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

Moryan -

I think it would be a great study. I worry that the indoor pits would cause issues though, due to lack of a bloom. The pits with no supplemental feeding would not give "outdoor pond" results. Plankton/zooplankton would be lacking in them which I assume would drastically reduce the value of the tilapia as forage.

I think the study would have to be done outside over the summer months with small side by side earthen raceway ponds with protective netting covering them. I suspect though that it would require about 8 or 9 months of operation to obtain any significant data. Can't get that here in MO without going the heated greenhouse route. That would get pretty costly, but it could possibly be a valuable study for a university with the facilities in place to do such a thing.

On the other hand, I could see those pits being a great place to grow some pellet fed trout from fall to spring.