Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Controlling unwanted plants Tilapia in Central Ohio ?

Is it pratical to stock Tilapia for FA in Central Ohio. If so, How many for 1/3/acre pond and is there even a source to purchase Tilapia in my area? Thanks

IIRC someone from the forum was going to try them in Indiana this year. That's the farthest North I know of anyone trying Tilapia thus far.

I don't think Theo is referring to me but I am going to give it a try this summer. I have a source lined up a little south of me in my state of Indiana. I've already talked ot the grower and he said he can do.

I really don't see why we can't do it up here as long as we plant them once the water temps are consistently above 60 or more. As long as you are aware they will start dying off in the fall and you will have to replant next year I don't think it will be a problem.

I wasn't thinking of you, CB1; I want to say "Matt" or Matthew" - can't quite remember the name.

Like Cecil says - we get a shorter effective season for Tilapia to do their magic, but they should perform the same during that time as down South.

Thanks for your replies. Yes, I understand if it works it would be an annual project. I'll contact a propagator in my area for a possible source.

Cecil , whats the game plan. stock large fish , if so how many for acre pond? is there somewhere to get fish overnight air? i think i would like to give them a shot too.

Ken,

Here's the guy I recently talked to at an aquaculture meeting that I would like to get some Talapia from.

Jim Bradley
Route 2, Box 542
Ladoga, IN 47954

(765) 942-2383

However I just talked him on the phone and he wanted me to call him back once outside water temps reach 70 and can't guarantee any fish. He said if I didn't hear from him he may be able to supply me with names of other suppliers.

He says demand for talipia in the food market is really high right now. I told him I would be willing to pay above and beyond the food market price to make it worth while.

I'm up for the Indiana Tilapia stocking experiment. The algae is getting nasty in my new pond. After reading other's trials and tribulations with it on this forum, I'm ready to try stocking some tilapia. Just this morning I was doing a little research on where to find some tilapia in southern Indiana. I've been getting my fish from Andry's in Birdseye, but he doesn't have any.

Shawn,

Did you try calling those listed here as having talapia?

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/fish/fishing/commfish.htm

I found that page last night and bookmarked it. I was hoping to contact some of them when I get some free time at work (ssshhhh, don't tell the boss).

I raise tilapia in an aquaponics greenhouse. If we turned tilapia loose in a pond or anyplace else in Missouri, we would be in big trouble. They are considered invasive even though they die below 50 degrees. Maybe a big spring would stay above this temperature?? Be sure you check with state officials before letting the into a pond.

That makes no sense to me does it to you moriver? The only place I could see them surviving is a warmwater discharge, and even then it would seem they would actually have to really hug the discharge in winter to survive. I doubt they would survive a winter at a warmwater discharge let alone a spring.

I have contacted the appropriate person in the IDNR to find out the legality of them. I seem to remember they are O.K. to use but I'm not sure. I'll get back on what I find out.

I've made a couple calls about locating some to buy in southern Indiana, but have had no luck reaching anyone yet. I'm anxious to get on board this experiment. I'm interested now to find out about the legality of releasing them in Indiana.

Lowell & Shawn, Try these growers in Ohio.
1. RainFresh Harvests, Barry Alder, Plain City OH 614-738-9559.

2. Dan Kaiser, Ft. Recovery, OH 419-375-4569.

3. Meiring Poultry & Fish Farm, Jim Zehringer, Ft Recovery OH 419-375-4263.

4. Mike Shea, Oxford OH 513-756-0721.

I am very interested in what they tell you. They like me, are Ohio Aquaculture Association Members.

Bill, Thank you for the contacts you provided for a possible source for Tilapia for my area. So far, I have info from only one from your list and one Fish Farm in my area.

1. RainFresh Harvests, Barry Alder, 614-738-9559
Barry advised me that Tilapia are tropical fish and not stocked in this area.His thinking is that Tilapia would not be active enough til mid summer when water temp was in the mid 70s to start to consume any FA and by this time FA would be too far ahead to do any good,then they would die off come fall.

