We have a 1/4 acre pond in northern Indiana and last spring I put in 25 tilapia to eat FA...which they did very well. I understand that they are warm water fish and don't typically survive winter. However, we have an open loop geothermal system for our house and the discharge water goes into the pond. It is far enough away from the house that the water is ground temp by the time it gets to the pond...so 55 degrees. Have any of you had experience with a "warm" water supply helping tilapia survive a cold winter?

On a similar note what is the best way to fish them out? My understanding is that they are vegetarian so will they strike at a worm?

I am by no means an expert but I picked up some Tilapia from a local source here in Alabama and he stated that his Tilapia have been in his pond for the last few years. He just adds water durng the cold months (which aren't many here) from his well and I am guessing that is keeping his water temps above what the Tilapia needs to survive.

As far as catching goes my kids caught a couple on worms the first time they tried fishing after they were in the pond. Since then they have been hard to catch. They will come close to the dock and eat floating fish feed but won't touch worms much now. Hope that helps some.

it possibly could work, depends on flow rate and disbursement of the warmer water.

if you have it in a cove or corner or type of area that will hold the warmer water it has a chance. If it fows out into the middle of the pond or open water it will just disperse into the cold water and not have a big enough effect.

Also , the temp of 55 is pretty close to the leathal temp already so it will not be able to lose much heat and be effective.....

I have seen tropical fish here in N Florida survive in a pond that has a artesean well flow in a shallow corner. the fish lay in the warmer flowing water. Even the severe winter we had a few years ago that even kill native subtropical fish didnt kill them as they had this little warm water fefuge... Note, the well flow is at 70 degrees though

Mine have already died that were in the pond. The cold snap that we had a few weeks ago put them under. Well water temp here is 52°F - 53°F, not enough of a warm water buffer to keep them alive even if run into the pond at 25 GPM, which is MUCH greater than a geo system flows.

Drogo, in Indiana, pumping enough water will cost you, easily, 3 times the cost of the annual tilapia stocking in electricity alone.....then add in equipment costs and replacement.

We are putting in water from the geothermal system...no plan to add warm water beyond that.

Now I will show my ignorance. I have found only one dead fish. As they die from the cold do they float or sink?

Yes.

In my pond they usually sink, but I've found a few floaters.

Some of both (sink & float).