Pond Boss
Posted By: John1944 Tilapia for controlling FA - 03/14/18 08:00 PM
I have a one acre pond about ten years old. Up to this time have been having it treated every two weeks as necessary during summer months
for FA. Getting very costly. Will Tilapia control the FA and what do you do with them when they belly up when fall arrives... How to do catch them to eat before they die?
Posted By: Pat Williamson Re: Tilapia for controlling FA - 03/15/18 12:55 AM
I’ve caught them on worms and also put fish food pellets in the bend of hooks. Tilapia will eat it if you have enough stocked
Posted By: Bill Cody Re: Tilapia for controlling FA - 03/15/18 01:01 AM
Use
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=99057

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=449719

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=412092

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=465780

Catching

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=156606

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=348723

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=310223&page=1
Posted By: Rainman Re: Tilapia for controlling FA - 03/15/18 02:34 PM
Originally Posted By: John1944
I have a one acre pond about ten years old. Up to this time have been having it treated every two weeks as necessary during summer months
for FA. Getting very costly. Will Tilapia control the FA and what do you do with them when they belly up when fall arrives... How to do catch them to eat before they die?


Rarely will you have any issue with late season mortalities. Terrestrial critters and turtles will eat anything that dies...if you have predators in the pond, most tilapia get eaten before actually dying.

You will need at least 40 pounds of mixed sex Tilapia stockers to keep your FA controlled without needing extra chemicals
Posted By: Bill Cody Re: Tilapia for controlling FA - 03/16/18 12:54 AM
Stocking densities of tilapia for algae control does a lot depend on how much algae you have and how fast you want it controlled and how many bass you have in the pond. Each tilapia can only eat so much algae per day based on the size of fish. Keep in mind that the abundant offspring as a group are in many cases the biggest eaters of the algae. I call them the "algae eating army". Thus if the pond has lots of small bass a lot of the algae eating army will be consumed. This means for best algae control you need to stock more towards the 40lb per acre rate. In small 0.2-0.3ac ponds with few to no bass one can get good algae control with as few as 3.5 to 5 lbs 6-10 fish (14-17lb/ac) when most all tilapia offspring survive. If you did not get good FA control by late July-Aug (north ponds) then you did not stock enough that year and more would be needed next year in the same situation.

Be aware that getting tilapia from food growers of tilapia these producers use almost exclusively male fish who grow faster than the females. Thus with all males no young will be produced and you will have to rely on only adults to eat the algae.
Posted By: John1944 Re: Tilapia for controlling FA - 03/19/18 01:57 PM
Thanks everyone for your input to my questions. I am going to try the tilapia route this summer. Sounds like the best way to go.
Thanks Again.....
John
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