Pond Boss
Posted By: N.TexasHalfAcre North Texas Tilapia Source? - 03/09/19 05:25 AM
Does anyone know of a good reliable source for adult Tilapia in North Texas? I have a pretty bad FA problem and want to see if they can knock it back some. Also, what is the appropriate lbs/acre stocking rate? I read an article that suggested 10-15 lbs/acre. Does that sound right? I could always drive down to Overton’s but that is quite the drive for a few Tilapia. Thanks.
Posted By: Pat Williamson Re: North Texas Tilapia Source? - 03/09/19 02:06 PM
Have you called Todd Overton?
Or Bob Lusk?
Posted By: N.TexasHalfAcre Re: North Texas Tilapia Source? - 03/09/19 04:27 PM
Both of those guys are around 2.5 hours one way. I was hoping to find someone in the DFW area that I could pick up 10 pounds of tilapia from and not have to pay more in gas or delivery fee than the fish cost. Any DFW area pond owners get Spring Tilapia?
Posted By: Zep Re: North Texas Tilapia Source? - 03/09/19 07:12 PM
Overton's Fisheries has supplied my Tilapia for years. In fact I just placed my 2019 Tilapia order last week with Overton's. Their Tilapia are very high quality and much healthier and better sized than Tilapia I once purchased at a local feed store. Not sure where you are, but this company is in Coppell and offers Tilpaia stockers in DFW, but I bet they buy their Tilapia from someone like Overton's or somewhere in Ark and don't raise them themselves. Good luck....

Deleted this link. Not a Pond Boss advertiser. If they don't advertise, we don't support their business.
Posted By: FireIsHot Re: North Texas Tilapia Source? - 03/09/19 08:23 PM
N.TexasHalfAcre, my experience is that 10-15# per acre won't handle a bad FA problem. Treating FA with one of the copper algaecides, then adding tilapia has worked for me though.

What size are the LMB & HSB in your pond? That would let you know what size tilapia to buy. Adult tilapia at 10-15# per acre might mean you're only getting 10-20 tilapia (my guesstimate). If so, there's a good chance that the tilapia will never spawn in numbers to control the summer algae. In fact, if you wind up with all males, which could happen with a number that low, there will be no reproduction, which would affect the forage advantage of the tilapia. I make the trip to Buffalo for my tilapia, and Todd has sexed the tilapia for me when I've bought low number breeding sets. IIRC, it's 1 to 5, or 1-4 males per females.

The NE TX Co-Op's used to carry tilapia, so that might still be an option. The closest NE TX Co-Op to DFW is in Greenville TX. 20-30 minutes maybe?

Posted By: N.TexasHalfAcre Re: North Texas Tilapia Source? - 03/10/19 07:43 AM
Thanks guys. I had found that Magnolia Fisheries and sent them an email. No response yet. Has anybody had any dealings with them? I will probably wind up at Overton’s. I was just hoping to save some drive time. Al, my LMB and HSB are plenty big to do damage on undersized Tilapia. I would definitely need to get bigger ones. I may get in touch with Todd and see what he suggests.
Posted By: TGW1 Re: North Texas Tilapia Source? - 03/11/19 02:56 PM
NTHA, not wanting to hijack here but Al brings up stocking numbers or lbs per acre and sexing. And I think it comes from his personal experience along with some of his buddies stocking rates, I'm guessing . For me I still question how many and what size? This will be my fourth stocking of Tp. I have seen where just 5 lbs turned out to be a couple of 100's of 3/4lb Tp when stocked with fingerling lmb. I have since gone with 12 lbs per acre and last yr where I stocked 15 lbs per acre of 6 to 7" Tp. I went with the last two yrs stocking rates from an old thread here where Todd Overton had recommended 12 lbs per acre in a bg/lmb pond. His recommendation or thread came from years ago maybe 10+ yrs ago, and he may have changed his mind since then. Like, NTHA, I need larger sized( 3/4lb)Tp or over 6" sized Tp this year. Maybe Bob Lusk will discuss his thoughts on this on his Wed facebook show.
Posted By: Bob Lusk Re: North Texas Tilapia Source? - 03/11/19 04:07 PM
Guys,
Experience has taught us, at least in north Texas, 20 pounds per acre is what it takes to control filamentous algae.

Boatcycle is also a good supplier. They distribute fish through different outlets around the state. Boatcycle is in Henderson. Give them a call as well.

As mentioned, Overton's is good, too.
Posted By: N.TexasHalfAcre Re: North Texas Tilapia Source? - 03/14/19 03:22 PM
Bob, thanks for the reply. If I do wind up adding tilapia I will add 10 lbs for my 1/2 acre pond. Both Boatcycle and Overton's are quite a drive for me. I am just West of Ft. Worth. I was hoping to find someone closer, but I guess good fish suppliers aren't on every street corner.
Posted By: Zep Re: North Texas Tilapia Source? - 03/14/19 05:15 PM
Originally Posted By: N.TexasHalfAcre
I am just West of Ft. Worth. I was hoping to find someone closer....

If you are west of Fort Worth you should call the great Steve Bardin at Tx Pro Lake Mgt...he's in Comanche County west of Fort Worth, nice young guy, gives seminars, stocks fish, spoke at Pond Boss Conference, Masters degree in Fisheries Science from Texas A&M University.

https://texasprolakemanagement.com/index.html

https://www.facebook.com/txprolake/
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