investors and project developers: define the result you need, map what you have, compare improve / expand / new build, and only then ask suppliers to quote.
Short answer
Do not start an aquaculture project with a machine or a supplier list. Start with the measurable result the business needs — for example survival rate, harvest size, growth rate, feed conversion ratio (FCR), standing biomass, water quality stability or cost per kg harvested.
Record today's baseline for each result and how you measure it. Then test three pathways honestly: improve the current farm, expand it, or build new. Model CAPEX, OPEX and cost per kg for each, check financing options, and turn only the selected pathway into a supplier-neutral request for quotation (RFQ).
FishMatch Group runs this as a free service for buyers with projects of at least USD 250,000. Our team reviews every request, contacts suitable suppliers on your behalf and presents organised responses — there is no direct buyer-to-supplier messaging.
1. Define outcomes you can measure
Write a baseline, a target and a measurement method for each outcome before any supplier conversation. Leave the target blank if you do not know it yet — an honest gap is better than an invented number. The rows below show what to fill in, not benchmarks.
| Outcome | Your baseline | Your target | How to measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survival rate (%) | Last 3 cycles, per pond/tank | Set per species and system | Stocked count vs harvested count per cycle; record mortality daily |
| Harvest size (g) | Average and spread at harvest | Market-specified size | Sample weighing of ≥100 animals at harvest; size-grade distribution |
| Growth rate (g/day or g/week) | From sample weights | From hatchery/feed supplier data you can verify | Weekly or bi-weekly sample weights; same time of day, same method |
| Feed conversion ratio (FCR) | Feed given ÷ biomass gained | Lower than baseline, defined per stage | Feed records per unit ÷ (harvest biomass − stocked biomass) |
| Standing biomass (kg/m³ or kg/ha) | Peak per unit | Within published or engineered limits | Count × average weight; compare with system design limits |
| Water quality stability | Dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrite, pH, temperature, salinity logs | Species-specific operating ranges | Calibrated probes plus lab checks; % of readings inside range |
| Cost per kg harvested (USD/kg) | Full cost of last cycle ÷ kg sold | Business-plan target | Feed + seed + energy + labour + other OPEX + depreciation, per kg |
2. Map your baseline: the questionnaire
Answer these before choosing equipment. Most gaps in supplier quotes come from questions nobody asked at this stage.
Current operation
- System type: ponds, cages, flow-through, biofloc, RAS, hatchery or nursery?
- Number of units, volumes or hectares, and their age and condition
- Species, stocking density, cycle length and harvests per year
- Production records you can share: survival, harvest size, FCR per cycle
Water and site
- Water source, salinity, temperature range across the year
- Dissolved oxygen and ammonia patterns, especially at night and at peak biomass
- Effluent discharge rules and current treatment
- Available land, power supply, grid reliability and backup
Biology and health
- Seed or fingerling source and biosecurity measures
- Main disease events in the last two years and their timing
- Feed brand, protein level and feeding method
Business and constraints
- Target market, product form and required harvest size
- Budget range, equity available and financing needs
- Permits held or required; timeline pressure
- In-house technical staff and training needs
3. Improve, expand or build new?
Use this matrix to compare pathways qualitatively. It does not replace engineering review; it helps you decide which pathway to model in detail.
| Question | Improve existing | Expand | New build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best when | Baseline shows a fixable bottleneck (oxygen, solids, feeding, biosecurity) | Current units perform well and the market wants more volume | Site, system or scale cannot reach the target outcome |
| Typical scope | Aeration/oxygenation, filtration, monitoring, feeding control, biosecurity | More ponds/tanks plus shared water treatment and power | Full design, civil works, water treatment, equipment, commissioning |
| Main risk | Fixing a symptom, not the cause | Copying existing problems at a larger scale | Longer timeline, permits, start-up biology, financing |
| Data you need first | Cycle records and water-quality logs | Records plus capacity of water, power and land | Site studies, water analysis, market and financing plan |
| Tools to start | FCR, oxygen and stocking-density calculators | Biomass, RAS sizing and harvest-profit calculators | RAS cost and sizing calculators, loan plan |
4. Model cost per kg — try it here
Feed is usually the largest operating cost in fed aquaculture, so FCR moves cost per kg directly. Enter your own numbers; the example values are placeholders, not benchmarks.
