Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait Stocking Tilapia - please weigh in

2006 was the first year I stocked them. Water temps were unusually high at the end of April and we were having water quality issues in the grow out tank so I stocked on the 21st of April. I was lucky it was warm enough and that they survived. End of May is a safer bet in my area so figure on 5 months of algae control. I think the USDA has both Lincoln, NE and my area in the same zone now so we likely have similar climates. Nile tilapia don't feed much in temps below 65 degrees so stocking them too early doesn't have much benefit. Water temps in our zone reaches into the 80s for only a couple of months which is where tilapia prefer to spawn however I did experience at least two successful spawns each of the two years I stocked them.

In 2006 I stocked a large quantity, roughly 750 fish ranging in size from a couple of inches up to 8". The results as far as algae control go were dramatic but stocking coincided with a toad tadpole hatch which may likely aided in the immediate reduction of filamentous algae. No chemicals were used in 2006 and the pond remained algae free. The tilapia died off in late October.

In 2007, I wasn't able to stock the tilapia until late June. I treated once with Cutrine plus a couple of weeks prior to stocking. 20 female and 2 male tilapia at about 1/4lb each were stocked and no further chemical treatments were required for my 1/2 acre pond. I found around a dozen dead tilapia in late October.

I did not stock tilapia last year. My pond required 3 treatments of Cutrine plus throughout the season to keep the filamentous algae knocked back but not as weed free as with tilapia.

Keep in mind tilapia will eat pellets too and this may reduce their effectiveness controlling algae. I was feeding both years I stocked them. They are nearly impossible seine in a farm pond setting but can be taken by rod and reel on doughballs made from pellets. The seining I did in 2006 yielded zero tilapia. My minnow trap baited with pellets did not yield any tilapia as well. They're dorsal fin is about 5 times as likely to stick you as a bluegill IMO. Also, aeration may delay the pond reaching the ideal stocking temperature in spring.