Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Tilapia-this year's thread

Larger pictures. These are the tilapia that do not respond to pellet feeding as well as a group at the other end of the pond, yet, they all came from the same place on the same day.

http://www.photodump.com/viewer/allcladrad/fish2.html
http://www.photodump.com/viewer/allcladrad/fish4.html

Since we are near the end of tilapia production season, I thought I'd follow-up with this thread. I'd like to hear from my customers with their results from this year's tilapia stocking. I'd like observations like algae control, phytoplankton bloom status, predator growth, tilapia spawning success, etc. I may post a few of these "testimonials" on my website.

Thanks in advance for any feedback. And by the way, even if you didn't buy tilapia from me I'd still like your comments.

Todd, I'd like to add a question. Do the water plants that tilapia consume return the previous year?

And by the way, even if you didn't buy tilapia from me I'd still like your comments.
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I purchased Tilapia nilotica from Southeastern Pond Management, and they were stocked, 170 lb. averaging 1 lb each in my 13.5 acre pond, in early June. They seem to have thrived, although they became difficult to see once I got a good phytoplankton bloom in late June. I do see good numbers of little guys trapped in a small pool below my spillway.

I had a pretty big filamentous algae problem when the Tilapia were stocked, and they initially reduced it by about 90% in a matter of weeks. Since the phytoplankton bloom reached ideal levels (18-24" visibility), the amount of filamentous has stayed about the same at 10-20% of usual amounts for this time of year. Perhaps the Tilapia get a good deal of their caloric requirement from what they are filtering and don’t eat as much (?) I have no aquatic plants above the level of algae and below the level of buttonwoods, so I can’t comment on weed control.

I have found no dead Tilapia since they were stocked. A few have been caught on worms and crickets while fishing for BG. These were returned to the pond.

I will definitely want to be at the top of the list to stock them again next year.
Lou

Mine were overwintered from last year. Heavy visibility in early to late spring. Heavy spawning then also. Once bloom kicked in less spotted. Throughout summer have seen the fruits of their spawns in big numbers.

Average LMB weights averaging a pound heavier than last years average.

Has lifted pressure off of other forage.

Chara didn't gett bad until that last couple of weeks but don't know if they were the only attribute to this.

Todd, I only wish I were eloquent enough to give you something you could use on your website, but I'm way too much of a greenhorn with pond management! What I will say on the Tilapia is this: I picked up some from you in late May/early June to add to a couple of small ponds. I had a .25 acre lake that was getting a pretty severe problem with filamentatious algae matting on the surface. I added 3-4lbs of Tilapia and have seen a steady decline in it's presence. I would guess that easily 90% has been eliminated. Coincidence? I have no idea, but something surely changed for the better after the Tilapia addition. I will be seeing you again next year!!
As far as fish growth, I can't really speak to this. This 3 yr old lake has been hybrid bream only til this year. I added 25 4-6" LMB in March. These are the only LMB ever put in this lake. My son caught a 11.5" LMB that was as fat a butterball a week ago...needless to say I am pleased!

Todd,

Have you shipped or stocked in Indiana? I am considering stocking next spring. I am not sure if they are legal to stock here yet but should have some info soon.

We don't airfreight out of state at this time. Check with your state regulations and consider the short growing season for tilapia in Indiana. Sorry for the delay in my response to your question.

Todd,
Tomorrow you are scheduled to deliver our super jumbo HSB, so I'm giving you a "heads up" so you will not be overly surprised at the excellent condition of our pond - in spite of low water due to our extreme drought conditions.

You recall the past spring when you stocked tilapia and grass carp, the nasty mess of algae embedded on heavy invasive bushy pondweed - the pond is clear of all pondweed and algae....!


George Glazener
N.E. Texas 1/4 and 2 acre ponds whenever it rains again..

That is great news. I'm getting my head together to start loading our truck at the moment with your fish. Good that the HSBs won't have a tangled mess to swim through on their way to open water.

I don't have a single customer with a complaint about tilapia....they all return the following year to buy more.

