I wanted to bring your attention to this thread and I have sent you a private message. I will delete this post when you have seen this.

http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=14;t=000215;p=1#000010

Guys - I'm sorry, he recommended 100 pounds for my pond or about $500 bucks worth. This would be about 50 pounds per acre. Is this still too much?

10 to 20 #'s/acre is the standard tilapia stocking recommendation by responsible fisheries professionals.
Some formum members have controlled algae with as small a 5#'s tilapia/acre with chenical pre-stocking treatment.

I suspect the professionals are reluctant to weigh in on this subject.

I have a truck load of small bass in the pond. I believe the thinking is that the 50 pound number could jump start the bass. I am in the process of removing as many as I can catch.

Heybud - if you look in the upper right hand corner and click on my profile you can check for private messages. Does anyone here believe that overcrowded bass can be controlled by adding extra tilapia?

Controlled, no. Well fed for a few months, yes.

Maybe we are finally understanding what was going on in this case. Now, if I understand, the Tilapia stocking rate is 50 pounds per acre in order to feed out an overpopulation of LMB. That sounds a lot more reasonable to me.

Heybud, your "experiment" could be very interesting. If you could get several relative weight(RW) measurements on your LMB now and then again in about November and do a comparison, I think you will see the reasoning for the Tilapia.

I predict you will see substantial RW improvements in your LMB and also see a much stronger BG forage base by the time fall rolls around.

My only concern would be the total bio mass in the pond...especially in August if we get another round of drought conditions. Do you have aeration in the pond?

At this point, removing a whole lot of bass may be counterproductive...the LMB are needed to keep Tilapia numbers in check and Tilapia are needed to feed the LMB...I just hope you haven't exceeded the summer carrying capacity of your pond. Keep us posted on how this turns out...it should prove interesting. Thanks.

meadowlark- And what will 10 grass carp and 100# of tilapia eat in a half empty two acre pond? Do you suggest that he feed the tilapia? They will surely spawn immediately at that size and become thousands. Why spend the money on 100# of too large for forage (1/4 to 1/3#) tilapia, when 10# will have a more reasonable spawn with nourishment enough to become forage for the bass?

PondsForFun,

This is confusing...I thought the Tilapia had already been placed in the pond at 50 pounds per acre...not 100 pounds per acre? That's 50 pounds per acre of water, not land.

If he is only considering this, then by all means do not stock 100 pounds per acre or even 50 pounds per acre, but if they are already in the pond, then he needs to find a way to make it work if at all possible. Thats what I was trying to help with...find a way to make it work without loosing all the fish.

Removing the Tilapia is probably not an option. Removing large amounts of LMB is not an option, because they are needed to keep the Tilapia in check. Pond aeration and an external water source to increase the volume of water are about the only things I know of that he can do. I definitely would not feed, not at all. Feeding will only add to the problem of low DO and no fertilizers for sure.

He has not stocked yet. He has a order in for 100#. I am trying to talk him into reducing that order to 10#. He has already stocked the grass carp. Maybe I should but out of heybud's business. I was just trying to keep him from a mistake. My heart was in the right place anyway. Good luck heybud with your pond!

Ok, sorry, didn't realize the fish were not already in the pond. In that case, shouldn't be a problem to reduce the stocking rate...a confusing thread and we both were just trying to help.