If you could legally stock blue or mozambique tilapia which would you want and why?

As far as the forage aspect, if I understand they both reproduce heavy, but the blue has a lower temp range. So the question is would you want them to die to get the sluggish swimming and easy pickins for big bass (Mozambique). OR would you want blues where they still may be sluggish or even die off some years,and possibly not have to restock them?

There is a delicate ballance there, and I dont know much about blue tilapia but the lower temp is interesting. I could see this fact could be counter productive also.

On the eating of pond weeds, I dont know how much different the diet of blue is from mozambique.

jakeb, this would certainly depend on your goals.

Keep in mind that probably 99% of the tilapia available for stocking are hybridized in some fashion. This is why you will read so many studies that have WIDE ranges of cold tolerance for supposedly the same species.

If you have a long growing season, you may want to go with a Mozambique or even older Nile tilapia so they have less chance of overpopulating. these climates are pretty much south of the Mason/Dixon line. Anyplace north of there, would probably benefit from the pure Blue tilapia so they can remain in the water a little longer before the lower temps kill them.

In Ohio, Kansas, Indiana, and other middle US states, Blues can get you an extra 2-4 months keeping waters cleaner and providing forage over a Nile or Mozambique. Depending on the numbers stocked, this can equate into several hundred extra pounds of forage provided.

Personally, having seen how prolific my Blues are in aquariums, I would not risk the blue in a warm climate. It would be like Crappie on steroids if the temps didn't drop enough to control the population. The lack of cold tolerance IS what makes the tilapia so well suited in a pond as forage. Algae control is just a HUGE side benefit!

Rainman,
Blue is the most invasive tilapia in the south, its ability to adapt to the cold is a good guess as to why, just as you suspect.

The hybridization will soon make it difficult to tell which is which.

The hybridization already makes it almost impossible to find pure strains anymore.

Except for the roughly 10 degree cold tolerance differance, Blues and Mozambiques are very similar in respect to diet and spawning. Blues may eat a bit more algae and Mozambique mature 3-4 weeks younger.

Nile tilapia generally don't become sexually mature till around a tear of age so they are not very well suited in a pond for forage, but could be a candidate for mainly plant control in some ponds.

What I wonder with the blue is if it dies at 45, at what point does it get sluggish enough for the bass to really hammer them? If it is much below 50, the bass themselves maybe sluggish and not wanting to feed. Where as the Mozambique may get sluggish at a slightly warmer temp allowing bass to feed on them better?

Just a thought, I really have no idea...

My understanding is that the young tilapia are good forage irrespective of water temperature. The impact of the cold temps is to kill the fish every year so they can't take over a pond, since they are so prolific.

CJ, the blues as I have watched them feed less at around 58-60. Pretty much the same on the Moz. That is as real-world as my "sluggish" experiance gets.

Halfastro, you're close. Around 95% of the fry when exposing themselves get hammered by YOY till about 2" in length. After that, not many fish can catch them till they get sluggish. that is why you will see lots of fry and several large Tilapia and hardly ever anything in between till temps cool.

What about spawing time/temp. Size of spawn, length of time between broods, and are they both mouth brooders? I assume all of these will be about the same because of hybridization as you mention.


Great stuff BTW, thanks for info

I'm not very well versed on the Moz. I only deal with pure strain Blues. They are quite rare.

The Moz. mature up to a month earlier than Blues. Blues spawn about every 5-6 weeks and eggs are carried by the female only. I have read that sometimes male Moz. will carry eggs and I don't have any idea on their spawning frequency.

I believe the optimum 82-85 degree temp is the same for both species as to growth rate and spawning. Blues are faster growing than others due to a slightly higher feed conversion ration.

From every study I've found, only the pure blue has the cold tolerance. Crosses/hybrids retain the warmer lethal temp traits.

So they both die before temps get to 45*? Say in a Kansas pond at a depth of 12' would the water be warm enough to sustain life for a tilapia to survive? I have not paid enough attention to see where water temps would be in deeper waters, Oh but a thought just popped into my head(scary sometimes I know)The water at that depth would not support fish without oxygen, could you aerate to keep oxygen at that level, well know I guess you couldn't because then it would cool the water through out the pond lowering the temps to a lethal temp. Seems like I was answering my own questions. does this seem accurate?

Yes.

Interesting thought process.