He is just stating what we already knew.

2. Dan Kaiser 419-375-4569 2attempts-no answer.

3. Meiring Fish Farm 419-375-4263. Left msg no response yet.

4. Mike Shea Oxford OH 513-756-0721. This number had been disconnected. No other number available.


Also, I found a contact in Sunbury Ohio,Delaware County. Catch-of-the-Day 614-306-9416 .His comments were almost identical to Barry's at RainFresh. Bill,Thanks Again

Lowell, I question at least part of their rationale. I think a lot of these fish raisers are recirculating fish farmers and they are not well experienced with open pond ecology. I wonder how much real ecological experience they have with tilapia in outside ponds. I think the tilapia are worth a try and I would not be afraid to stock them when water gets to 67-68F which for your area should always be in early to mid May. By 3rd week in May in northern Ohio my water temps are always in high 60's or low 70. I have around twenty years of water temperature records for my ponds. Currently my water temps have been above 60F for 10 days and tilapia die off usually starts at temps around 55F. Your temps should be one week warmer than those in my area. Third week in May should be quite safe for tilapia stocking with proper tempertature adjustment for stocked fish.

If tilapia eat FA like ML says 50 to 80 fish in a 1/2 acre pond should be able to make a big dent in a typical FA problem. Every pound of FA eaten is less to worry about. One might then be able to manually remove any excess. Once you catch up with the growth the tilapia may be able to keep pond fairly clean the rest of the summer (late June, Jul and Aug). Then have a tilapia fish fry party in September.

We will not know for sure unless a few pondowners make a few test stockings. It would be good to know what genus of algae each test pond has present and the approximate FA amounts when tilapia are stocked. I will volunteer my services to identify FA for the tilapia test situations.

I'm 70 miles west of Indianapolis and my Niles Tilapia have been in my pond for 9 days now and doing great, even with the couple of nites temps getting down in the high 30s (just turned my areator off for the nite times). The only ones I could get were 1lb each and at 2 dollars apiece only put in 50 this year. Really don't want to state on here where I got them till Cecil posts legality of them because don't want to get no one in trouble. They raise them from fry and keep moving to tanks according to size pretty neat operation. Come last week of May they are done raising and have big fish fry.
P.S. Hurry Cecil I'll be glad to share information on where to get them. PO

PO - Please keep us informed as the summer progresses as to how the tilapia are doing in your central Indiana pond. About how much filamentous algae did you have when you stocked them 9 days ago? How big is your pond?.

$2.00 ea for 1 lb tilapia sounds like a good price. Cheap, natural algae control if they work out, plus as a bonus, some added forage fish.

PO-Since these are eating size do you know if they are all male or mixed? Could make a huge difference in algae eaten by the end of season through spawning.

A small pond of mine in Thailand that I believe only has larger Tilapia living in it had an algae problem following the last rain season. When the pond was full of young Tilapia algae was not a problem even through the previous rain season. The rains brought a lot of runoff from the adjacent village which added volumes of nutrients. Now that it is the end of dry season the algae is back under control. Honestly I don't know if the algae explosion was mostly caused by too many nutrients or if eating habits of larger Tilapia change.

Also you state that these are Nile Tilapia, mine are predominantly Mozambique as well as several others on this forum.

Myself as others here look forward to your posted results over the year as we collective gain knowledge.

