Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait How to grow out Tilapia?

I am trying very hard to find some tilapia fingerlings available right now---damn near impossible too!

The question is, if I can find some, what size aquarium (gallons) do you think I'll need to grow 20-30 fingerlings out to about 4"-6"?

Second, does ANYONE know who overwinters tilapia? There are no import restrictions on tilapia in Missouri so any species will work.

Thanks guys!

Rainman,
If you don't have the answer already, I would try an aquarium shop they may have the tilapia and be able to advise you on the size as well. I would buy as small as possible and feed as as high as possible protein for rapid growth. I planted them 3 years ago next March and Just caught a 9 pounder yesterday.

Any pix of that nine pounder, Rad? I didn't know that got that big!

Rainman,
I got 180 nile tilapia from Til-Tech last week. They overnighted them to me with no problems. I lost 5 the first night. Cause of death... suicide (jumped out of tanks). All are doing well now. Feeding like crazy.

Bruce,
I thought about it and passed, a neighbor had asked for a small one and when I landed this one I knew it was going back soo.... next time, I have orders for 5 more on the 18th.
I think they may get way bigger, but we will see.

Fishtech, I have a 300 gallon tank in my basement with a heater, air pumps, filter system. I can keep the water about 70 to 80 degrees. Everything is set up ready to go. I have found some tilapia for the tank, but all I can find is male, nobody has any females. I am going to raise them for forage for bass in my pond. I would want them to spawn once I put them in my pond. Can you give me any information on Til-Tech? I was wanting about 75 to 100 fish. How do they run price wise with shipping. Did they ship them to your house and do you need to be there when they arrive? Any information would be helpful. Thanks Ricky

EUREEEEKA!!!!!!!
I have found a year-round, mixed-sex, Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis Aurea) supplier! CHEAP!!! He also has Red and other types too. From fry to adults.

It has been so hard to find a supplier I have seriously thought of trying to fill this niche somehow. I am currently setting up a 100 gallon aquarium to raise some for spring stocking. I intend to document this but am not sure of what records to keep, parameters, tests, anything. I'm sure not a scientist, just impulsive with OCD. (At least that's what the wife says)

If you want his information, email me. I will need to contact him first to see if he is willing to have his info given out though.

Congratulations,
I was thinking about getting all the old hot-tubs I could find on Craigslist and putting them in a pole barn for wintering. ;-)
Chip

LOL Chip!

I thought about the hot tub but the BOSS said any hot tub in the basement was for her WITHOUT fish! I could have gotten a complete setup for $50, including a heater, just for hauling it away.

Now I have 150 2-4" Tilapia in an aquarium and since they are not approved by my state I am looking for new homes for them or else there is going to be one helluva fish fry in a couple months.

These things can eat a 1/4 cup of 1/8" pellets 4 times a day in under 1 minute, and are STILL hungry!

Feeding frenzy!


There are also 50 CC and a few Goldfish in there as well.

I received 180 nile tilapia on Jan.7th, they were fingerlings about an inch long. Today I have around 100 in the 5-6inch range and 50 or so in the 7-8 inch range. Once I increased the water temp. to above 80 degrees they started to grow like weeds. They also became more aggressive toward one another, I had to keep sorting them by size.

Good luck Rainman.

Thanks for the update. Keep posting your progress. I'm sure the info will come in handy for other readers.

One mistake I have made in using an aquarium was to make it a complete setup. I put in live plants, driftwood, cichlid sand, etc. The tank looks great but it is going to be impossible to to net them with all the cover. I will probably end up removing most of the structure when it comes time to sell some so I can seperate them from the Goldfish and catfish. My thinking with the plants was for extra biological filtration of the extrerme nutriant load they cause, but I have another 55 gallon tank with 125 CNBG that has only the glass bottom and a Bio-Wheel/ mechanical filter. I change 75% of the water daily and my ammonia levels stay near zero. Doing that on the 135 gallon with the Tilapia and catfifh is a LOT harder.

For those interested, I have the 150 2-3" Tilapia, 100 3-6" Channel Cats And about 12 3" Goldfish in a 135 gallon aquarium with the temp set at 85 degrees. The 100 1.5-3" perch (CNBG) are in a 55 gallon tank with a temp of 75. I do have some heavy bio-filtration on the 135, a fluidized bed sand filter capable of Bio-filtering 900 gallon tanks, 2 60 gallon bio-wheels, and 2 cannister filters for mechanical filtration. The 2 cannisters move a total of 700 GPH of water and I am adding a 600 GPH 30 gallon sump this week. The 55 gallon has only 1 cannister with 2 Bio-Wheels.

The last picture (graphic) shows one tilapia that the others seem to have snacked on. It will be intersting to see if it survives. It seems to do fairly well considering the damage done to it. although you can't see it in the last pic, there is actually bone exposed were the tail was!

Fishtech,

I talked to my supplier about your post on the fish getting more agressive when you raised the temp. He thought they were either competing to breed if not heavily stocked OR he said most likely they were still hungry. He says if these fish are not heavily fed in an aquarium they will eat each other. I am now feeding mine 8 times @ .75oz., a day in the aquarium. BTW my temp is set at 85 degrees. I am now down to about 120 tilapia and still the orignal 150 CC in the tank.

Rainman
I am feeding my fish 5 times a day, each time I feed them until they won't eat anymore then remove the remaining.

I weighed 70 fish today, they ranged between 75 grams and 135 grams, this 4 days shy of 3 months (since receiving them as 2 inchers).
I think I could get them bigger faster. I didn't increase the heat above 72 degrees until day 30 (roughly). They become more aggressive when the water temp. is above 80 F.

I haven't had any problem or seen any signs of agression, other than towards food. Food makes them go nuts!

BTW Fishtech, Did you want any of the blues or reds to play with yet? I have about 20 not spoken for.