Mos of us here think of stocking tilapia in the spring to control algae and other aquatic plants with a fall die-off feeding the predators. What about stocking large quantities of smaller tilapia simply as a fall food source to increase the health of the fish before entering winter?

A lot of us buy large quantities of fathead minnows for the fall. FH are at best 3-4" long where the tilapia are a lot bigger and provide far more nutrition for the energy spent on feeding. At around $7-$10 per pound, fall tilapia are often less expensive then FH too. With smaller sizes in established ponds there should be no fish that die before eating so there is little concern for cleaning up either.

Any one here use tilapia as a fall forage fish?

I haven't because this year is the first year that I knew about putting Tilapia in a pond! With the cooler temps lately, I should be seriously thinking of doing my Fall stocking soon. While the smaller Tilapia should be a very good way to fatten up the predator base before winter, for us Northern folks we might need fish that will survive water temps < 45*F to carry the predators thru the winter once the temps drop below that. I think I had ice on the pond for at least 4 months last winter. If the "old wives tales" are correct, the signs now are pointing to a nasty winter this year. (hornets' nests low to the ground, birds flocking up and migrating early, etc.) Shoot me a price and let me know if you're planning on making a fish run up this way sometime soon . I know my neighbor across the street will be looking at stocking forage fish this Fall, and there are at least 2 other PondMeisters here on this forum that are close to me (<20 miles away).

What are the optimum feeding temps for LMB, SMB, WE, YP, etc? I know many are in the low sixties when the tilapia are the easiest prey.

Scott, if you and your neighbors are ready, I can get there next week.

Adding more stops always helps out or meeting at a more centrally located area. Since I'm in St. Louis and you are in northern Indiana, adding a run through Ohio and WVa would even be easy, maybe more.

Rex:

What size are the Tilapia that you are suggesting? PM is sent.

Depending on the largest predator, generally under 6 inches. If you had an abundance of 4-6 pound bass or large catfish, you might want to increase the largest sized tilapia. You just want to make sure everything will get eaten before dying to get the best bang for the buck. FH will live longer more due to their small size and larger fish won't waste energy eating them. Catfish would consume any that went to the bottom.

Biggest LMB (that I know of) is 18", I have 4 CC between 12# and 15#, the others are 4# or so. So, the 4"-6" size would be perfect.

'nother PM sent!

Global warming sure seems cold lately!

Rainman,

Can you tell me if stocking tilapia in Florida is legal or not? My parents have them in a brackish canal behind their house (Tampa) and they are enormous. Water temps must not get cool enough to cause a die off down there, but should cause a die off up here in north florida.

I believe blue tilapia are legal to move around in areas they are currently found as they are pretty common in much of south and central FL. Some of the other species of tilapia are not legal to move around though. Check out the Tilapia Link for more info...

Gallop, Florida is rather tricky. Blue Tilapia are able to be stocked at will almost anywhere in the state. This is because it is the only tilapia species able to handle even the mild winters and it helps to control the invasive plant problems. POSESSION of ANY other species in Florida is prohibited without first obtaining the proper permits. Some species are banned in the state entirely except for a zoo permit.

What I find most interesting about the tilapia in the link CJ provided is that the picture is supposed to be a Blue, but is of a likely an 80% Nile by 20% Mozambique hybrid Tilapia and the descriptions of the Blue and Moz. colorings are reversed........Part of the problem with the commercial industry mixing up the gene pool so badly. Blues can have a lighter colored variants but will always have darker, broken lateral side markings as well as the vertically curved ray markings on the Caudel fin----not the horizontal rays seen in the Fla. picture.

Here is a picture of two 5-6 month old Pure Strain Blue Tilapia....


Notice the lighter variant blues (upper right and lower left) in this pic have clear side markings.

Rex:

Do the Blues ever get reddish fins?

I tip my hat to Rex, he is THE tilapia man! HAHA

Yes, they often get a red coloring (sometimes an intense red) in the margins of the spines of the dorsal. pelvic, and anal fins.