Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - Stocking Tilapia for FA

I stocked 30 pounds of brooder size Mozambique Tilapia to my 1.5 to 2 acre pond today for Algae control and to assist with feeding intermediate Bluegill. The pond is about 4 feet low. 75% of the pond is 4 ft. or shallower so there is a significant amount. How long after stocking before I should expect to see visible results?

I have treated 3 times with Cutrine Plus so it has not totally overtaken the pond but is still thick.

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IHMO, you didn't stock enough. Time will tell. Here, in Northern Indiana, I have found that ALL visible algae has to be killed 5-7 days pre or post stocking of Tilapia, and the best size Tilapia to stock are 4-9 per pound. If 40 pounds per surface acre isn't stocked, or the the algae isn't killed (removed like Bill said is best) then it's like they weren't stocked at all.

Don't think "Oh, I don't have to kill it, I'll just stock more per acre." Bob Lusk commented that they stocked 100#/acre without killing the algae and they didn't do anything, and I duplicated that one year with the same results.

Cutrine Plus liquid for water <24" deep, Cutrine Plus granules for deeper water is what I recommend to all our customers. Follow application instructions on the container or bag.

Stocking 1#+ adults doesn't get the results that stocking smaller fish do, and if the Tilapia are food grade and not 50/50 male/female then you will not see the algae control either. The 90-10 food grade sex mix really doesn't work well at all.

We also got bit one year by stocking the Tilapia in water that was in the low 60°F range. A prolonged cold front rolled in, water temps dropped to the low 50's and we replaced a LOT of dead Tilapia. Now we won't stock Tilapia until water temps at 2' water depth are 70°F.

Using TP to control the algae is a learning curve.
It is always best to write all the year's following information down in a booklet or on your phone notepad. .
1. note as best as possible how much algae is present. It is always best to remove and not just kill some algae before introducing TP. Removing the algae removes the incorporated nutrients in the algae biomass. IMO pond mananagement is in reality nutrient management. Nutrients accumulated in the pond causes the need for TP because the accumulated unused nutrients are what is feeding the algae problem.
2. each year note how many TP and the poundage that were stocked.
3. as the season progresses note the amount of algae still present as the season progresses. Is it less? Is it more? Is it the same? How fast the algae becomes noticably less is VERY important information.

Each TP can daily only eat just so much similar to you at the food buffet. If the algae is not undercontrol and noticably less after TP have been in the pond for 6-7 weeks then IMO you did not put enough TP in the pond. If algae is basically gone after 5-6 weeks then you could add fewer next year. If algae is not basically gone in 8-10 weeks then you need to add more next year.

Transport stress was not an issue. It was the cold temps and the supplier selling "Blue Tilapia" but furnishing hybrids that wouldn't survive water temps in the low 60°F range. We have since switched suppliers. Talking to other retailers in the area, they had the same issues.........

It's always a juggling match between supply and timing of stocking. Some suppliers "get it" and will reduce feed to slow down growth to ensure the correct sized fish are available at the correct time, others don't care.

One retailer that I will not name specifically requests food fish grade and not 50/50 M/F so they are called back to treat algae in the ponds........... FWIW it's nobody that I have ever seen on the PB forum.

I'm 2 hours North of Midwest City. PM me if you decide to come this way, I'd be glad to offer you a good home cooked meal for some expert advice. I've got fresh farm raised pork or beef. I also have plenty of fish in the freezer from some recent trips.

Thanks for the reminder on the Secchi disc, I have one and have not used it this spring. I'll get a reading this weekend and add a column for that in my sheet.

I have Southern Naiad and there was some American Pondweed but the area where it was growing is dry land due to the lack of pond filling type rains. We've had some rain but it's just coming slow and steady so soaks in.

That's a perfect size to stock, and that water temp is good. I'd whack back as much of the FA as you could. If you don't have one, buy or make a secchi disc. Water clarity should be one of your data points. FA will grow on the pond bottom 18"-24" deeper than the secchi disc reading. Underwater vascular plants will sequester nutrients and also help reduce FA growth.

Harbins is good to deal with. They also have a facility E of OK City.

How far away are you from Midwest City? I might be swinging down to see a friend there this summer.

My "expert" analysis of your last drone footage - time for some darn rain!

Thanks everyone for the valuable information.

I'm a documentation nerd so appreciate the advice.

I'm using an excel spreadsheet for calculating pounds/species of fish added and removed. The pounds of fish food I feed per day, and weather factors. (Rain/temp) as well as the pond water level and water temperatures.

I use a drone to document the approximate coverage of Algae and observation of fish activity.

I purchased the the TP from Harbin's in Kansas and he told me they were brooders. esshup, I agree that I did not stock enough, but at $18 per pound that's all my budget could handle. Sounds like I may have been better off to invest in chemical. I still have enough Cutrine Plus to treat the pond at least one more time so I will do that ASAP.

I am stocking them for Algae control and for supplemental feeding for my intermediate BG. Mr. Lusk said they are excellent for that. So hopefully there will be some measurable benefit from my investment.


Rod

The pond temperature was 72 degrees at 3 feet on 4/23.

The TP in the picture was one of the largest ones, most were about 4 to 6 inches so I would say the stocking size was probably in the 4-9 per pound range.

Everything I've read and heard matches what you said, it's the offspring that will eat the FA.

I plan on seining to remove them, as well as CC, YBH and GSF.

I recorded drone footage last week, there's a LMB on a nest about 25 seconds into the video on the right side of the video. I think it's a male, it appears to be much smaller than most that I've caught.