What is included in a turnkey african catfish ras farm?
A typical scope includes technology design, tanks or pools, mechanical and biological filtration, pumps, oxygen supply, automation, piping, installation, commissioning and launch support.
Design · equipment · launch
RAS farms for African catfish
We design and launch catfish farms for fry and commercial fish: we calculate the technology, select equipment, perform installation, launch and support.
15 years
in the industry
60+
launched farms
5
som projects
Quiz
Short answer
African catfish RAS farm is a fish farm format designed for a specific site, water source, production capacity and target market. The pool layout, water treatment, oxygen system, automation and auxiliary zones are calculated together, not selected as unrelated equipment. For African catfish, warm water, high stocking density, sanitation, sorting and economical water treatment define the production result.
4 questions + contact
Choose the catfish farm format to suit your task
We'll tell you which scenario might be suitable - commercial fish, a fry farm or another format. You don’t need to know the exact power and budget.
What do you already have?
Which format is closer to you?
What type of investment are you considering?
What do you want to get in the first step?
Leave your contact - we will help you navigate the format, budget and next step
Enter a correct phone number
Even if you don’t yet know the exact power or format of the farm, that’s okay. We will help you figure it out from the first steps.
Application accepted
We will contact you and help you determine the appropriate format for your catfish farm.
Premium destination
Why is African catfish increasingly being chosen for RAS?
Catfish is not “easy money”, but “a lot of fish in a small area”: the simplest engineering species in RAS, where the economy is driven by volume and processing.
Efficiency is 5–10 times higher
Compared to other fish species, RAS can produce up to 10 times more production from the same area.
Grows in 6 months and does not require complex equipment
Catfish almost do not need pure oxygen, intensive water exchange and disinfection. Commercial weight - in 6–7 months at a density of up to 350–400 kg/m³.
Status proceedings
Technological, clean and compact production that impresses partners and investors.
Perfectly recyclable
African catfish can be used to make dozens of types of products with high added value - smoking, filleting, packaging.
An engineering system, not a “fish pool”
How does the RAS system technically work?
Closed water circulation cycle. Click on a circuit node to see how it works.
Growing technology
RAS technology for African catfish
The African Clary Catfish RAS farm is a water reuse system where the environment is maintained through mechanical and biological treatment. The main feature of the technology is a warm growing mode (usually 26–28 °C), high planting density and adaptation of the system to the biology of the species.
Warm mode 26–28 °C
High planting density; technology is designed according to the biology of the species itself.
Breathes atmospheric air
At later stages - therefore, the requirements for oxygenation of water in the commercial block are lower than for trout and sturgeon.
Rapid growth, cycle ~9 months
Year-round cultivation; The full cycle from caviar to commercial fish takes about 9 months.
Focus on temperature and cleaning
Stable temperature, effective mechanical cleaning and biofiltration, convenient system maintenance.
The “Technology” section describes the maintenance regimes for African catfish, temperature and oxygen requirements, feeding and the logic of the layout of RAS blocks.
Go to the "Technology" section →
What is included in the project
African catfish farm composition
The farm is designed as a set of technological blocks. The composition depends on the format - commercial fish or a full cycle with its own planting material.
