Anyone get their tilapi from Jones fish farm in Ohio yet? if so, how are they doing. I have had great luck with them before with other fish and I ordered some tilapia and waiting for delivery.

I was at a pond to be the inspector on a Jones fish delivery last week. They said that they wouldn't be stocking Tilapia until June.

Tilapia in Michagan??? Will they live through winter??

Sure won't, most ponds owners like it that way too. They are stocked to control FA with the expectation they will die come cold weather to prevent them from becoming a pest.

My plan was to put them in and help control algae and then once the water temp started to drop-I was told that they become more lethargic and you cna catch them fairly easily. So I am hoping to have algae control and tilapia (at least some) filets in the fall. It is an experiment but one I am looking forward to seeing how it pans out.

fbcoach - how big are your larger bass?

Bill,

The tilapia i am getting are aprrox 4-6 inches and the larger bass I have are about 12 inches. Problems???

You should be okay with 12" LMbass. Next year will be a different story. You bass with ample food next year should be 14+ and some 15".

Jones will not deliver tilapia to Michigan as they are illegal there.


Frozengator....Tilapia overwintering is ALWAYS a bad thing...the annual death is HOW they work their majic in ponds....

Tilapia have been on the approved species list in Michigan since I first saw it in the late 90's.

There are several producers of Tilapia in Michigan.

Most seem to be related to Aquaponics, which also sell fish.

So Yes, They are legal in Michigan.

Are you sure JKB? They were banned from open water stocking last year....Only approved for a "closed system" as far as I knew.

Regardless, tilapia 6" and under put in a mature pond will cost you most of the fish to predation shortly after being stocked.

I've seen 14" LMB kill 6" tilapia. Some were eaten, some were killed by LMB trying to eat them.

I know that I looked this up once and found a good response that said they were not allowed, but they are on the list of approved fish on: MICHIGAN AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT ACT Act 199 of 1996. I cannot tell if it is required to have a permit or not. I remember that I searched for quite a while. i will see if I can dig up my old research.

Could be so Rex. We have some strange laws.

Open water, as I understand it, means any bow connected to any of the top waters of the State. An example would be a public lake, river, stream... If your pond is connected in any way, you will need a permit to stock any type fish. Basically, don't build a pond connected to State waters.

Closed Systems are actually waters, be it tank or pond that can not loose or gain livestock (fish) to public (State) waters. Not just indoor recycle systems. A pond can be a closed system. A pond in a yearly flood plain is an open system. Who would build one there anyway.

The logic I heard from Dr. Nancy Frank (top Guv dog in MI at the time), is that, if it is on the list, it is legal to posses and do whatever with. Only need to follow protocol and get a permit/license if you plan on selling them. Sport fish require a fishing license to posses, or a bill of sale from a licensed supplier. Spawning and producing fish in your pond do not count, but keep the receipt's. If you have an aquarium, and, let's say, have some sport fish. Better have a fishing license and not be in possession of more than it allows at legal size, or have a receipt that you purchased these from a licensed supplier. If you catch fish in the State, they are supposed to be dead to legally transport.

Got a headache yet? It's actually worse, but you get the idea.

I'll shoot out some emails to the appropriate officials this week and get a definitive answer about this subject.

The past administration really messed things up here in MI. According to MAA (Michigan Aquaculture Association) things are starting to look brighter for everyone wanting to raise/own fish, be it personal or commercial.

I think you will find a "closed" system is truly closed...not exposed to environmental conditions and any discharge water is treated by a municipal sewage system or chemical treatment on site. An "open" system is exposed to rain, wind, birds, etc.

As I read the MI laws, which are clear as mud, ANY body of water with a permanent inflow or discharge requires an aquaculture permit for tilapia. The way it was written, I would presume it to mean any pond that gets runoff or has a spillway requires permitting to import, export, etc, because as the law stated, "fish WILL escape", (emphasis added).

I agree with Rex, any pond with a spillway is likely considered an open system where fish can escape.

When I stock grass carp I am required to build a fish excluder. That really means a hog wire fence at the overflow or the same type of wire over the overflow pipe. Thus I no longer have, for the purpose of grass carp, an open system.

Good points all!

I'll work at getting all this clarified for the Michigan members.

Rex, I'll look that up and ask questions. They may have changed something in the past year or two.

fbcoach - how big are your larger bass?