Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Tilapia

I am thinking about stocking Tilapia in the spring. I have 1/3 acre pond with some super small BG, no predators. How do I start, what size? how many? will they reproduce and grow enough for me to eat before they die in the winter? are they catchable with rod and reel? I am going to purchase pellet trained.

thanks, remember I am a moron

very catchable with rod and real, they readily eat pellets and any other plant/animal they can fit in their mouth. You would have to get large fingerlings and feed aggressively for them to be large enough to eat in one season.

Someone else will have to answer how many to stock because i do aquaponics not ponds.

They will absolutely reproduce but they blue gill will do a decent job of controlling the fry.

brian

They are usually sold 2 to 4 to the pound (about 5 to 8 inches) In a 1/3 of an acre; 10 lbs is plenty. Expect to pay about $10 a lb. All tilapia are pellet trained and readily come to feed.

Hey guys - my experience only - yes, tilapia come to feed readily - until BIG rambunctious CNBG and HSB join the party - then never see them again around the feeder.
Not easy to catch either, but we don't target them - there job is to provide forage, FA and duckweed control.
Ten year observation.
G/

I have been putting Tilapia in my personal pond for a number of years now. What I've observed is along what George has seen. While the Tilapia have been raised on pellets, at least in my pond, even tho I'm feeding the fish pellets, I see very few if any Tilapia feeding on pellets. They seem to be doing a good job on the FA.

If you start with adults and feed them, along with what they eat from the pond naturally, I have no doubt there will be plenty big enough to eat.

I have had them several years in my pond, I do not feed them, but that does not stop them from growing rapidly and reproducing like I would have never imagined.

I have never caught one on hook and line, granted I have not tried all that hard. In my experience the hardest part of tilapia is catching one of any size. That's just me though.

If you have no predators you will have lots of babies and lots of dead (small) fish come fall. What are your goals for the pond? to raise tilapia just to eat?

my goal is mainly to let the family enjoy feeding them in the evening, the seining them in the fall.

This is my first try with them. I got them two weeks ago today at about 2 inches. They are now mostly over 3 inches.

I put some in my aquaponics tank yesterday, with more 4-5 inch bluegill. I've still got some in aquariums, and I've got some in a pond cage. I'm waiting for them to grow out just a little more before putting them in the ponds, so that they don't become snacks for the other pond residents.

My main goal in the ponds is FA and muck cleanup. My secondary goal is seeing how much we can grow the fish and the vegetables in an aquaponics tank. The last goal is to overwinter some so I have a ready supply next spring.

Will you be documenting on how you overwinter them?

Probably. That assumes I'll be able to gather enough fry or fingerlings from the pond before they die in the fall.

I'll probably use an aquarium, plus a tank like Cecil uses in his basement RAS projects.

Do Tilapia die in the fall due to the low temps? Will they die in Georgia? Or do they need the warmer temps of Florida?

If your water temps get into the 50's during the winter, then the Tilapia will most likely die.

Pure Blue Tilapia can survive down to 45°F if it's a spike down and back up, but they usually succumb to bacterial infection or other stressors before that if it's a gradual cool-down.