Why ROI Matters in Shellfish Systems
One of the questions I get asked most often is: what is the return on investment on one of your systems? It’s a fair question. Any capital expenditure needs to pay for itself, and ideally, deliver real improvements in profitability and efficiency. At Todd Fish Tech, we’ve worked hard to design shellfish systems that not only keep shellfish alive but actively improve your business results.
Survival Rates That Beat Industry Standards
The biggest benefit of our systems – whether it’s the Lobster Pod or Crab Pod – is survival rate. Our scientifically proven survival rate is over 99%, and many of our customers achieve even better results in practice.
One client, who exports shellfish as far as the Far East and USA, reports between 97–99% survival on delivery. To put that in context, industry-standard mortality can be as high as 10%. When you run the numbers, the difference in lost stock is a game-changer for profitability.
How Weight Gain Translates Into Profit
Another measurable advantage is weight retention and gain. Shellfish stored in chilled air, for example in a fridge, typically lose around 5% body weight. By contrast, shellfish stored in the Lobster Pod or Crab Pod often gain around 5% body weight in the same period.
This happens because our systems replicate optimum conditions. The combination of mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration, along with an ultraviolet steriliser and protein skimmer, ensures clean, clear, oxygen-rich water. Ammonia build-up is controlled, temperatures are regulated with a seawater chiller which is included with all of our systems, and the shellfish relax. Since shellfish are bought and sold by live weight, this improvement goes straight to your bottom line.
Saving Time and Reducing Hassle
Time is money, and our systems also save you plenty of both. With a Lobster Pod or Crab Pod, you no longer need to head out to your keeps in all weathers, or make repeated trips to the market to replenish stock. Those hours and miles soon add up. Many of our customers report that the reduction in hassle is one of the biggest quality-of-life improvements, alongside the financial benefits. Having shellfish nearby, in stock means you are always ready for that last minute customer and having stock availability manes your customers are likely to buy more shellfish, more often due to the high quality and consistent supply.
Energy Efficiency You Can Count On
Older style filters and DIY systems are often power-hungry and expensive to run. By contrast, our largest Lobster Pod, capable of holding up to 300kg of shellfish, uses just 421 watts. That’s highly efficient compared to traditional sand filters and older filtration designs, which push up running costs unnecessarily. With energy prices being what they are, efficiency is a hidden but important contributor to ROI.
Real Customer ROI Examples
The numbers speak for themselves. One customer in Scotland calculated that his Lobster Pod paid for itself in just 8 months. That was based purely on increased survival and weight gain – and didn’t even include the savings from reduced market trips. He cut back from five weekly trips to Glasgow Fish Market to just one, reducing staff time and fuel costs by around 80%.
Another customer told us plainly that their ROI was under a year. For context, very few pieces of capital equipment in any workshop or processing facility come close to delivering that kind of payback period.
Is It Time to Calculate Your ROI?
When you factor in survival rates, weight gain, time savings, and energy efficiency, the return on investment is crystal clear. Our systems are designed to deliver measurable, sustainable benefits to shellfish businesses of all sizes.
If you’d like to calculate the ROI for your own operation, I’d love to have that conversation with you. Get in touch today to explore how a Todd Fish Tech system could transform your business.
