AquaFutures Consistency Rule Explained: 40%, 20%, and 15% Limits Decoded

The consistency rule is AquaFutures' way of ensuring you're not just getting lucky. It limits how much of your total profit can come from a single trading day—because prop firms want steady performance, not lottery-style wins.

If you make $3,000 in total profits but $2,000 came from one day, you've violated the consistency rule. AquaFutures will flag your account, and you won't be able to withdraw—or worse, your account could be terminated.

Quick heads-up: This article is based on my real experience with Aquafutures and the info available when I published/updated this. Things change in prop trading — rules, payouts, promos, all of it.

For the absolute latest, check Aquafutures´s website or their faq page.

The percentage threshold depends on which account type you're trading: 40% for evaluation accounts, 20% for instant funded accounts, or 15% for Instant Pro. Each threshold forces a different level of daily consistency.

I'm breaking down exactly how the consistency rule works, how to calculate it, which accounts enforce which limits, and how to avoid violations.

What Is the Consistency Rule?

The consistency rule states that no single trading day can contribute more than a certain percentage of your total profit.

The percentage depends on your account type:

• 40% on Beginner and Standard evaluation accounts
• 20% on regular Instant funded accounts
• 15% on Instant Pro accounts

Example: You're trading a Beginner account with a 40% consistency rule. You need $3,000 to pass (6% of $50K). No single day can contribute more than $1,200 (40% of $3,000).

If you make $1,500 on Monday and $1,500 over the next 5 days, you've violated the rule—Monday's $1,500 is 50% of your total $3,000 profit.

The rule exists to prevent traders from taking one massive bet, getting lucky, passing the evaluation, and immediately withdrawing. AquaFutures wants to see that you can make money consistently—not just once.

How to Calculate Your Consistency Threshold

Here's the formula:

Max Single Day Profit = Total Profit × Consistency Percentage

Example 1: Beginner account (40% rule), $50K size

• You need $3,000 total profit to pass
• Max single day: $3,000 × 40% = $1,200
• You need at least 3 winning days to stay under the limit

Example 2: Instant account (20% rule), $50K size

• You make $2,000 in total profits
• Max single day: $2,000 × 20% = $400
• You need at least 5 winning days to stay under the limit

Example 3: Instant Pro (15% rule), $50K size

• You make $2,000 in total profits
• Max single day: $2,000 × 15% = $300
• You need at least 7 winning days to stay under the limit

The tighter the percentage, the more winning days you need to avoid violations.

40% Consistency Rule: Evaluation Accounts

The 40% consistency rule applies to:

• Beginner evaluation accounts
• Standard evaluation accounts

This is the most forgiving consistency threshold. You can make up to 40% of your total profit in a single day.

On a Beginner $50K account, you need $3,000 to pass. You're allowed one day of $1,200 profit. Realistically, you'll need 3-4 solid winning days to pass comfortably without hitting the threshold.

Here's a passing example:

Day 2's $1,100 is 36.7% of the total $3,000 profit—under the 40% limit. ✅ Pass

Here's a violation example:

Day 1's $1,800 is 60% of the total $3,000 profit—over the 40% limit. ❌ Violation

Even though you hit the profit target, AquaFutures will flag the account. You won't be able to request a payout, and they may terminate the evaluation.

20% Consistency Rule: Instant Funded Accounts

The 20% consistency rule applies to:

• Instant funded accounts

This is stricter than the 40% rule. You need more consistent daily performance—no single day can contribute more than 20% of your total profit.

If you make $2,000 in total profits, no single day can exceed $400. You'll need at least 5 winning days to stay under the threshold, and realistically 7-8 days to trade comfortably without violations.

Here's a passing example:

Day 2's $400 is exactly 20% of the total $2,000 profit—right at the limit. ✅ Pass

The 20% rule forces smaller daily gains spread over more days. You can't have 2-3 big winning days and call it consistent.

15% Consistency Rule: Instant Pro Accounts

The 15% consistency rule applies to:

• Instant Pro accounts

This is the strictest consistency threshold at AquaFutures. No single day can contribute more than 15% of your total profit.

