Why do I need more fingerlings than my target count?

Not all stocked fish survive to harvest. Typical survival rates are 70–90% depending on species, system, and management. You must stock more to compensate for expected mortality.

What is a typical survival rate?

In well-managed systems: tilapia 80–90%, salmon 75–85%, catfish 80–90%. Poor water quality or disease can drop survival below 50%.

How does fry size affect stocking?

Larger fingerlings generally have higher survival rates but cost more per unit. The optimal balance depends on fry cost vs. expected mortality at different sizes.

Stocking Requirement Calculator

Calculate how many fingerlings to stock to reach your target harvest biomass, accounting for expected mortality.

AquaculturePlanningClient-Side

Try it out

Load example stocking requirement calculator data to see the full workflow

Stocking Parameters

Target Biomass at Harvest (kg)

Avg Fry/Fingerling Weight (g)

Expected Survival: 80%

10%50%75%100%

Results

Fingerlings Needed

2,500

to stock

Target Biomass

1,000 kg

at harvest

Stocking Weight

1250.0 kg

total fry weight

Survival

80%

expected

Pre-cycle stocking planning
Ordering fingerlings from hatcheries
Comparing stocking scenarios at different survival rates
Budget planning for fingerling costs

Don't use for

Without adjusting survival rate for your specific conditions — defaults are averages only

Stocking Calculations in Aquaculture

Stocking the correct number of fingerlings is critical for meeting production targets. Under-stocking wastes tank capacity; over-stocking wastes fingerling cost and may exceed density limits. The key variable is expected survival rate — which determines how many extra fish must be stocked to reach the target harvest count after accounting for mortality.

Frequently Asked Questions

About This Tool

Method: Fingerlings needed = target count at harvest / (survival% / 100). Target count = target biomass (kg) / individual weight (kg). Stocking weight = fingerlings $\times$ avg fry weight.
Last Validated: 2026-04-08
Privacy: 100% client-side

Related Tools

How to Cite

ConductScience Stocking Requirement Calculator (v1.0). ConductScience, Inc. 2026. Available at: https://conductscience.com/tools/stocking-requirement-calculator

FAO. Aquaculture Feed and Fertilizer Resources Information System. 2020.

Why This Tool?

Instant mortality-adjusted fingerling count with total stocking weight for procurement.

Next Steps

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