- Feed cost per kg harvested
- $1.76
- Total cost per kg harvested
- $3.26
- Annual feed spend
- $1,760,000 per year
- Effect of improving FCR by 0.1
- $110,000 per year
Formula: feed cost per kg = feed price × FCR. Total cost per kg = feed cost per kg + all other costs per kg. Annual feed spend = feed cost per kg × annual harvest in kg.
Send these figures with a project RFQIllustrative calculation (example inputs, not benchmarks)
Assume feed at USD 1.10 per kg, an FCR of 1.6 and 1,000 tonnes harvested per year. Feed cost per kg harvested = 1.10 × 1.6 = USD 1.76. If the same farm reached an FCR of 1.4, feed cost per kg = 1.10 × 1.4 = USD 1.54 — a difference of USD 0.22 per kg, or about USD 220,000 per year on 1,000 tonnes. Whether a given upgrade can actually deliver that FCR change must be shown with your own trial data or written supplier evidence; it is not a promise.
5. Use the related calculators
Each calculator states its formula and source. Results are planning estimates for discussion with a qualified engineer or biologist.
- FCR calculator
Convert feed records into FCR per cycle or stage.
- Fish growth calculator
Project harvest weight and days to target size.
- Biomass calculator
Standing biomass from count and average weight.
- Stocking density calculator
Compare density with published limits.
- Oxygen requirement calculator
Oxygen demand from daily feed.
- Biofilter sizing calculator
Ammonia load and biofilter capacity for RAS.
- RAS sizing calculator
Tank volume and flow from target production.
- Harvest profit calculator
Revenue minus cost per cycle.
- RAS cost calculator (CAPEX/OPEX ranges)
- Feed cost optimizer (fishmeal/fish-oil sensitivity)
- Loan plan (payment, DSCR, grace period)
- Don't buy the cheapest equipment. Buy the right outcome at the right total cost.
- Fix, expand or build new? Decision framework
Modeled estimates vs guaranteed results
- Calculators on this site use published formulas and your inputs. They produce estimates, not guarantees of survival, growth, FCR, cost or savings.
- AI-assisted analysis may help organise data or draft questions. It is not expert validation.
- Human review means a FishMatch team member reads your request and checks it for completeness and fit. Final system design must be signed off by a qualified engineer; biological targets should be agreed with a qualified aquaculture biologist.
- Only a supplier's written proposal can state equipment performance or price, and only a lender can approve financing.
6. Financing and payment terms to consider
- Lenders usually look at cash flow and debt-service coverage (DSCR), not only collateral. Model cost per kg and margin before applying.
- Ask how payment milestones tie to delivery, installation, commissioning and performance tests — not only to order signature.
- Compare equipment-leasing, export-credit and bank-loan options; each has different down-payment and security requirements.
- Include working capital for the first cycles: feed, seed and energy before the first harvest.
- FishMatch can introduce eligible projects to external financing partners. We do not lend, and approval is never guaranteed.
7. Buyer checklist before you send an RFQ
- Outcome table filled in: baseline, target and measurement method
- Pathway chosen (improve, expand or new build) with reasons
- Species, system type, annual production target and harvest size
- Site data: water source and analysis, temperature range, power, land
- Scope to quote: design, equipment, installation, commissioning, training, spares
- Commissioning and acceptance tests you will require
- Budget range (project ≥ USD 250,000) and financing plan
- Timeline and delivery location (Incoterms)
Frequently asked questions
Ready to turn your outcome into an RFQ?
Send your outcome targets, baseline and chosen pathway. Our team reviews it (first human reply within 1 business day), contacts suitable suppliers for you and presents organised responses. Free for buyers; projects from USD 250,000.
Sources and method
- FAO — The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024
- Timmons & Ebeling — Recirculating Aquaculture (oxygen and biofilter rules used by our calculators)
Last reviewed: October 2026. Formulas are arithmetic; no price or performance benchmarks are claimed on this page.