How long does RAS planning take before construction?

Typically 6–12 months from feasibility to a bankable RFQ package, and 18–24 months from feasibility to commissioning. Projects that skip the sizing and cost-modelling steps usually lose that time later in redesign.

What is the correct order of RAS planning steps?

Production target and market first, then site and water qualification, then sizing from feed load, then the CAPEX/OPEX model, then feasibility stress-testing, and only then supplier RFQs.

What are the most common RAS planning mistakes?

Sizing from tank volume instead of feed load, budgeting headline CAPEX without HVAC and redundancy, comparing quotes on different scopes, contingency below 10%, and skipping water-source qualification. The full checklist is in the FishMatch 10 planning mistakes guide.

Do I need engineering before requesting RAS quotes?

You need a scoped brief: production target, site, water data and a sizing basis. FishMatch Group turns that into a comparable RFQ through human review; detailed engineering follows once a supplier scope is selected.

RAS Planning: From Production Target to Bankable RFQ

RAS planning is a sequence, and the order matters: target, site, sizing, cost, feasibility, RFQ. Skip a step and you buy it back later — at redesign prices. This is the six-step path, with a tool at each one.

Supplier and manufacturer listings are provided for research, transparency and discovery only. FishMatch Group does not provide automatic buyer-supplier introductions. Every aquaculture project request is reviewed manually by David / FishMatch Group, and supplier introductions are made only after internal approval.

The six-step RAS planning sequence

1
Define the production target and market
Tonnes per year, species, harvest size and the price your market actually pays. Every downstream number — tank volume, flow, CAPEX, OPEX — derives from this, so a vague target guarantees a vague budget.
2
Qualify the site and water source
Water chemistry, temperature profile, discharge limits, grid capacity and tariff. Climate and water source move RAS cost more than any equipment brand; a brackish well or waste-heat source can change feasibility outright.
3
Size from feed load, not tank volume
Biofilter capacity, oxygen duty and pump flow are set by kilograms of feed per day. Sizing from nameplate tank volume is the single most common cause of underperforming RAS — and of quotes that can't be compared.
RAS sizing calculator
4
Build the cost model before any quote
Model CAPEX per tonne and OPEX per kilogram with your own tariff and feed price. Feed and energy are 55–70% of OPEX; if the model only works at optimistic prices, the project doesn't work.
RAS cost calculator
5
Stress-test feasibility and contingency
Carry 10–15% contingency, model a survival or price downside, and check the plan against the 10 planning mistakes. Lenders will do this for you — better to find the gaps first.
Run the planning check
6
Issue a comparable, human-reviewed RFQ
A scoped RFQ with identical line items is the only way quotes become comparable. FishMatch reviews every brief, then runs confidential outreach to project-matched suppliers — never an automatic marketplace.
Request a human-reviewed quote

Check the plan against the 10 mistakes

Before any RFQ goes out, walk the plan through the 10 aquaculture, RAS and shrimp farm planning mistakes guide — sizing basis, water qualification, redundancy, contingency and scope comparability. Or let the planning check tool score your project against the same checklist and prefill an RFQ with the gaps flagged.

Planning resources

RAS Planning Hub — the full planning path in one place Aquaculture project planning & buying guides RAS cost — planning ranges and cost drivers RAS shrimp farm — costs, design and survival economics Case study: indoor RAS shrimp farm — real project scope & RFQ Buyer FAQ — RAS costs, shrimp survival and project timelines Project sizer — pumps, aeration, filtration, feed and energy in one step RAS water turnover calculator — exchange rate and retention time RFQ preparation checklist Budget & cost planner

RAS planning FAQ

Ready to move from plan to quotes?

Submit your project brief. A person reviews every RFQ before any supplier is contacted, and sourcing starts only after that review — suppliers never see you, and you never see them, until the match is right.

Request a human-reviewed quote Read the 10 planning mistakes guide

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

Submit one structured request for RAS Planning. 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

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.