Is anyone raising tilapia in Mississippi? Where can they be purchased? thanks

Deaner :

Last I checked they were not allowed in Miss. without a permit and next to impossible to get one. Miss. had a bad experience with talapia from several aquaculture ponds getting into waterways along the coast and that resulted in the current status. ewest

Todd I'm going to double up on my order of Talapia this spring 10lbs plus an acre,but would like to know if you'll be carrying the larger fish say about 1 lb. a piece. I'm concern my bass will make a quick snack of them otherwise. By the way your 6-8 inch F1 Bass I got from you look great fat as footballs and some 16 inches plus long.

Yes, LakeL, we have larger fish in the mix that we can grade off for you. Fish that are 1/3-1/2 lb are going to me large enough to escape predation, but we do have some 1 lb fish as well.

Lots of folks consider which is best...large fish or small fish. Who wants so few fish per lb, and who wants more fish per lb.

Bottom line....if you have a good plankton bloom you are better off with the small fish or the mix. However if you have clear water you'll have to have large fish and more lbs per acre as you can't count on much recruitment with lmb as predators.

Thanks for your reply Todd. I'll contact you early next spring with my order. Hopefully by than my pond will finaly be full. The 1/3-1/2 lb. size fine to me.

Haven't been on forum much lately,been busy helping son-in-law built new home all summer, but do check in once in awhile just to keep up with all the great info. Just wanted to inform how my niles tilapia stocking here in Indiana went for the year. Bought 170 1/4 pound fish at dollar apiece from AQUA-MANNA think was fist week of May,never added any cutrine plus after stocked them, after 2 weeks they had all of my filamentous algae cleaned up. They ate pellet feed right with the bluegill and really grew. Caught them on crickets. Probably stocked to many in my 1/2 acrer pond, but I had alot of filamentous algae and wanted to get rid of it fast(figured I could always catch some and remove them). The only problem I had was they would hang together and would roam shallow areas at times and stir the bottom up and pond was cloudy most of summer. Friends were always wanting a few for their ponds. Now here it is 3rd week of Nov and about 5 days ago they started to die off. Most of them looked to be about 2 lbs. Each day I would see a couple dead by shore. They never floated to surface to cause a nasty mess laid on bottom in about 1 foot of water, figure turtles will take care of the dead because always gone next day. Never ate any from the pond so don't know how the taste was for being pond raised (just couldn't kill the fish from pond) And as Meadowlark stated great fighting fish, fun to catch. I'll always stock them every year from now on (hate using any chemicals in pond grandkids love to swim in)just won't stock as many, but price was right. Sorry for the long story but hope it helps someone like this forum has helped me. PO

Another Tilapia convert.

Sounds like the Nile are very similar to the Mozambique we have...except the price. The going rate in Texas is $10 per pound.

Meadowlark, when do you break ground on the new Templar Shrine of the Sacred Tilapia? A humble 20,000 square foot structure with interconnected waterways and ponds, aquarium altars, youth education center, and senior's bingo hall should do the trick.

Of course you would have a monthly tithe of say $1,000,000.00 for founding members....non-profit of course!

I was thinking of stocking some Tilapia in a small 1/2 acre pond in Mississippi. I was told by the people on the MS wildlife forum that they are illegal to stock in Mississippi. They say there is a $2,000.00 fine if they escape from your pond. And they said they will escape.
Any comments on this and is there any people from MS stocking them?
THANKS

AMC :

A permit is required to stock tilapia in Miss. Almost impossible to get a permit as you have to prove no outlet to pond can ever get to a creek ot stream. A few years back commercial growers had a few escape down in your area and DWFP became concerned that they could over winter and cause problems. So now next to impossible to use tilapia in Miss. Last time I checked on this was about 1 yr. ago. ewest

Sunil,

A senior's bingo hall? ..ahhh, hit bingo and win free Tilapia for pond forage, for algae eating, for whatever ails your pond and your health...so many things to build and so little time.

ML, I was going to suggest that the TSST serve a differently prepared tilapia dinner each evening. Then I thought that may go against the tilapia "worship" by-laws.

No offense to the great state of Mississippi but from my experience your DFW is not very progressive or your state is into trade protectionism big time. I have been flatly told I cannot ship any of my frozen gamefish to taxidermists in Mississippi no way no how. I find this ridiculous.

Agree, Cecil; but you can come set out all the yo-yo's you want in the great crappie lakes.

Say folks! My wife mentioned that she always heard that the fish Jesus used to feed the five- thousand was probably tilapia. Has anyone else heard of this?