08TR - Blue tilapia and all species of tilapia will not overwinter in Ohio. They are sort of expensive but so are the algaecides that are used to kill algae problems. Four big benefits to tilapia for algae control are: 1. No chemicals, 2. You can eat your algae control agents at the end of the year; try that with algacides. 3. Young tilapia are a food source for the predators in the pond, although lots of predators eating the army of small tilapia is not all that good until the young tilapia are struggling, dying and easy prey in late fall. 4. Algae getting consumed is getting some nutrients bound into fish biomass; some nutrients are extruded in manure. 'Free' or dissolved nutrients grow algae. If the tilapia are harvested, eaten, or removed nutrients are leaving the pond - a good thing. None of those 4 things occur when using algacides so maybe a little extra cost is beneficial.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
