AquaFutures Profit Target Requirements: 6% vs 8% and How to Reach Them

Written by Paul

Published on

January 9, 2026

The profit target is the finish line of your evaluation—the amount you need to make before AquaFutures funds your account. Hit the target without breaching your drawdown or consistency rule, and you're funded. Miss it, and you keep paying monthly fees.

AquaFutures uses two profit targets: 6% for Beginner accounts and 8% for Standard accounts. That 2% difference sounds small, but it's actually 33% more profit required. On a $50K account, you need an extra $1,000—which could mean 2-4 more weeks of trading.

I'm breaking down what the profit targets actually are, how long they realistically take to hit, what happens if you overshoot, and which target is easier to manage.

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.

What Are the Profit Targets at AquaFutures?

The profit target is the minimum profit you need to earn during your evaluation before you can transition to a funded account.

AquaFutures has two targets depending on account type:

6% profit target: Beginner evaluation accounts
8% profit target: Standard evaluation accounts

Instant accounts and Instant Pro accounts have no profit target because they're already funded from Day 1—you skip the evaluation entirely.

Here's what the targets look like across account sizes:

Account Size	Beginner Target (6%)	Standard Target (8%)	Difference
$25,000	$1,500	$2,000	+$500
$50,000	$3,000	$4,000	+$1,000
$100,000	$6,000	$8,000	+$2,000
$150,000	$9,000	$12,000	+$3,000

The Standard target is consistently 33% higher than the Beginner target across all sizes.

How Long Does It Actually Take to Hit the Profit Target?

The time it takes depends on your weekly profit rate. Here's the math for a $50K account:

If you average $500/week:

Beginner (6% = $3,000): 6 weeks
Standard (8% = $4,000): 8 weeks

If you average $750/week:

Beginner (6% = $3,000): 4 weeks
Standard (8% = $4,000): 5-6 weeks

If you average $1,000/week:

Beginner (6% = $3,000): 3 weeks
Standard (8% = $4,000): 4 weeks

Most traders average $400-$600/week during evaluations. That puts the Beginner target at 5-7 weeks and the Standard target at 7-10 weeks.

Those extra 2-3 weeks on the Standard account mean:

More monthly subscription fees ($196/month adds up fast)
More time exposed to drawdown risk
More chances to violate the consistency rule
More psychological pressure to "just finish already"

The longer you're in an evaluation, the more likely you are to make a mistake and breach.

What Happens When You Hit the Profit Target?

When you hit your profit target, you don't automatically transition to a funded account. You still need to meet all other requirements:

1. Don't breach your drawdownYou need to hit the profit target without ever breaching your 5% max drawdown. If you hit $3,000 profit but you also breached your drawdown on Day 5, the evaluation ends—you don't get funded.

2. Meet the consistency ruleNo single day can contribute more than 40% of your total profit. If you made $1,800 on Day 1 and $1,200 over the next 5 days, you violated the rule—even though you hit $3,000 total.

3. Hit minimum win daysYou need at least 5 profitable trading days before you can request funding. If you hit $3,000 in 3 days, you'll need to trade at least 2 more profitable days before AquaFutures will approve your transition.

4. Request transitionOnce you meet all requirements, you submit a funding request through the AquaFutures dashboard. They review your account (typically 24-48 hours) and approve you for funded status.

You keep trading your evaluation account until the funded account is activated. Some traders keep pushing for more profit during the review period—but this is risky. You could breach right before funding and lose everything.

Can You Overshoot the Profit Target?

Yes, and you should.

Most traders don't stop exactly at $3,000 or $4,000. They keep trading until they're comfortably over the target—usually 10-20% above to account for any late losses or consistency rule issues.

Example: You're targeting $3,000 on a Beginner account. You hit $3,400, then have a -$300 day. You're still at $3,100—safely above the $3,000 minimum. If you had stopped exactly at $3,000, that -$300 day would drop you below the target and you'd need to trade more days.

Overshooting also helps with the consistency rule. If you made $1,200 on your best day and your total is $3,000, that's 40% exactly—right at the limit. But if your total is $3,600, that $1,200 day is only 33%—comfortable margin.

The risk: the more you trade past the target, the more you expose yourself to drawdown violations. Some traders breach at $4,500 trying to push for $5,000. Once you're 20% over the target, stop trading and request funding.