I would first ask myself "does cold tolerance equate to one extra spawn each year?". If so, then that would probably trump the sluggishness issue in regards to how good a fish is as forage.

Yes that is a good point Bruce, I never thought about it from that way.

On that note, the question becomes does the lower lethal temperature limit really lead to an extra spawn? Do blues spawn at lower water temps than Mozambique? If not, they may live longer, but not spawn anymore than does the Mozambique...

Also does the avg moz fry get bigger than the avg blue tilapia fry because of the mouth brooding before getting eaten, thus more bang for the buck?

I seriously doubt there is any differance in the fry sizes. Blues are proven to grow the fastest of all tilapia, includig the genetically altered and hybrids, unless fed hormones.

Where the Mozambique can mature up to a month before a blue, the added two to four months of life in the pond from the lower cold tolerance more than offsets the forage AMOUNT produced. spawning frequency and egg production are nearly identical for both. In warmer climates like Texas, the Blue may well survive several warm winters and overpopulate. This very real danger is greatly reduced with using the Moz.

Blues prove their higher tolerance to cold temps. They are the most common tilapia to take hold in warm water effluents from power plants and water treatment facilities.

Anyone know where I can get Tilapia in Indiana ??

Purdue University would be a good start, they have pilot programs.

The push in Indiana is aquaculture, so I would look for them there as well.

Kentucky is pushing tilapia hard as a new product also. KSU rents out a mobil processing trailer for $100 per day to completely clean and package a few thousand fish per day with only 5 people. It is to provide a way for small "cage" growers to make a nice profit.

I think the push is slowing down to a gentle nudge. The news the other night said that here in Northern Indiana the push to convert unused RV plants to aquaculture is dying due to lack of funding and foreseeable (whether real or imagined) expansion problems.

Purdue doesn't sell them (I checked). They are very few and far between if you can find them in Indiana.

Rainman, are you out for the season?

Getting a fresh supply for an 80 pound order and a few others in a week or two. Waiting to see if I go all out with the truck and a new building, LLC's and the permits and the CDL and the other permits and , and, and this is toodamn much work anymore!

I have a 1/4 acre pond with duckweed. Would tilapia benefit my duckweed problem in southern michigan? Where could I buy them?

2trackin, I believe you could benefit from tilapia. Your growing season will be shorter so smaller sized fish would be of limited value. You would need about 10-15 pounds of larger adults to get the best bang for your buck. Any idea how long your water temp. stays above 70 degrees?

Last year, my pond maxed out at 73 degrees (at least where I was taking the temp). It was prabably 70 or over from early July to late September. It's 64 degrees right now.

Blue Tilapia would live, but not thrive in that temp. 64 is on the lower end of eating much and spawning would be spotty at best. If there are shallows or areas that reach warmer temps, the tilapia would do much better. Bright, sunny days would warm the tilapia to ecourage feeding, but I doubt you would ever see the full potential of the tilapia's ravenous apetite or spawning capablities.

I have a 6 acre pond in South Alabama. It is roughly 1 1/2 years old now. The first year i put little over 5000 shad in it and 10,000 bream. I also put 15,000 FHM in it. i just put in 300 Tiger Bass or F1,s as they call them from American Sportfish Hatchery. The pond is built on the basis of Ray Scots video. I have a feed program. They get fed 4 times a day for about 60 seconds by a Texas Hunter feeder. Which i would recomend. I fertilize with perfect pond plus. The pond does have a great green colour to it now. My question is when should i start to stock the Tilapia in my pond so that it benifts me the most. ? Also where could i get them from in Alabama and what is the best type for me ?

Thanks

Hello MB and welcome to Pond Boss. Off to a great start already with 2 posts. Hang on for an expert opinion. We're glad you found us.

MB, did you stock Threadfin shad or Gizzard shad?

I stocked Threadfin Shad and they seam to be going good so far. I see where you said you could get me blue tilapia anytime. What about Mozambique ? Would that be better for me being that i am in the souther part of Alabama ?

Todd Overton with Overton Fisheries sells them and he is Buffalo, TX, not exactly next door to you though...

MB- i am in alabama and greg grimes hooked me up with tilapia. he is easy to find here on the forum. put them in first of june. already have seen 2 small clusters of fry and the originals are growing like a weed..the are neat to watch eat pellets and fairly easy to catch..as to what type they are, i have no idea..some are pearl white, others are grey with orange tipped fins..i put 30 lbs in 3/4 acre pond..