Originally posted by Bruce Condello:
ML,
In your opinion, if you stocked tilapia to medium density in your pond, and they were provided with pellets as well, how much, by percentage, do you think the tilapia would derive their nutrition from pellets, and how much from algae? A WAG would be OK.
Now if you didn't feed pellets, do they eat strictly algae, or do they use invertebrates to a certain extent?
Bruce,
My experience is limited to Mozambique Tilapia (O. Mossambicus). My WAG would be about 30% from natural food and 70% from pellets...actually I think I've read the scientific answer from real science is 30 to 50%, but my experience would say its on the low end of that.
Second question....my answer. They use whatever natural food organisms are available including planktonic and benthic aquatic invertebrates. My gut feel is that common algae is a preferred food item when in my ponds. They love the stuff...but will eat significantly less algae when pellets are made available.
You may recall some discussions from the far past with Greg and others about how comfortable I was with a "no artificial feeding program in an F1 bass pond stocked with Tilapia". That experiment has worked spectacularly, simply spectacularly and is accomplishing every single objective....but I digress, sorry.
When someone asks me about Tilapia I always try to ask them first what they want them for. If for algae control, I believe artificial feeding works against that and should not be used when optimum algae control is desired...if for eating, artificial feeding helps in size and taste...algae does not help with taste. My advice is always if you want to eat them, feed them anything but algae. Of course, if you want forage, which is the main reason for stocking them, I believe, you want both male and female.
Stocking only males may satisfy a need for large fish, but will not IMO reap any of the other benefits of this great fish, including eating, forage, and algae control. But this is only one East Texas pond guys opinion going into his fourth season with this absolutely wonderful fish.
If I have not answered your questions, please advise. If my answers are wrong, in your opinion, I'd like to hear that also. I simply want to learn everything I can.
