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Tilapia Centre of Excellence
Tilapia Centre of Excellence

+260 962 703 870

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Free planning tool

Plan a healthy, profitable tilapia cycle in minutes.

Built for smallholder farmers in Zambia and Southern Africa. Enter what you know — system size, target weight, costs — and the toolkit shows you how many fingerlings to stock, how much feed you'll need each week, where your water might fail, and whether the cycle will make a profit.
Species: Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Currency: Zambian Kwacha (ZMW) Works on: Phone, tablet, computer
1

Your farm system

Tell us about your pond, cage or tank — and how many fish you'd like to grow.

m³ (volume)
If you are new to fish farming, start with Conservative. You can move up next cycle when you know your water and feed.
Stocking plan
Fingerlings to stock
—
Fish at harvest
—
Harvest biomass
—kg
Cycle length
—weeks
2

Water quality check

Bad water is the #1 reason fish die. Test these four things in the morning, then enter your readings.

Dissolved oxygen target ≥ 5 mg/L
—
Temperature target 26–30°C
—
pH target 6.5–8.5
—
Ammonia (NH₃) target < 0.5 mg/L
—
How to test these in the field →
Oxygen: Use a DO meter or a test kit (Hanna, JBL). Test at sunrise — that's when oxygen is lowest.
Temperature: A simple thermometer works. Take readings at 30 cm depth.
pH: Test strips or a pen-style meter. Test mid-morning.
Ammonia: Drop test kits are inexpensive. Test weekly, more often if fish are gasping at the surface.
3

Feed plan & FCR

Feed is 60–70% of your cost. We calculate exactly how much you need each week.

— Total feed (kg)
— Total feed cost (ZMW)
— Economic FCR
ZMW
Floating tilapia pellet, Lusaka 2025: ~ZMW 16–25/kg.
Default from TCoE growth model.
Weekly feed schedule
Each row is a sample week of the cycle. Use this to plan feed purchases.
4

Costs & profit

All numbers in Zambian Kwacha. Adjust prices and costs to match your area.

ZMW
Zambia retail 2025: ZMW 24–51/kg.
ZMW
Mukasa Agro / Kabiobio: ~ZMW 1.20.
Other costs (per cycle)
ZMW
ZMW
ZMW
Feed and fingerling costs are calculated automatically.
Cost breakdown
About this tool. Built by Tilapia Centre of Excellence (Lusaka, Zambia) for smallholder fish farmers. The growth model uses TCoE's piecewise tilapia growth curve calibrated to Zambian conditions. Defaults are tuned for Lusaka-area pricing in 2025–2026.
Disclaimer. Outputs are planning estimates. Actual results depend on water quality, feed quality, fingerling quality, weather, and management. Always start conservative and keep records to improve your next cycle.
Need help? Visit tilapiacentreofexcellence.com, email contact@tilapiacentreofexcellence.com, or call +260 962 703 870.
Smallholder Tilapia Farmer Toolkit · Tilapia Centre of Excellence