Does the Profit Target Reset on Funded Accounts?

No. Once you transition to a funded account, there's no profit target. You can trade indefinitely—you don't need to hit another 6% or 8% to keep the account active.

On funded accounts, your goal is to make money and withdraw it. There are payout requirements (minimum 5-7 win days before first withdrawal), but there's no ongoing profit target you need to maintain.

However, your trailing drawdown continues on funded accounts. If you make $10,000 and then lose $2,500, you'll breach—even though you're up $7,500 overall. The 5% max drawdown from your high water mark is permanent.

6% vs 8%: Which Is Realistically Easier?

The 6% target is objectively easier for several reasons:

1. Less Time in the MarketIf you average $500/week, you'll hit 6% in 6 weeks vs 8 weeks for the 8% target. That's 2 fewer weeks of drawdown risk.

2. Lower Monthly CostThe Beginner account ($114/month) is cheaper than the Standard account ($196/month). Passing in 6 weeks costs $342 vs $588—a $246 difference.

3. Less Psychological PressureThe closer you get to the target, the more pressure you feel. At $2,800 on a $3,000 target, you're 93% done. At $2,800 on a $4,000 target, you're only 70% done—still a long way to go.

4. Fewer Chances to Violate ConsistencyWith a 6% target, you need 3-4 solid winning days to pass. With an 8% target, you need 5-6 days. More days = more chances to accidentally violate the 40% rule.

The 8% target is only "easier" if you're already making $1,000+/week consistently and you need the Standard account's features (15 contracts, no daily loss limit). For everyone else, 6% is the better bet.

For a detailed comparison of Beginner vs Standard accounts, see the account comparison guide.

What If You're Close to the Target But Running Out of Time?

If you're at $2,700 on a $3,000 target and your monthly subscription is about to renew, you have three options:

Option 1: Push Hard to FinishTake a few aggressive trades to close the $300 gap before the renewal date. This is risky—you could breach your drawdown trying to force it.

Option 2: Pay Another MonthAccept that you'll pay another $114 (or $196) and keep trading normally. This is safer but more expensive.

Option 3: Stop and RestartIf you're at $2,700 after 3 months ($342 spent on Beginner), you might be better off restarting fresh. At your current pace, you'll spend another $228+ to finish—total $570. A fresh account starts at $114.

Most traders in this situation push hard and either (a) finish in the next few days, or (b) breach trying to force it and lose everything. The smart play is to assess your weekly average and decide if it's worth continuing.

Do Larger Account Sizes Have Higher Success Rates?

No. The profit target scales proportionally, so a $100K account isn't "easier" than a $50K account—it just has a bigger target and bigger contract limits.

What changes with larger accounts:

More dollar cushion: $100K gives you $5,000 of drawdown room vs $2,500 on $50K
Higher contract limits: 9 contracts on $100K Beginner accounts vs 6 on $50K
Same percentage target: Still 6% or 8%—the difficulty is identical

Some traders find larger accounts easier because they can trade more contracts and hit the target faster. Others find them harder because the position sizing is more complex.

The best account size is the one that matches your normal trading size. If you trade 3-4 contracts, a $50K account is ideal. If you trade 7-9 contracts, a $100K account fits better.

Can You Request Funding Before Hitting the Exact Target?

No. You must hit at minimum the profit target before AquaFutures will approve funding.

If the target is $3,000 and you request funding at $2,980, they'll reject it. You need to be at or above the target—no rounding up, no exceptions.

This is why most traders overshoot by $100-$300. Better to be at $3,200 and request funding than be at $2,990 and have to trade more days.

Profit Target Strategy: How to Hit It Without Breaching

Here's the framework most successful traders use:

1. Set a Weekly Profit GoalIf you need $3,000 and you're averaging $500/week, plan for 6-7 weeks. Don't try to hit it in 3 weeks with aggressive sizing—that's how you breach.

2. Trade Small Early, Scale Up LateStart with 2-3 contracts for the first few weeks. Once you're at $2,000+ profit and your drawdown threshold has moved up, you can trade 5-6 contracts more comfortably.

3. Cap Daily Profit at 40% of TargetOn a $3,000 target, never make more than $1,200 in a single day. This keeps you under the consistency rule and prevents overtrading.

