Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Back to hybrid crappies...

From my under standing in the fall all tilapia slow down and or die, before they die they are easy slow forage making predators lose less energy to consume them. Even if they are don't cost as much energy as a minnow of the same size.

For LMB, they not only expend less energy, but if the Tilapia are pure blues dying around 42-48*, the LMB metabolism has slowed and the LMB put on high energy lipids to avoid winter weight loss. Hybridized Tilapia or any other species that dies from 52-58* will help LMB gain weight, but not produce the same amount of lipids, because the LMB metabolism has not quite slowed enough at the higher water temps. Tilapia lethargy and immune system shutdown begin about 5-10 degrees warmer than the lethal temps.

anthropic, if your pond is in LA and you do not want the state sterilizing it for you, don't even think about stocking them in your state.

In monoculture settings of unfed, non-aerated test ponds, (without predators), 10 pounds of Tilapia have repeatedly produced over 1000 pounds of fish in a single growing season.

Tilapia produce a LOT of forage. Most fry/fingerlings get eaten by other YOY predators (like LMB and BG) before reaching 2". But, that means those YOY grow faster, along with Tilapia, adding lots of "extra" forage for larger fish due to the Tilapia consuming/converting algae and other non-utilized nutrients, like detritus. Further, consuming the detritus, and oxygenating normally anoxic water improves overall water quality too. Tilapia are NOT a magic bullet in water management strategies, but they are one of the BFH's in the tool box!

Thanks for the responses! Fortunately my pond is in Texas, so Tilapia are an option. I hope to put some in a 1/4 acre growout pond with no predators, along with prawns. Will also put some in main BOW.

I hadn't considered that baby tilapia would feed YOY LMB and large BG. I do know from personal experience that ponds with tilapia are far less prone to FA infestation, so they are worthwhile even just for that.

Interesting that pure blue tilapia putting more weight on LMB than Mozambique due to temp sensitivities. I believe Texas allows only Mozambique stocking without a special license for precisely that reason, as they cannot survive Texas winters anywhere except in the extreme southern part of the state.

Yo Anth - ship some of those prawns up North...it's tough to get fresh seafood up here. I won't tell anyone - secret is safe with me.

teejaeh,
come on down to visit, north east florida has some of the best shrimp in the world...right off the boat...

According to Malone & Sons the hybrid crappies shouldn't be an issue in a pond with bluegill and largemouth bass. In fact recruitment is so poor that they have to be restocked.

http://www.jmmaloneandson.com/hybridcrappie.html

Sad to say that I've heard these prawns, though they get large, are not nearly as tasty as saltwater shrimp. But they do well when raised together with tilapia, plus the bass are happy to chow down on them.

If you haven't done so, you should try some good Louisiana style boiled crawfish sometime. Out of season now, but it won't be long before the mudbugs make their return.

So if I have both black and white crappie in my pond will I get hybrids or are they more likely to reproduce separately?

Good question. I personally wouldn't count on it especially if you put both sexes of both species in. Better chance if only male of one species and females of the other. That said I think Malone and Sons probably mixed the gametes in a petri dish.

When IS crawfish season there?