I would think you want them breeding heavily, but perhaps not "out of control". Proper stocking amounts would be needed. Tilapia will not survive over the winter. If they did, then you would have population problems.
They are raised with LMB because they spawn so much it supplies abundant food for them.
They are stocked every spring, which can be costly. As you are finding out, all the alternatives to digging out the muck are usually more costly and require more maintenance. Perhaps some tough choices for you to make. Pond management is sometimes deciding which is the better of two evils....
Last edited by fish n chips; 09/12/13 11:14 AM.
