We raise mozambique tilapia at our farm for stocking. They start to die at 55. We've seen as low as 42 degrees here already in central texas.
On the issue of wiping out bass: tilapia are numerous in trophy mexico bass lakes...hear any negatives there? The fact is, if tilapia overwinter they can outcompete bass for nesting sites early in the year. This does not occur assuming winter dieoff and restocking after bass spawning season. Also, with the need for bass harvest in most ponds and lakes, why is there an idealistic sympathy for their successful spawn. The fact is, you'll grow larger fish if bass spawning is restricted.
On the issue of pond bottom clean up, we've seen them vaccum organic debris like nothing else. In a pond with some types of clay bottoms, they could cause muddy water, but we haven't seen that problem on the farm yet. As a matter of fact, tilapia contribute to a good plankton bloom. Our fertilized tilapia ponds cleared up after tilapia died off this year.
On the issue of fertilization. Sometimes fertilizing a pond will cause byproduct vegetation problems, not a bloom. With the stocking of grass carp and tilapia, you can ensure that your fertilizer won't grow coontail, bushy pondweed, or filamentous algae. It will...in fact grow fish all the way up the food chain.
On the price of tilapia....$10 per lb is cheap when compared with $/lb prices of bluegill, about the same as fathead minnows, and much cheaper than threadfins and gizzard shad. Also, the price will go down in 2005, guaranteed.......