If you make $2,000 in total profits, no single day can exceed $300. You'll need at least 7 winning days to stay under the threshold, and realistically 10-12 days for comfortable margin.

The 15% rule is designed for traders who make small, consistent daily gains—not traders who go for big wins. If your trading style involves making 50% of your profits in 2-3 big days, Instant Pro is the wrong account.

Here's a passing example:

Each day contributes 12.5-14.3% of the total profit—under the 15% limit. ✅ Pass

This level of consistency requires disciplined daily trading. You can't skip days, you can't go for home runs, and you can't rely on 1-2 big winners.

Consistency Rule Comparison Across Account Types

Here's how the three thresholds stack up:

The tighter the percentage, the more winning days required. The 40% rule is manageable for most trading styles. The 15% rule is designed for grinders who make small daily gains.

What Counts as a "Trading Day" for Consistency?

A trading day is any day where you close the session with a net profit. Days where you break even or lose money don't count toward your win days—but they also don't count against your consistency rule.

Example: You make $500 on Monday, lose $200 on Tuesday, and make $300 on Wednesday. Only Monday and Wednesday count as "trading days" for consistency purposes.

If your total profit is $800 ($500 + $300), Monday's $500 is 62.5% of your total profit. That's over the 40% limit on evaluation accounts.

Losing days don't help you—they just reduce your total profit, which makes your winning days a higher percentage of the total.

How AquaFutures Enforces the Consistency Rule

AquaFutures tracks your daily P&L in real-time and flags accounts that violate the consistency rule. The flag usually appears when you request your first payout.

If you pass a Beginner evaluation with $3,000 profit but one day was $1,500 (50% of total), AquaFutures will reject your payout request. They'll notify you via email that you violated the consistency rule, and they may:

1. Block your payout until you trade more days and dilute the big day
2. Terminate the account if the violation is severe
3. Request manual review if it's borderline

In most cases, AquaFutures gives you a chance to fix it. If you're at $3,000 with one $1,500 day (50%), you can keep trading and make another $1,000 over 2-3 days. Now your total profit is $4,000, and the $1,500 day is 37.5%—under the 40% limit.

But if you breach your drawdown while trying to fix a consistency violation, you lose everything. This is why it's better to avoid violations in the first place.

How to Avoid Consistency Rule Violations

Here's how to stay under the consistency threshold:

1. Track Your Daily Percentage in Real-Time

After every winning day, calculate what percentage that day contributed to your running total. If you're approaching the threshold, stop trading big and spread profits over more days.

2. Cap Your Daily Profit Target

On a Beginner $50K account (40% rule, $3,000 target), cap your daily profit at $1,000. This ensures you'll need at least 3 days to hit the target, and no single day will exceed 33%.

On an Instant account (20% rule), cap your daily profit at $300-$400. This forces 5-7 winning days.

3. Don't Go for Home Runs

If you're up $800 and you want to push for $1,500, stop. Take the $800 and trade another day. Consistency rewards grinders, not gamblers.

4. Spread Profits Over More Days

If you hit your profit target in 2-3 big days, keep trading (carefully) to dilute the big days. Add 2-3 more winning days of $200-$300 each to bring the percentages down.

5. Use Smaller Position Sizes Early

At the start of your evaluation, trade smaller size (2-3 contracts instead of 6). This prevents accidentally making $1,500 on Day 1 and locking yourself into a consistency violation.

Does the Consistency Rule Apply to Funded Accounts?

Yes, but it's less strict. Once you're funded, the consistency rule still applies—but AquaFutures is more lenient about enforcement.

On funded accounts, the consistency rule exists to prevent withdrawal abuse (making one huge bet, withdrawing immediately, and walking away). As long as you're trading actively and not just gambling for one big win, AquaFutures won't flag you.

If you make 60% of your profits in one day on a funded account, they might manually review it—but they won't automatically terminate. They just want to see that you're trading consistently over time.

During evaluations, the rule is enforced strictly. On funded accounts, it's more of a guideline.

Consistency Rule vs Win Days Requirement

The consistency rule is separate from the win days requirement. Win days are the minimum number of profitable trading days you need before requesting a payout.

Beginner accounts require 5 win days before your first payout.

Instant accounts require 7 win days before your first payout.

