In the category of "Observations"....it is interesting how the discussions on Tilapia have changed from 4 to 5 years ago.
The discussions now seem to be more "why haven't they worked faster for me?" and discussions about whether the forage production by Tilapia is awesome or just regular outstanding.
When I first tried to discuss Tilapia on this Forum, it was often met with disdain, doubt, and downright disgust. The die-off was presented as a main reason for not stocking them...huge fish kills and then you have to restock each year. In fact, the die-off has turned out to be a great thing, I believe, in a pond that has predators. It accomplishes two things (at least) : one it provides tremendous forage to predator fish just before winter when they need it most. Second, it provides the very best method of controlling the population of these prolific fish. Without a die-off, I doubt I would stock Tilapia, certainly not without more data.
The other major reason for not stocking them that was commonly offered back then was that they will make your LMB too fat and if you don't continue to stock Tilapia, the LMB will then starve. At least, that is the way I understood the reasoning. That reasoning is what convinced me to stock Tilapia....seeking "too fat LMB".
Algae control was only a collateral benefit back then...now it seems to have become a central issue/concern. Often, now, some say that because the Tilapia didn't accomplish algae control fast enough or completely enough for them, they have been mislead by those who believe in this fish.
Lest anyone misunderstand my motives, I'm not claiming to be the first to use Tilapia successfully. Far from it. Many folks had them and had success with them long before I ever tried them (and I'm thankful one in particular was kind enough to tell me about his success).
My motive is simple...they were so successful for me, that I wanted everyone else to know about it and have the opportunity for similar success. If that means that those who don't find perfection with Tilapia and want to blame me for that, then have at it. I still believe in Tilapia regardless.
As the future unfolds, we may discover some very bad things(currently unknown) about Tilapia that may reverse our thinking entirely....or maybe someone will discover additional attributes that change our thinking toward the positive even more.
The point of all this hot Saturday morning rambling is that change is going to happen...in life and in ponds. Some change may be bad, some good.
In the pond context, part of the journey is to embrace the good change, seek additional knowledge to enable more good change, and understand the bad change...regardless, change is going to happen whether it is embraced or scorned.