Bill and Don My pond is only 1/2 acre the FA is around the edges out to about 12" to 24" in some spots. average deepth is about 5 or 6ft. I have trees around pond and it gets a lot of leaves in fall. Seems everytime a clump floats to surface it has deads leaves in the clumps. It rained here a couple days ago so pond don't seem to have as much floating now. The rain seems to knock it down, but as soon as it warms up I'm sure it will start floating up. Last year I put in 170 1/4 pounders and they cleaned up FA in 3 weeks. The guy I got the Niles Tilapia from this year knows my last years supplier and told me that last years fish were probably all males bc supplier raised them for food fish and males grow faster he told me. He showed me how to tell males from females and gave me a mix of both and said these will reproduce as soon as it gets warmer. He has been raising them since 1992 but is done at end of May every year and they have a big fish fry and shuts down operation for the summer. And yes I was please to pay $2 each since they are ready to reproduce. Some of them looked like they had eggs in them when I got them. My pond overflows to just lower ground so I don't worry about them getting in to any streams. I am trying to stay away from chemicals since my house water supply is a 140ft drilled well. Also sunday nite my son was casting a ultra lite using small white plastic curly tail grub and was having a blast catching them 1 pounders, should of seen the fight. Promise to keep you informed of the progress.
PO

Bill and Don My pond is only 1/2 acre the FA is around the edges out to about 12" to 24" in some spots. average deepth is about 5 or 6ft. I have trees around pond and it gets a lot of leaves in fall. Seems everytime a clump floats to surface it has deads leaves in the clumps. It rained here a couple days ago so pond don't seem to have as much floating now. The rain seems to knock it down, but as soon as it warms up I'm sure it will start floating up. Last year I put in 170 1/4 pounders and they cleaned up FA in 3 weeks. The guy I got the Niles Tilapia from this year knows my last years supplier and told me that last years fish were probably all males bc supplier raised them for food fish and males grow faster he told me. He showed me how to tell males from females and gave me a mix of both and said these will reproduce as soon as it gets warmer. He has been raising them since 1992 but is done at end of May every year and they have a big fish fry and shuts down operation for the summer. And yes I was please to pay $2 each since they are ready to reproduce. Some of them looked like they had eggs in them when I got them. My pond overflows to just lower ground so I don't worry about them getting in to any streams. I am trying to stay away from chemicals since my house water supply is a 140ft drilled well. Also sunday nite my son was casting a ultra lite using small white plastic curly tail grub and was having a blast catching them 1 pounders, should of seen the fight. Promise to keep you informed of the progress.
PO

PO, Thanks for the clarifications! I have heard the Nile Tilapia will hit lures...wish I had access to your supplier.

Don't want to sidetrack this outstanding thread on Midwest supply sources just wanted to ask a few questions on your experiences while the subject came up.

Hopefully we will initiate a new thread in the fall on all our experiences this year.

Thanks!

I too have had a small problem with algae this hot season, I did not have it last season. A poacher removed quite a few tilapia fingerling and I stocked a predator that ate the fry. That left me with very few small tilapia. When there were many small tilapia and no predators the 3 to 6" fish could be seen every evening, mouths open feeding at the surface. Mine are nile and I have not had any success with an artifical as yet.

PO - How big did the 1/4 pounders (4oz) that you stocked last year get for you by the time they died from cold water? When did you stock the 4 oz tilapia last year? Same time as this year; mid-late April?

Bill C. Thanks for your response to my post re Fish Farms contacts in Central Ohio area. First let me thank you for sharing your expertise with this rookie. Also, I agree with your thoughts on these Farmers lack of experience with Tilapia. Thanks for volunteering your services to identify FA for test. I think at this point, I'll hold off any attempt to locate Tilapia for following reasons. On April 01 I treated pond with Cutrine Plus (Granular) & Cutrine Plus (Liquid) plus Aquashade. Today (April 27) I treated pond again with Cutrine Plus(liquid) and at this point I have no signs of any FA at all. Maybe it's too early to have any FA, I'm not sure. Another reason why I'll hold off on Tilapia is my pond is on 5 acre lot that we plan to build on this fall and I would like to be able to monitor fish & FA on a daily basis instead of every week or so as I'm doing now. Also, to wait and see what difference my treatments this year might make.Again thank you,and all the others too, for sharing your valuable knowledge with me. Just another example of how valuable Pond Boss can be.