Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

someguy,
I suppose that probably depends on where you live and if it would be legal to ship them to you there.

Hi Someguy,
Right now there are several people in line just hoping that my females will stop swallowing their eggs. I'm hardly an expert--I'm just delighted that my breeding trio is playing nice and not killing each other. I certainly don't have a reliable production line; I haven't quite figured out the magic series of events that will allow me to get fry away from the female.

I seriously encourage people needing tilapia fry to check with local aquaculturists or the sources mentioned earlier in this thread.

I don't want to accept any more people in line right now because I don't want people anxiously waiting on something I barely have control over. If I get to the point where I have spare fry, I'll let it be known here.

Well, that too, TC.

I certainly don't want to ship where it isn't legal, and would expect all recipients to comply with local regulations and to promise (regardless of regulation) not to release the fish or their progeny. If I had the fry, I'd share for the cost of transport. (Figure 10 pounds from 19350, Next Day or 2nd Day.)

yup, shipping is the steepest piece for these sort of things (i checked fedex and it's $60 for 2nd day from your zip and $90-135 for overnight). it makes sense that most suppliers wont ship unless it's a big order. i'm in the salt lake area, 84070. i did try googling for state regulations and what not and could not find any, i assume they're okay here since we get harsh winters, the fish wont survive in the wild anyway (unless it's released in one of the hot springs, which i've heard that there are tilapia there). As for trying to find local supplier, google wasn't much of a help. i'm sure there are farms in arizona/new mexico area but they just aren't very visible on the internet. hey you breeders out there that need a web site, i'd be glad to help start your ecommerce business =]

I wouldn't assume that you have no state regs. Remember, we are dealing with government officials who like to make rules whether they may sense or not. There are restrictions on releasing tilapia here in Pennsylvania, and I think we have similar winters.

At any rate, try old-fashioned phone books and the like, or inquire at local pond-supply places that carry goldfish. They may have connections you need.

I assume Janet has been able to get Tilapia without free delivery from Australia.
Wonderfull what an little effort can procure
But it makes me worry about a "Commune' if such simple basics require several months of questions and pleading to find what is simply available "down the road".
I follow with interest.

Inept leadership would be the death of any commune. The basic structure requires leaders, who can procure and distribute ,without drama or burden ,from readily available resources.

someguy, you will likely need to locate your Department of Fish and Wildlife and then call them. I found some info re: Washington state by looking online, but in the end had to call. Technically, they do not "normally" allow tilapia in the state but they said they would not stop me from raising them since it is private and they would be secured in a tank. I discussed the fact they wouldn't survive here and the person just said, "you'd be surprised". I don't think that was factually based, just a fear-based opinion based on some other species that had survived when someone didn't think it would.

As Janet said, you are dealing with government here. Then... once you know if you can, then you have to find the fish. If you want all male, it's not too tough if you can handle 150 or so. But if you want mixed sex so you can become self-sustaining, it gets tougher.

Chappo, I've read your posts a couple times and can't figure out if you're trying to diss JP or not.

I'd say she dissed me ,, and i merely waited for the opportune moment to reply with kind:)
Would you like me to quote????
cheers

If you're talking about whether or not we should mail back our dead fish that were shipped to us, then I guess that's your perogative as a customer. But if we started doing that it will be even more difficult to get small shipments for the hobbyist market. We don't order by the tens of thousands and I imagine the producers consider us to be a PITA anyway, I wouldn't like to tempt them to cut us off completely. Not until there is a good cottage industry of AP tilapia suppliers, or until there are Tilapia R Us stores in every medium-sized city in the US.

Ditto Dave...

okie dokie. found it. http://wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks/zoo ... nimals.pdf

prohibited unless registered for educational purposes. what's not educational?

did any of you guys have to register?

PA does not require registration.

Someguy, it looks like a tough sell to convince them that you are educational unless you are associated with a college or something...
"The Division may issue a certificate of registration to a
university, college, governmental agency, bona fide nonprofit
institution, or a person involved in wildlife research to collect,
import or possess live or dead zoological animals classified as
prohibited if, in the opinion of the Division, the scientific or educational
use is beneficial to wildlife or significantly benefits the
general public without material detriment to wildlife."

Chappo,
Your post totally confuses me. (Thank you, Dave and HD. I thought it was the second glass of wine I had.)

If you have a complaint with me or my behavior, please feel free to address it in detail via PM with me or the moderators. I find it disturbing that you confess to laying in wait to publicly return a perceived diss. It is not my habit to diss people, although I have been known to express my expectation for civilized behavior.