As with all aquaculture operations, tilapia recirculating systems require capital, land, and water resources. Critically, in addition to these, the firms require market resources. For many operators, the starting point is the market. It is certainly necessary to identify and evaluate your market before you do anything else. Determining the amount of product needed to address existing demand will allow you to get a clearer view of what the other resource requirements will be. Investors are strongly encouraged to use this “MARKET FIRST” approach.

For tilapia, temperature is a crucial factor. For this reason, the seasonal temperatures at the farm site are important. This will indicate the differential between the external temperature and the temperature required to raise tilapia. As tilapia nearly always require temperatures above normal ambient external conditions, to ensure good growth, tank water must be heated or the entire building much be heated. This heating requires energy and the greater the difference between the external and internal temperature the more energy required.