1. Fish hatching blocks
- Quarantine / acceptance of RPM — separate containers, quick batch control, adaptation
- Growing up (fry/adult) - weighed containers, frequent sorting, starting and transition feeding
- Product block — main pools and containers for growing up to the required weight
- Pre-sale preparation and shipment — exposure, packaging with oxygen, loading area
- RMC / manufacturers — maintenance of broodstock (own planting material, optional)
- Spawning/spawning — according to farming technology (optional)
- Incubation and larval block — early stages, starting modes and sanitation (optional)
2. RAS core - water treatment
- Mechanical cleaning - usually a drum filter
- Biofiltration — biofilter/bioreactor with a reserve for feed load
- Degassing / gas mode — removal of CO₂ if necessary
- Oxygen / aeration — distribution, reservation; for intensive modes - a stable source of O₂
- Pumping/hydraulics — collectors, fittings, backup pumps
- Wash water and sludge unit - collection, sediment, drain
- Instrumentation and automation – O₂, temperature, pH, alarm, log
- Optional — UV/ozone, pH correction, water treatment units
3. Thermal circuit and climate
- Water heating / heating - gas, electricity or heat exchange
- Insulation of the workshop — minimizing heat loss
- Ventilation/dehumidification — humidity control in a warm workshop
4. Auxiliary zones
- Warehouse of feed and consumables - feed - main OPEX
- Control room/lab - working area of the fish farmer
- Technical premises — electrical, air/oxygen, heating, boiler room
- Sanitary areas and logistics — washing, disinfection, “clean/dirty” zones
The warm growing mode makes the thermal circuit and climate of the workshop a critical unit. Full cycle blocks (RMS, spawning, incubation) are connected when working with your own eggs.
Expertise in detail
Why does an African catfish farm require
Why does an African catfish farm require
separate design
Pool volume is limited
Catfish live in the water column - there are no depth restrictions, but one pool is adequate up to about 10 m³: in large volumes, cannibalism, mortality increase and growth and FCR deteriorate.
The shape of the pools is almost any
At high density, the suspension does not settle, the self-cleaning of round pools on commercial catfish is reduced - round, rectangular, square and octagonal containers work.
Water exchange - for ammonium
The key limiting factor is ammonia nitrogen. In practice, about 1 water change per hour is sufficient, rather than the “default 8” that inflate the filtration and pipes.
Oxygen - only for fry
In the commercial block, oxygenation and aeration are not needed: the catfish breathes atmospheric air through the labyrinth organ. The oxygenator is designed only in the larval block.
Biofilter for warm water
At 26–28 °C the oxidizing capacity is higher; guideline - 1 g TAN per 1 m² of protected area per day. Aeration of the biofilter is more intense: at least 10 volumes of water per hour.
Severe cleaning conditions
Mucus and warm water: the drum operates at 100 microns, in front of it is a thin-layer sedimentation tank or hydrocyclones. Disinfection is not necessary; for fry - UV or ozone.
Number order
Basic economics of a catfish farm
Guidelines for cost, price and payback. Exact indicators are calculated individually for the site, region, scale and sales model.
Cost
$1.9–$2.4 /kg
Wholesale price
$2.8–$3.3 /kg
Retail price
$3.3–$4.7 /kg
Line payback
from 2 years
No processing — live or chilled catfish: low margin, local sales. The main goal is to add value through volume and processing.
Cost
$2.8–$4.2 /kg
Wholesale price
$6.6–$9.4 /kg
Rozn. price
$9.4–$14 /kg
Line payback
2–3 years
With recycling (smoking, fillet, packaging) the margin is 2–3 times higher. From 200 tons, processing is almost mandatory - the workshop is considered separately.
How much to invest and what scale
Start
Business
IndustrialMega
Model range of catfish farms
Guidelines for the initial selection of scale. The exact budget, equipment composition, profit and payback are calculated individually.
StartPower10-20 t/year
Area400-900 m²
Equipmentfrom $90k-$160k
Turnkey + constructionfrom $340k-$540k
Profit/year$80k-$240k
Paybackfrom 2.5-3 years
BusinessPower50-100 t/year
Area1,500-3,500 m²
Equipmentfrom $320k-$560k
Turnkey + constructionfrom $1M-$1.9M
Profit/year$300k-$850k
Paybackfrom 2.5 years
IndustrialPower200 t/year
Area4,000-5,000 m²
Equipmentfrom $1M
Turnkey + constructionfrom $2.8M
Profit/year$1.1M-$1.8M
Paybackfrom 2 years
MegaPower500 t/year
Area8,000-10,000 m²
Equipmentfrom $2.1M
Turnkey + constructionfrom $7.6M
Profit/year$2.1M-$3.3M
Paybackfrom 2.5 years
The numbers are used as guidelines for the initial choice of scale. The exact budget, equipment composition, profit and payback are calculated individually for the site, water, electricity, region and equipment.
