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Calcimator

Recirculating System Design

Design a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) with biofilter sizing, pump requirements, and tank volume based on fish biomass and feed rate.

Inputs

lbs
%
°F

Results

Biofilter Media Area

600 ft²

≈ 5 parking spaces

Recommended Tank Volume

1,000 gallons

≈ 25 bathtubs

Pump Flow Rate

32 GPM

Biofilter Volume74 gallons
Total System Volume1,274 gallons
Solids Filter Capacity64 GPM
Daily Feed15 lbs
Daily Ammonia Production0.45 lbs TAN
Daily Oxygen Demand7.5 lbs O₂
Heating/Cooling Load4,245 BTU/hr
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Fish Biomass, Feed Rate, and Target Water Temperature.
  2. Review Biofilter Media Area (ft²), Recommended Tank Volume (gallons), and Pump Flow Rate (GPM).
  3. Use Biofilter Volume (gallons) and Total System Volume (gallons) to inform your decision.
  4. Use the chart to visualize the results and explore different scenarios by adjusting inputs.

How the result changes with Fish Biomass

Fish BiomassBiofilter Media AreaRecommended Tank VolumePump Flow Rate
10,00912,011 ft²20,018 gallons637 GPM
35,00742,008 ft²70,014 gallons2,229 GPM
65,00478,005 ft²130,008 gallons4,139 GPM
90,001108,001 ft²180,002 gallons5,731 GPM

What each input means

Fish Biomass
Total weight of fish in the system in pounds.
Feed Rate
Daily feed as percentage of fish body weight. Typical: 2-4% for grow-out.
Target Water Temperature
Desired water temperature for your species. Affects heating/cooling needs.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    Fish Biomass = 500, Feed Rate = 3, Target Water Temperature = 80 = 3 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Biofilter Media Area
    600 = 600
  3. Calculate Recommended Tank Volume
    Recommended Tank Volume
    1000 = 1000
  4. Calculate Pump Flow Rate
    Pump Flow Rate
    32 = 32
  5. Calculate Biofilter Volume
    Biofilter Volume
    74 = 74
  6. Calculate Total System Volume
    Total System Volume
    1274 = 1274

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