Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Tilapia Loss

After more than 6 years it has finally become cold enough long enough to kill my large tilapia 20". I have found 3 dead but no others. Never have I seen any small tilapia in the pond, only a few large males on beds. I have never seen a mate with the males on the beds. In past years I have stocked 300+ 3-6" tilapia twice.

With the big males gone from cold stress & the smaller tilapia, if they existed, on the bottom or fish food, can I assume with certainty that I am now Tilapia-less?

From cold stress who dies first, the big or the small tilapia?

Don't be so sure. If all you see is a few large tilapia they could have reached there life span (old age). What was your water temp ? Look for some small ones.

Tilapia, especially small ones are VERY hard to see in water. You'll be lucky if you ever see a female near a bedding male also....Males will kill any other tilapia that is not ready to drop eggs within seconds....she will lay them, pick them up and get chased off within seconds to a couple minutes.

Recruitment failure can attributable to multiple causes. Tilapia stockers used from all male stocks? Predator pressure too high on released fry can also be an issue. Tilapia themselves are not a good predator but bass and even other sunfish can get the job done if density high.

I breed Tilapia in tanks and have done so in ponds many years ago. They are hard to keep from breeding to be sure. My females in the absence of larger adults will start holding before 2" long. It is not a big deal to see females on nest as they do a lot of courting before spawning really gets underway.

The ponds around Jacksonville get cold killed every 5-10 years. I would wager you will see tilapia next this spring in the shallows again. unless you are shallow and you got unusually cold. some always seem to survive and keep right in breeding in the spring. Seen it before.

You were certainly right about the survivors. Earlier this spring I saw a 20+ inch Bull tilapia on a bed in the warmest area of the pond & another 10" 20 feet away trying to warm up. I have not seen much since then as the water is very turbid with the rainy weather. The pond averages about 9' with spots in the 12' range. I am now sure, I have a surviving & breeding population.

Thanks everyone for the help.