Do you have a site?
Do you have a plot or building? Check if you can place a catfish farm there
At the first stage, it is important to understand the area, water, electricity, logistics and engineering constraints - in order to assess how much power can be accommodated.
Enter a correct phone number
You may not know the exact parameters - a general understanding is enough, we will clarify the details during a call.
About Aquafarmer
Aquafarmer - we have been designing and launching RAS fish farms for 15 years
We design, complete, install and launch RAS fish farms for African catfish, trout, sturgeon and other types of fish.
15 years
in the industry
60+
launched farms
5
som projects
6–9
months growing cycle
Our task is not just to sell equipment, but to help create a working farm: from calculating technology to installation, launch and maintenance.
Personal brand and expertise
Anton Pelcher - founder and expert of Aquafarmer
“I have been involved in RAS fish farms and RAS technologies for more than 15 years - from the product line to expert assessment of projects and approach to catfish farms.”
Thanks to public expertise, a YouTube channel and open content, you can see our approach in advance, understand how we carry out projects, and figure out who you will work with.
Live objects, not just renders
Photos from launched farms
More than 60 fish farms of various sizes - from compact farms to industrial fish farms. Real objects that have already been built, installed and operating.
Corridor between the pool rooms
Industrial hatchery and fry farm
Fish tank in operation
Farm pool hall
Engineering components and piping
Pump group and filtration
RAS machine room
Oxygen station
Farm pools
Circular pool
Drum microfilter
Object at the launch stage
Real expertise on catfish
Real som projects
5 real catfish objects - from a family farm to an industrial complex. Click on a project photo to open a gallery of all photos of the project.
Discuss the project with a team that has already launched catfish farms
Managed process
The path from idea to working farm
A clear chain of 9 steps - from the first application until the farm reaches its design capacity and support.
Stage 1Contact
01
Application
Leave your contacts - even without exact capacity and budget.
02
First call
We specify the site, region, budget and goal at the start.
03
Diagnostics with an expert
We analyze the model, limitations, risks and scenarios.
Stage 2Elaboration
04
Pre-project
Technology, equipment, layout, economics and payback.
05
Design
Working solutions for the farm model and engineering conditions.
Stage 3Implementation
06
Construction and delivery
Building, utilities and equipment set.
07
Installation and launch
RAS assembly, commissioning and preparation for stocking.
Stage 4Result
08
Output to power
Production cycle, personnel and performance monitoring.
09
Escort
Technology, service, operation and development of the project.
Engineering Depth
Our units and equipment at sites
Reliability depends on engineering components: filtration, pumps, biofilters, oxygen circuit, automation and piping. We show the equipment in a real installation.
Drum microfilter
Pump groups
Oxygen cones
Oxygen station
UV disinfection
Biofilter / loading
Piping and fittings
Water treatment module (3D)
Solutions catalog
Get a catalog of RAS catfish farms
Capacity lines by som, processing and sales formats, guidelines for investments, profits, payback and site requirements.
- commodity som: without processing and with processing
- lines Start, Business, Industrial, Mega
- guidelines for area, capacity and investment
- features of catfish RAS and the path from idea to launch
The catalog will help you quickly understand the order of numbers and choose a scenario for discussion with an expert.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Clear answers to the questions that usually appear before a RAS fish farm project starts.
Can the farm be adapted to an existing building?
Yes. Before design, the building is checked for area, height, floor loads, water supply, drainage, ventilation, power capacity and convenient equipment maintenance.
What data is needed to calculate the farm?
The first calculation needs the fish species, target capacity, growth stage, available site or building data, water analysis, climate conditions and investment range.
Next step
Want to see if a catfish farm could be your next production asset?
Leave a request - we will contact you, ask a few simple questions and help you navigate the farm format, budget and next steps.