You could hit 7 win days and still violate the consistency rule if one day was too large. Both requirements must be met independently.

Example: You have 7 win days on an Instant account (20% rule). Your total profit is $2,000, and one day was $600 (30% of total). You've met the win days requirement, but you violated the consistency rule. AquaFutures will block your payout until you fix the percentage.

Can You "Fix" a Consistency Violation?

Yes—by trading more days and diluting the big day's percentage.

Example: You're on a Beginner account (40% rule). You made $3,000 in total profit, but one day was $1,500 (50% violation).

To fix it, keep trading and add more winning days. If you make another $1,500 over 3 more days, your new total profit is $4,500. The $1,500 big day is now 33% of total—under the 40% limit.

The risk: while you're trying to fix the consistency violation, you could breach your drawdown. If you lose $2,000 trying to add more winning days, you're below your threshold—account terminated.

It's better to avoid violations by capping your daily profit from the start.

Why the Consistency Rule Exists

Prop firms don't want traders who get lucky once and withdraw. They want traders who can make money consistently over weeks and months.

The consistency rule prevents:

• Lottery-style trading: Taking one massive bet, hitting it, and withdrawing
• Gambling behavior: Going all-in on one trade and hoping for the best
• Unsustainable strategies: Strategies that work once but can't be repeated

If you can make 40% of your profit in one day and 60% over several other days, you've demonstrated some level of consistency. If you make 90% of your profit in one day, you haven't proven anything—you just got lucky.

Prop firms fund traders who can repeat their performance. The consistency rule is how they filter for that.

Final Thoughts: Trade for Consistency, Not Home Runs

The consistency rule is one of the hardest psychological challenges in prop trading. It forces you to stop when you're up big—even when you want to keep pushing.

If you're up $1,200 on Day 3 and you want to hit your $3,000 target in one more big day, the consistency rule stops you. You need to spread profits over more days, which means more time in the market, more chances to give back profits, and more discipline required.

The 40% rule on evaluation accounts is manageable. The 20% rule on Instant accounts is tighter but still realistic. The 15% rule on Instant Pro is designed for true grinders—if you're not making small consistent daily gains naturally, Instant Pro will be frustrating.

Track your daily percentage in real-time, cap your daily profit targets, and don't go for home runs. Consistency rewards discipline—not lucky streaks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I violate the consistency rule?

AquaFutures flags your account and blocks payout requests. You'll receive an email notifying you of the violation. In most cases, you can fix it by trading more days to dilute the big day's percentage. If you can't fix it without breaching your drawdown, the evaluation ends.

Can I violate the consistency rule on a funded account?

Technically yes, but AquaFutures enforces it less strictly on funded accounts. During evaluations, violations are flagged immediately. On funded accounts, they're reviewed manually and enforced only if you're clearly abusing the system (one massive bet, immediate withdrawal).

Does the consistency rule reset each month?

No. The consistency rule applies to your total profit from the start of your evaluation or funded account. It's not a monthly reset—it's cumulative from Day 1.

How do I know if I'm close to violating the consistency rule?

After every winning day, calculate: (Today's profit / Total profit so far) × 100. If that percentage is approaching your limit (40%, 20%, or 15%), stop trading big and focus on smaller daily gains.

Do losing days count toward my consistency calculation?

No. Only winning days count. Losing days don't help you—they just reduce your total profit, which makes your winning days a higher percentage of the total.

Can I request a consistency rule waiver from AquaFutures?

No. The consistency rule is non-negotiable. If you violate it, you either fix it by trading more days or your account is flagged. There are no exceptions or waivers.

Which consistency threshold is easiest to manage?

The 40% rule on evaluation accounts is the easiest. You only need 3 solid winning days to pass comfortably. The 20% rule requires 5-7 days. The 15% rule requires 7-10 days. For most traders, evaluation accounts are more manageable than instant funding because of the looser consistency requirement.

If I withdraw profits, does that reset my consistency calculation?

No. Your consistency percentage is based on your total profits earned, not your current account balance. If you make $5,000 and withdraw $3,000, your consistency calculation is still based on the full $5,000. Withdrawals don't reset or change the percentages.

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