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Feeding Tilapia fingerlings
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Author:  reese77 [ Jul 18th, '12, 01:21 ]
Post subject:  Feeding Tilapia fingerlings
I hope this is not a duplicate post, I searched the forum by title but there is conflicting information on here and web.

I have 100 tilapia fingerlings arriving today. The website where I purchase states to feed them 4 times a day and they should eat 4-6% body weight per day. So if they are an average of 10g in weight, and I account for them eating 5% b/w per day then I should have my auto-feeder drop 50 grams of baby pellets 4 times a day, 5 hours apart into the tank.

Does this sound right, what you others done?
Author:  helomech [ Jul 18th, '12, 02:01 ]
Post subject:  Re: Feeding Tilapia fingerlings
I feed 3 times a day, and feed until they slow down on their eating. I have no idea how much they get a day.
Author:  keith [ Jul 18th, '12, 02:17 ]
Post subject:  Re: Feeding Tilapia fingerlings
50 grams would be about right for one hundred 10gram fish..
i'd probably go a bit lower with an autofeeder though.. if the fish aren't eating for some reason, you don't want to keep dropping food in there, which could cause an ammonia spike..

i'd go easy on feed for the first week anyways, and monitor water parameters.. did you cycle your system before adding the fish?
Author:  reese77 [ Jul 18th, '12, 08:05 ]
Post subject:  Re: Feeding Tilapia fingerlings
keith wrote:
50 grams would be about right for one hundred 10gram fish..
i'd probably go a bit lower with an autofeeder though.. if the fish aren't eating for some reason, you don't want to keep dropping food in there, which could cause an ammonia spike..

i'd go easy on feed for the first week anyways, and monitor water parameters.. did you cycle your system before adding the fish?


Thanks.

They arrived today, 100 1in tilapia fingerlings. I fed by hand and they were all on the bottom but once one started nipping on the pellets, they swarmed and all seemed hungry.

I did not cycle, I was still learning and had already ordered the fish and it was too late. I filtered the water before I added to the tanks, no chlorine. I have a PH and ammonia meter in the tank and the PH is 7.4 and the ammonia is zero. I added aquarium water conditioner about a week ago and some water from my house fish tank (all my house fish are healthy) to add some bacteria. I will see how it goes this week.

Image
Author:  RupertofOZ [ Jul 18th, '12, 16:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: Feeding Tilapia fingerlings
reese77 wrote:
I have 100 tilapia fingerlings arriving today. The website where I purchase states to feed them 4 times a day and they should eat 4-6% body weight per day. So if they are an average of 10g in weight, and I account for them eating 5% b/w per day then I should have my auto-feeder drop 50 grams of baby pellets 4 times a day, 5 hours apart into the tank.

NO.... the feed rate formula specified.... is for a daily feed rate.... not a per feed rate....

So using your figures.... your 50-60gms (per day)... should be split into 4 x 12-15gm feeds...

P.S... in your last photo... what's all the stuff on the bottom of the tank??
Author:  tcshad [ Jul 18th, '12, 16:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: Feeding Tilapia fingerlings
Considering you havent cycled I'd feed them no more than once every few days or only once per week
Author:  RupertofOZ [ Jul 18th, '12, 16:49 ]
Post subject:  Re: Feeding Tilapia fingerlings
A very good point tcshad.... until you're cycled... only feed them about a teaspoon per day....
Author:  tcshad [ Jul 18th, '12, 16:57 ]
Post subject:  Re: Feeding Tilapia fingerlings
I have to say I'm very curious about this 100 tilapia in one IBC business... I'm planning on putting no more than 25 (trout or SP)fish in mine so I am wondering - are tilapia really that superior as a farming fish?
Author:  reese77 [ Jul 18th, '12, 22:52 ]
Post subject:  Re: Feeding Tilapia fingerlings
RupertofOZ wrote:
A very good point tcshad.... until you're cycled... only feed them about a teaspoon per day....


Could you explain why?
Author:  reese77 [ Jul 18th, '12, 22:54 ]
Post subject:  Re: Feeding Tilapia fingerlings
tcshad wrote:
I have to say I'm very curious about this 100 tilapia in one IBC business... I'm planning on putting no more than 25 (trout or SP)fish in mine so I am wondering - are tilapia really that superior as a farming fish?


I have 2 250Gal totes, once the fish are bigger I will move 50 to the new tank. Both tanks will flow through the plant beds so all the water will be the same when I split the fish.
Author:  reese77 [ Jul 18th, '12, 22:56 ]
Post subject:  Re: Feeding Tilapia fingerlings
RupertofOZ wrote:
reese77 wrote:
I have 100 tilapia fingerlings arriving today. The website where I purchase states to feed them 4 times a day and they should eat 4-6% body weight per day. So if they are an average of 10g in weight, and I account for them eating 5% b/w per day then I should have my auto-feeder drop 50 grams of baby pellets 4 times a day, 5 hours apart into the tank.

NO.... the feed rate formula specified.... is for a daily feed rate.... not a per feed rate....

So using your figures.... your 50-60gms (per day)... should be split into 4 x 12-15gm feeds...

P.S... in your last photo... what's all the stuff on the bottom of the tank??


Got it. Thanks. Will they be OK not eating much? The bottom of the tank has a bit of aquarium gravel so they can hide and not be stressed versus being against a plain white bottom.
Author:  RupertofOZ [ Jul 18th, '12, 23:14 ]
Post subject:  Re: Feeding Tilapia fingerlings
Generally we suggest not having any gravel in the bottom of the tank Reece...

And I'd certainly suggest not having any if you're going to auto feed....

Any overfeeding/under eating... would result in uneaten feed collecting in the gravel... and becoming a rotting oxygen consuming mush...

And you probably wouldn't know about it... (coz you're not there to see the feeding)... until problems suddenly appear...
Author:  RupertofOZ [ Jul 18th, '12, 23:20 ]
Post subject:  Re: Feeding Tilapia fingerlings
reese77 wrote:
RupertofOZ wrote:
A very good point tcshad.... until you're cycled... only feed them about a teaspoon per day....


Could you explain why?

Because you haven't as yet cycled... you will inevitably... (especially with a 100 fingerlings)... get an ammonia, and then a nitrite spike... potentially fatal...

Feeding even a bare minimum... will raise your ammonia levels anyway.. but probably managably....

Feeding aywhere near a maximum/optimum daily feed rate... would raise levels ... and consume more oxygen.... than your current bio-filtration (basically non-existant)... could cope with...

Have you got a test kit??
Author:  reese77 [ Jul 19th, '12, 00:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Feeding Tilapia fingerlings
RupertofOZ wrote:
reese77 wrote:
RupertofOZ wrote:
A very good point tcshad.... until you're cycled... only feed them about a teaspoon per day....


Could you explain why?

Because you haven't as yet cycled... you will inevitably... (especially with a 100 fingerlings)... get an ammonia, and then a nitrite spike... potentially fatal...

Feeding even a bare minimum... will raise your ammonia levels anyway.. but probably managably....

Feeding aywhere near a maximum/optimum daily feed rate... would raise levels ... and consume more oxygen.... than your current bio-filtration (basically non-existant)... could cope with...

Have you got a test kit??


OK. Yes, I have an active meter in the tank for PH and Ammonia and the levels are fine so far.
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