Now if I've got this straight, tilapia will eat single-celled algae, right? So in effect, they're tying up nutrients in a form that's usable for bass. It makes perfect sense. Now I know I'm too far north for tilapia, but in a situation where the nutrients are tied up in filamentous algae (not single-celled) what would the net effect of tilapia be? Will they graze? My ponds sometimes are completely void of planktonic algae because the emergence of a rooted plant is sucking up all the nutrients.
The water is beautiful, but then "boom" the rooted starts to fade and planktonic takes over. It's frustrating...one moment I've got crystal clear water, then one day later my secchi readings are taking a dive. It's not coincidental I believe, that this is when I have a fish stress event. I wonder if tilapia keep things more on an even keel?
