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Help me sex my tilapia.
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Author:  Lmannyr [ Sep 2nd, '14, 00:40 ]
Post subject:  Help me sex my tilapia.

I have had three tilapia that I pulled from the AP system to an indoor aquarium fir breeding purposes. Its been a month or more with them in the breeding tank with no success yet. I know one is a female for sure cause when I pulled her from the AP, she had tons of eggs in her mouth. She ate them though after the move.

Anyway, here is a video of two. Phone ran out of memory. I'll do another in the future.

http://youtu.be/c-inAymFMrA

Author:  coachchris [ Sep 2nd, '14, 01:10 ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me sex my tilapia.

Use food die(blue) and that will help. Keep the temp at 84-85 and give them 18 hours of light per day. Put 2 empty pots on each end of the tank and feed a high protein food. they will breed...it just might take more time. Watch for breeding behavior and then be prepared to get the female out of the breeding tank, as the other fish will eat the fry.

Author:  coachchris [ Sep 2nd, '14, 01:10 ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me sex my tilapia.

oops...food DYE

Author:  Lmannyr [ Sep 2nd, '14, 04:49 ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me sex my tilapia.

Yes, I have a pot on one end and some 4" PVC pipes in the other side. I had the temp set for 81 degrees F until last night though. Turned it up to 85 last night.

Back to sexing, found a decent picture online.

Image

Author:  Lmannyr [ Sep 2nd, '14, 04:51 ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me sex my tilapia.

I noticed when the fluorescent lights are on, the fish tend to stay at the bottom and not swim much. With the lights off, they are more active, swimming around, exploring, etc...

Author:  Lmannyr [ Sep 2nd, '14, 04:58 ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me sex my tilapia.

Got a better idea of the difference between the male and females. I replaced the male with a bigger male, and added a third female. My thinking is none of the other two females were brooding eggs so the male wasn't doing his thing. Took him out and put in another one from the AP system. Temp is at 85. Nitrates 40 nitrite 0 and PH 6.6

Author:  coachchris [ Sep 2nd, '14, 05:32 ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me sex my tilapia.

Good luck. What species are they? The golds, at least for me, are much harder to breed. While the blues are very easy. Whites are somewhere in between.

Author:  Lmannyr [ Sep 2nd, '14, 05:43 ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me sex my tilapia.

Coach Chris,

I have blue tilapia. It's all I can raise in my neck of the woods without further permitting. I'm doing the breeding to stock my own tanks for future butchering. I enjoy watching the breeding tank in my living room more than my tv.

What are your parameters for your breeding tank? Temp, pH, nitrates, lights, size of tank? Thanks.

Author:  bcotton [ Sep 2nd, '14, 17:35 ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me sex my tilapia.

oddly enough, when i grab a large, dominant male and turn him upside down, he is usually urinating on me. so i find sexing to be pretty easy.

Temp - above 70 degrees

pH - usually high 7's but i dont think it matters

nitrates -preferably zero but i dont think it matters

, lights- 16+ hours per day

, size of tank? - i have done 55 gallon aquarium, 100 gallon aquarium, 250 gallon ibc, 300 gallon stock tank, 300 gallon ibc, 700 gallon ferrocement tank.



of all the questions you ask, the most important variable is the phototropic cycle. (light). when doing small tanks like 55 gallon aquarium you need to be aware of damage that can be cause by aggression but if you have 5 or 6 females they can school for safety from the male. just keep the water quality good, feed them well, keep them happy and they put rabbits to shame.

Author:  coachchris [ Sep 2nd, '14, 17:54 ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me sex my tilapia.

Mine is the same as BCottons- 55gallon, PH 7.6, temp 85, lights, on timer 6;30 AM to midnight, high protein feed(32%) 4-5x per day. Nitates, Ammonia both zero or close.

Author:  Lmannyr [ Sep 3rd, '14, 07:05 ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me sex my tilapia.

I think this is a female. What do you think? This fish took over the pot.

Image

Author:  coachchris [ Sep 3rd, '14, 20:32 ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me sex my tilapia.

Looks like a Ms. to me.

Author:  Lmannyr [ Sep 3rd, '14, 21:13 ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me sex my tilapia.

Update. Took another look at who I thought was male. It wasn't. It was female. So netted a bunch more fish and found a male and threw him in the breeder tank. Tank is getting a bit crowded now with 4 females and 1 male.

Author:  coachchris [ Sep 3rd, '14, 21:55 ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me sex my tilapia.

'm taking a few makes out of my indoor tank after ID 2, with 1 being extremely aggressive. The inside ones finally looked like they were breeding last night. However, they all ate this AM...so not sure what they were doing...maybe just practice.lol

Author:  Lmannyr [ Nov 6th, '14, 10:05 ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me sex my tilapia.

So what are they? I'm still having trouble sexing. I haven't had any breeding in my indoor aquarium but they are in the aquaponics.

I'm thinking I'm just not picking out a male. What are these?

Image

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