4. Stop at 110-120% of TargetOnce you hit $3,300-$3,600, stop trading and request funding. Don't push for $5,000 and risk breaching.

5. Track Your Progress DailyLog your profit, drawdown threshold, and consistency percentage after every session. Know exactly where you stand at all times.

Why Some Traders Never Hit the Profit Target

Traders fail to hit profit targets for a few common reasons:

1. They breach their drawdown firstYou can't hit the target if you breach at $2,400. Most evaluations end in drawdown violations, not from missing the target.

2. They violate the consistency ruleMaking $1,800 on Day 1 and $1,200 over the next 5 days gets you to $3,000—but you've violated the 40% rule. No funding.

3. They trade too conservativelyAveraging $150/week on a $3,000 target means 20 weeks to finish. At $114/month, that's $570+ in subscription fees—you're better off trading more aggressively or restarting.

4. They give back profitsHitting $3,400 then losing $1,000 drops you to $2,400—back below the target. Without disciplined profit-taking, you'll oscillate around the target for months.

5. They tilt after bad daysOne -$800 day and they revenge trade, breach their drawdown, and lose everything. Emotional control matters more than technical skill.

The profit target is reachable for most traders. The hard part is hitting it without breaching or violating consistency.

Instant Accounts: No Profit Target Required

If you want to skip the profit target entirely, Instant funded accounts and Instant Pro accounts have no profit target. You pay a one-time fee ($239-$291), you're funded immediately, and you can start withdrawing profits after 7 win days.

The trade-off: Instant accounts use stricter rules (20% or 15% consistency, 7 win days instead of 5). But if you're already consistently profitable and you just need capital, instant funding gets you there faster.

For a comparison of evaluation-based accounts vs instant funding, see the pricing comparison guide.

Final Thoughts: The Profit Target Is the Easy Part

Most traders obsess over the profit target—"How do I hit $3,000? How long will it take?"—but the target is actually the easiest part of the evaluation.

The hard parts are:

Not breaching your drawdown while trying to hit the target
Not violating the consistency rule by making too much in one day
Not tilting after bad sessions and revenge trading into a breach
Maintaining discipline for 6-10 weeks straight

If you can trade consistently without blowing up, you'll hit the profit target eventually. The traders who fail are the ones who breach their drawdown or violate consistency—not the ones who couldn't make $3,000.

Start with the Beginner account's 6% target. It's cheaper, faster, and easier to hit than the Standard account's 8%. Once you're funded and making money, you can always add more accounts or upgrade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I pass the evaluation in less than a month?

Yes, if you hit the profit target and meet all other requirements (5 win days, no consistency violations, no drawdown breaches). Some traders pass in 2-3 weeks, but most take 4-8 weeks.

What happens if I hit the profit target but then lose money?

If you drop below the target, you need to trade back above it before you can request funding. Example: You hit $3,100, lose $400, drop to $2,700. You're back below the $3,000 target and need to keep trading.

Does the profit target include commissions and fees?

No. The profit target is based on net P&L after commissions and fees. If you need $3,000 and you've made $3,200 gross but paid $250 in fees, your net is $2,950—you haven't hit the target yet.

Can I request funding if I'm $50 above the target?

Yes. As long as you're at or above the minimum target, you can request funding. $3,050 on a $3,000 target is fine—no need to overshoot by hundreds of dollars unless you want extra cushion.

What's the fastest anyone has hit the profit target?

Some traders hit 6% in 3-5 trading days with aggressive sizing and lucky timing. But this is rare and risky—most fast passes end in consistency rule violations because one day was too large.

Do I need to hit the profit target in consecutive days?

No. You can have losing days in between—only profitable days count toward your win day requirement. Example: +$500, -$200, +$400, -$100, +$600, +$500 = $2,600 profit over 4 win days (the two losing days don't count).

Can I keep trading after I hit the profit target?

Yes, but it's risky. The more you trade past the target, the more you expose yourself to drawdown violations. Once you're 10-20% over the target, stop and request funding.

Is the 8% target worth it for the 15-contract limit?

Only if you actually use 15 contracts. If you trade 6 contracts or less, you're paying $82/month extra and spending 2-3 more weeks in the evaluation for features you don't need. The 6% target on Beginner accounts is more cost-effective for most traders.