With Litopenaeus vannamei of indoor industrial flow-through aquaculture (IIFA) as control group, an experiment on Litopenaeus vannamei of recirculating aquaculture in the farm (85 d) was conducted to compare the effects of different aquaculture models on the growth performance of Litopenaeus vannamei and the aquaculture water quality, and investigate the change in nitrification efficiency of recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). The results indicate that the survival rate (74.58%±1.74%), feed conversion rate (70.56%±3.82%) and production (3.91±0.49 kg/m3) of Litopenaeus vannamei of RAS are significantly higher than the survival rate (66.90%±3.80%), feed conversion rate (67.14%±3.25%) and production (3.47±0.42 kg/m3) of Litopenaeus vannamei of IIFA (P < 0.05). For Litopenaeus vannamei of RAS, the mass concentrations of COD, NH4+–N and NO2-–N are stabilized at a lower level (5.92, 0.60 and 1.14 mg/L). For the control group, the mass concentration of COD presents an upward trend, and the highest value is up to 15.37 mg/L, while the mass concentrations of NH4+–N and NO2-–N fluctuate in a comparatively wide range (0.20–2.90 mg/L and 0.19–6.97 mg/L). However, for Litopenaeus vannamei of RAS, the mass concentrations of NO3-–N and TAN in aquaculture water present a gradual upward trend, and the highest values are up to 25.98 and 33.55 mg/L respectively; for the control group, the mass concentrations of NO3-–N (0.94-2.85 mg/L) and TN (5.95-14.01 mg/L) in aquaculture water vary in a comparatively small range. RAS for Litopenaeus vannamei plays a vital role in nitrification of aquaculture water; the removal rate of NH4+–N and NO2—N is 23.78%-91.43% and 0%-27.76% respectively, and the accumulation rate of nitrate is stabilized in a certain range (0.57%–4.30%). The study shows that the application of RAS can effectively control the key water quality indexes of aquaculture water for Litopenaeus vannamei, which is beneficial to the improvement of survival rate and the increase of aquaculture production.