We have a 3.5 acre retention pond ( LMB, CNBG,CC,RES, GC) behind our house in north Florida. The local quality fish farm stocked 400 tilapia in '09, '11, '12, & '13. I have also put in some mail order tilapia again from a quality fish farm (TX). All stocking were supposed to contain both sexes. We have had mild winters & I have never seen any fish kills. Pond looks fine with little excess vegetation.

Each year as the pond begins to warm I see only two or three large males in the shallows looking for mates. Never seen a pair on a bed thought. As the whole pond warms they move into deeper warm water & are not seen again till next spring. Never seen a fish kill. Never seen a school in warm water as the pond cools off in late fall. Never a floating dead tilapia.

Is this normal, if I have a reproductive population? What would be the best way to informally survey the pond for Tilapia?

JE, what size where the Tp? And like you I never see any floaters when mine die out in early Dec. As far as nest I've only seen a few and that was the first year I stocked them back when my lmb fry were first stocked. I will see some small Tp in the shallows when the water heats up during our hot summer days but then only 4 to 6 in the 4" size.

When the tilapia were stocked 2"-4", the tilapia on the breeding beds 12"-16" Never a floater, nothing small in the shallows during the summer or when the pond is cool in the winter & early spring. The pond has stayed just above that temperature that causes a big die off.

When the tilapia were stocked 2"-4", the tilapia on the breeding beds 12"-16" Never a floater, nothing small in the shallows during the summer or when the pond is cool in the winter & early spring. The pond has stayed just above that temperature that causes a big die off.

Any chance the Tp were just snacks to your predator's? 2 to 4" Tp sound pretty small and survival might be the problem if you have any lmb over 6". Little vegetation for them to hide may not be so good for such small Tp.

My thoughts are that 4 out of each 100 will survive to breeding & escapable size. That is 16 per year for four years. I would think I should have a continuous breeding population after the fourth year?