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Recirculating aquaculture (RAS): frequently asked questions

Quick answer

A recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) is a land-based fish farm that cleans and reuses most of its water through mechanical and biological filtration, degassing, oxygenation and disinfection, allowing high production with close control.

How a RAS works

  • Mechanical filtration removes solids
  • Biofilter converts ammonia to nitrate
  • Degassing removes carbon dioxide
  • Oxygen is added
  • UV or ozone disinfects the water
  • Clean water returns to the tanks

Where to go next

Read our detailed guides on planning, site selection, costs and supplier comparison, or use the calculators to estimate your project.

Frequently asked questions

Recirculating aquaculture system: a farm that filters and reuses water instead of letting it flow through once.

Common species include salmon, trout, tilapia, barramundi, sea bass, sea bream, grouper, sturgeon, catfish and shrimp.

RAS typically reuses most of its water, with daily new water often a small share of system volume. Exact figures depend on design.

Indicatively around USD 15,000–28,000 per tonne of annual capacity for commercial farms, with large variation by species, scale and site.

Typically 18–30 months from decision, including permits, construction and the fish growth period.

Power or equipment failure, disease, poor water quality, high energy cost, and sales below plan. Good design, redundancy and training reduce them.

RAS uses little water and land, avoids escapes and can treat its waste. Its carbon footprint depends mainly on the energy source.

Compare several suppliers on the same design basis, checking scope, references, guarantees, energy use and service.

Planning a RAS project?

Send one request and our team shortlists suitable RAS suppliers and prepares comparable quotes. Human-reviewed, no automated marketplace.

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Related RAS guides

Short answer

What is the fastest way to get quotes for RAS FAQ?

Submit one structured request for RAS FAQ. FishMatch Group translates it into a technical RFQ, runs a confidential sourcing round with project-matched international suppliers, and returns comparable quotations. No fee is charged to the buyer, and your identity and project details stay private until you choose to proceed.

How it works:
One structured request, human-reviewed before any supplier outreach
Typical turnaround:
Depends on scope and site data; no turnaround is guaranteed
Confidentiality:
Supplier names are never exposed during evaluation
Cost to buyers:
No fee charged to the buyer

Before you request quotes

Equipment scope

What equipment does a commercial aquaculture project actually need?

A grow-out project typically needs holding infrastructure (tanks, ponds or cages), water movement (pumps, piping, valves), aeration or oxygenation, water treatment appropriate to the system, feeding equipment, grading and handling gear, monitoring and alarms, and backup power. RAS adds mechanical filtration, biofiltration, degassing, disinfection and tighter process control. Hatchery and processing scopes are specified separately.

Which equipment should be specified before requesting quotes?

Specify the items whose sizing changes everything downstream: design biomass and stocking density, water exchange or recirculation rate, oxygen demand at peak temperature, and installed pumping head. With those four fixed, suppliers can quote aeration, filtration, pumps and power on the same basis. FishMatch calculators produce these figures and attach them to the RFQ.

Can equipment be sourced in stages?

Yes, and phased procurement is common. The usual sequence is water supply and holding infrastructure, then aeration and treatment, then automation and monitoring, then processing and cold chain. Staging works when interfaces and capacity headroom are defined at the start; otherwise later phases force replacement rather than addition.

Start a structured RFQ