Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose tilapia stocking in Indiana

I have read the many past threads and I would like to stock tilapia in one of my ponds next year. I do not know how to get a hold of them in my area. I live in NE Indiana. If I were to stock a 1 acre pond, at what rate would I stock them at? I would like to make sure that when they die off in the fall that there would not be any damage to my pond from the dieing and decaying fish. Although the catfish would probably be active enough to clean up most of the dead fish. Any information on northern use of tilapia would be helpful. Thank you.

AaronhomeIN,

I can offer a Southerners opinion...

Stocking rates vary depending on your objectives for them in the first place. Why do you want to stock Tilapia?

If you have significant algae problems and also artificially feed you may want to stock at the high-end rates of 15 to 20 pounds per acre.

If you are looking for good forage for predators, then 5 to 10 pounds per acre is sufficient, in my opinion.

If you just like them and want to observe, 5 pounds is plenty.

If you want them for food, go to your grocery store...they are very hard to catch.

The die off just isn't a big deal especially if you have predators present. LMB and HSB will do a number on the slowed tilapia and make good use of them before dieing. If you do not have predators and experience a sudden drop to 55 degrees and below water temps, then you will see lots of dead fish. However, Nature's clean up crews will quickly avail you of any problems. In my area, in a pond without predators, hundreds maybe thousands of dead Tilapia were consumed within two weeks without any offensive odors or any problems. We even had two America Bald Eagles pay us a visit, which alone was worth the price of the Tilapia.

Thanks ML,

Im planning to get them to work on the little algea that I get. Mainly to observe and experiment with. I do not know as of yet if it is even legal to stock them here. If it is I still have to find someone to supply them once the water warms in the spring. Cecil Baird would probably be the man to ask about someone to supply them in this area.

AaronhomeIN,

As far as I know it's O.K. to plant them in private ponds now, but I believe they were restricted in the past (something about they might survive in the thermal water of warmwater discharges even in winter which I find hard to believe.)

However,just to be sure I would call one of the following individuals:

Randy Lang - DFW INDNR in Indy 317-232-4080

Dylan Sickles -DFW INDNR Martinsville 765-342-5527

Don't be surprised if they are not up to speed on the use of Talapia for the control of filamentous algae and want to talk you out of it even if they are legal.

Please let me know what you find out and if there are any reliable suppliers for next year.

Here's a link to suppliers in Indiana and out-of-state suppliers that supply Indiana if you don't already have it. I believe there is at least one supplier of talapia.

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/fish/fishing/commfish.htm

Blue tilapia are the most cold tolerant and hardy species.

However I have found they prefer other foods to algae, like plants, crustaceans and fish food pellets.

They also love bread and yellow sweet corn.

Here is a post by PO

Thanks David, I will searching for them tomorrow.