Hi all. Put in a one acre pond in Ohio last spring and stocked 500 bluegill, 200 red ears and 50 6-14’ cats in fall and in spring stocked 85 largemouth 8-13”, 30 lbs of shiners and 15 pounds of fatheads. In June I added 25 lbs of tilapia which were recommended by Fender’s in Ohio as a way to provide additional food for the predators because they spawn every two weeks. I estimate there were around 50 or 60 tilapia put in in late May and my thought was that they could help control the filamentous bloom that I was having and I could harvest them in the Fall for some good fish fries.
We’ll, here’s the mixed bag report on my tilapia experience:
The good:
Tilapia quickly eliminated 90% of the algae. I am assuming they bred and provided food for the predators throughout the summer and early Fall. They grew very fast.
The bad:
Tilapia were nearly impossible to catch. I only managed to catch one by hook and line and one by cast net. A lot of trying all the way until they froze to death. Even tried snagging. Another two were harvested alive cold and floating. 50 died, floated to the shore and went to waste starting on 10/26 @57 degrees surface temp thru 11/8. That’s a lot of wasted fillets!
The mystery:
All 50 dead tilapia were grown adults between 11 and 13 inches. Not one juvenile fish has been seen dead. Where are all of the offspring? We’re there ever any offspring at all? We’re they ALL consumed? There are thousands of shiners left in the pond which might indicate that pressure was taken off of the shiners by the baby tilapia being consumed. Help with this mystery is appreciated.
Will I put tilapia in next year? No. Do I think they were worth the money this year, probably not.
Thanks, Tony
