Dave, With my Island the perch and FH minnow feed on the roots. I also see tons of bugs there so in turn you see many bass hit right around the edges. Not after the roots but after what feeds on the roots.
Also with the way my island is constructed none of the outer noodles are directly exposed to the fish. They are covered with the cloth, sort of a loop around the noodle. Thus only the other supporting noodles open to the water. Thus I dont know if they would have too much of an issue with talipia. Also since the Island is tied to my areation system, it is close to the air flow and as such sees less of a FA buildup that you would expect elsewhere in the pond.
