How many would you put in a 2 acre pond with no large bass yet?
For algae control we have found that in this area we have to stock a mixture of 50/50 male/female Blue Tilapia at the rate of 40# per surface acre to control the algae. FA HAS TO be treated (killed) within about 5 days of stocking them, either pre or post stocking. If the existing FA is not killed, we have stocked up to 100# per surface acre with absolutely ZERO results - it looked like they weren't even in the pond. The fish that we stock are 6"-9" in length, and they start spawning within a month of stocking when the water temp warms up.
We have stocked food grade Tilapia (90% male) and have not seen anywhere near the amount of FA control that stocking 50/50 males/females have given us. It's all the babies that do a tremendous amount of FA consumption, like teenagers raiding a refrigerator.
For a number of years I have tried different stocking rates in my personal pond. 15, 20, 30, 40, 60 and 100 pounds per acre. Both killing the FA at the time of stocking and not killing the FA. Not killing the FA isn't an option for me any more. it HAS TO be killed for the Tilapia to work the way they are supposed to.
15 and 20 pounds per surface acre didn't do squat. 30#/acre required treating FA about every 4 weeks during the growing season. We have settled on stocking 40#/surface acre and having the pond owner spray Cutrine Plus liquid on any FA that is seen growing. We do a pond assessment when the Tilapia are stocked if the homeowner hasn't killed the FA and tell them how much they need to apply.
