Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

-25C,,,MOOVE.

Interesting site. The fellow has given incentives for folks to research how to legally raise tilapia in their states and post the results for others. Finally, maps to the bureaucratic labyrinths in various states!

Hydrophilia -
Do you know the requirements for raising Tilapia fish in Missouri?

The simple version: Warm reasonably clean water, quality food and plenty of room to grow.

Tilapia are incredibly hardy and tolerant of pretty lousy water quality and low DO in comparison to many of Missouri's native coolwater and warmwater fish. The downside for Tilapia in Missouri is that they are unable to survive our winter temps outside.

Yep, the critical temperatures for tilapia (as I understand it) are, roughly,

<50degF: death
<60degF: immune response lowered: various infections
<70degF: very slow growth, very little feeding

These temps vary somewhat with species and breeds.

After a looong absence I am back! I got my first tilapia over the weekend from a gal in KC. I look in today and they have cleared 3 bare patches in the gravel and a couple have mouthfulls (I think). Anyway, I gave $2.50 a fish so if anyone is looking in MO near KC shoot me a msg and I will forward her email.

ranpmiller - I just asked if you had bought them from a woman in KC (Sarah) in another thread. Should have looked here first! Sarah is my wife.

Her email is sarah.whitebrook@gmail.com if anyone has questions about tilapia. Ours are spawning like crazy indoors right now. We have decided to concentrate mainly on our white nile strain we have been developing and improving. We have been aggressively culling fish from this line for many generations. We keep only the fastest growing fish for continuing the line. We are phasing out our standard color nile line, so we've got about 40 7-10 inch fish to get rid of. They are a great line, but we simply don't have the capacity to continue both lines. We'll be constructing a new hatchery and growout facility beginning in the Spring, but until then, we're absolutely maxed out. You've got some good fish ranpmiller. I think you'll be quite happy with them. If you want more, let Sarah know. She's anxious to free up some space. hehe

We just had a big hatch of about 1500-2000 white nile fry. We're going to need to add more tank space... again. We should hit the 30k fry mark by spring. Yikes!

not shure if anyone looked on ebay lately, there a bunch now!

one guy in San Diego,ca. great for me. i am going to order. ill let you know
-DF

Ps

Does Anyone know about the salton sea type of tilapia? theyve been liveing in there for 50 years now/and ive eaten some, dont taste bad either. maybe i can get some, but they live in 44ppm salt water
great lookin fish thow

any one else know more about them?

Got some last spring. Fun to catch! Not much meat on a fish: you are better off with Rocky Mountain White or California Gray.

The big problem with salt water fish (any species) is that there are very few plants suitable for the "-ponics" part of the system.

The San Diego source is good and carried several lines last I checked, but I would not bother with raising the Salton Sea fish unless there is a darned good reason.

Would be nice to find some saltwater spieces of plants that would do well. I would love to not have to do water changes in my reef tank. I know mangrove, seaweed and a couple other at the fish store, but not sure what sort of edibles could be grown. Would settle for a nice looking flowering plant. Is there a thread on this alread?

Check out BRB's saltwater system thread... It is new, but mentions asparagus an a few other plants as salt tolerant...

CB

Ya - that is for brakish water...a reef tank runs at 22-26ppm salt. Much higher then what BRB is looking at.

thanks for the replays!!
well i was talking about takeing salton sea fish and puting them in fresh ap water. but good thinking

so i found some info:

there O. Mossambicus, they where O. Zilli but not any more. there fun to catch, and from what i see there pretty well reproducers(salton sea is suppost to have one million plus).



thank you http://www.wonews .com/t-FeatureArticle-JimMatthews-Tilapiacontinuetothrive-020909.aspx for the pic

-DF