Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Tilapia really a "perfect" bass forage species??

On bassresource.com in the pond section they were talking about Tilapia being a great addition to add weight to LMB. Seeing how their illegal in My state (Georgia) I wonder why because their legal in Texas, Florida, Alabama, ect... Anyways being a non-native I still feel they could offer more harm than help, is this hunch true or am I over exaggerating?

I think they should be legal in places they will die out in winter, because they can only cause so much harm if they escape a pond before they die.

There are many more factors to consider and evidently Georgia thinks they are more harm than good, or something like that.

Personally I cant wait to get my hands on some next year.

yes i feel they would do good in more northern states where theres a slight die-off so the fish can get some extra food before the winter. But that would annoy me because you would have to re-stock every year to get the same population you had the year before. But i feel they could add benefits with little risks in certain conditions and certain species of tilapia but personally i would not risk it due to the fact that there expensive and Could overpopulate a pond i spend a long time working on

Fishkeeper, Do you feed your pond? If so, Tilapia provide a much higher quality, and quantity of food plus they improve overall water quality all at a much lower expense than feed or chemicals. Even when re-stocked yearly

Also if tilapia did not die off, i dont know if I would consider them. the reason why you dont see them in northern states is becuase the water is not warm enough long enough for them to do much good or reproduce.

jake, the more northern climates are were the tilapia are best suited for the die off. Mozambique and Blue tilapia spawn as young as 3 months of age, every 4-6 weeks. Mozambiques are better suited below the Mason-Dixon line with Blues better north.

The only reason you don't see them in more northern climates is the high cost for them to be grown over the winter in numbers large enough for spring stockings in northern areas. I have to charge double what most people do because of 2000 mile round trips for stock. I've stayed busy this spring because I am about the only person willing to do it!

FWIW, 10 pounds of mixed-esx Blue or northern Tilapia will spawn at least 4-5 times in a 6 month season will reproduce several hundred thousand fry. The first spawn couple spawns born in the pond will even reproduce 1 or 2 times. All told, it is possible for a million+ fry to be created in a northern pond that converts pond nutrients never used into high quality natural forage.

If they didn't die off tilapia would be worse than carp! Ask anyone in southern FL what a mess they cause. They take up all the biomass and cause huge die offs for native fish. Plus the outcompete native bass and sunfish for spawning grounds. In northern waters where they die off each winter, they could very well be a great asset. I think many northern states ban them out of the fear of the unknown or that they will establish in warm water effluents like power plant discharges.

Rainman,
I would like you to bring me some Tilapia next year when you come down to visit your family. Next time you come down this way get in touch with me and we will revisit the pond.

Chad

Fishkeeper - Rainman is definitely a resident expert on Tilapia - I'd encourage you to contact him and learn more.

As for fears of TP establishing year round in your pond in GA, not sure it's something to worry about unless your water temps exceed 54 degrees year round[is that right, Rex?] . Anything approaching this temp is lethal to TP. with that in mind you have a built in failsafe and might be worth a small stocking to see how things go for you?

54 degrees is lethal for Mozambique, Nile, and all Hybrid Tilapias. It takes 45 degrees to kill the pure strain Blue Tilapia.

In the warmer climes of the Gulf states, I would suggest the Mozambique for a MUCH more likely die-off. Any state north of that would be better off with the blue.

Sounds like a plan!