Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey guys, I recently had 2 batches of tilapia eggs from my females. This is the second time ive had eggs from a different set of females. The first time I believe the females canibalized their eggs. So this time around I decided to strip them of their eggs to prevent this. It's been about 4 days and I noticed some of the eggs were the light yellow color that they origionally were and some have turned brown. Could anyone tell me if this is normal or have are my eggs dead?

@KB1Legend - Hi, i have no personal experience with breeding tilapias, attached is a few discussion on them, you can also do a quick search or PM the other members that is experienced.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=24531&p=511161&hilit=egg+tumbler#p511161
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=25198&hilit=egg+tumbler
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=20111&p=433075&hilit=egg+tumbler#p433075

Regards

Thanks, the problem for me isn't breeding them. I have a super active male and 6 females for him. My concern is the color change from yellow to brown in some of the eggs. My first thought was maybe those are the older eggs that were fertilized first since these are eggs from 2 different batches. My second thought was maybe they're dead eggs.

..
I gave details of my TUMBLER that raised thousands of Cichlids..

Try searching for TUMBLER..

but in a nut-shell..

take a coke bottle.. cut the base either side of half way and remove the two portions of the bottom, so you now have a BASKET handle... from which you can hang your TUMBLER..

You will hang this such that it is just above the water surface..

Crush some stainless steel scouring pad into a ball and stuff it in the bottle neck.

Take a very small filter pump and a hose and connect the pump to the bottle neck.. (usually via long hose)
.. if you have a control valve ALL the better.. to slow the flow to the LOWEST rate

so you hang the bottle by the handle and pump water CONSTANTLY into it from the base (lid) so that it overflows at the handle.. it should be a tiny trickle..

Strip the female and tip the eggs into the TUMBLER and carefully turn on the pump..
The eggs WILL sink to the bottom and should - if the flow is slow - just tumble around in the neck of the bottle..
Infertile eggs WILL float out and be eaten.. as will any defective eggs..

It IS fun.. I grew a two headed fish , to everyone's amazement..

This way you can completely protect the eggs and you WILL see all the fish trying to bite them through the bottle..

Do it right and you will not lose a single fish..
..
.

Thanks for the info. Any insight as to why some eggs are yellow and some brown?

Wish mine would breed.

Colour difference already mentioned.. infertile ..
..
.

You will know that when they breed, there will be hundreds..
So it could be worth trying to pick a pair and separate them..
You woould know that they make a nest and the female lays her eggs and the male fertilised them and they are immediately picked up by mouth..
More laid, fertilised and picked up..

So you can see that in the average RAS/AP, there is near no way that the eggs will stay till for long enough to be fertilised and picked up, whilst the male is trying to keep contenders away..

I still have a hope of being naughty and catching some up north and breed them ..
At least I can be responsible and know they can never escape...and in any case, they would not survive in winter anyway without "help"..
..
.

You will know that when they breed, there will be hundreds..
So it could be worth trying to pick a pair and separate them..
You would know that they make a nest and the female lays her eggs and the male fertilised them and they are immediately picked up by mouth..
More laid, fertilised and picked up.. all whilst others will be trying madly to eat them..

So you can see that in the average RAS/AP, there is near no way that the eggs will stay till for long enough to be fertilised and picked up, whilst the male is trying to keep contenders away..

I still have a hope of being naughty and catching some up north and breed them ..
At least I can be responsible and know they can never escape...and in any case, they would not survive in winter anyway without "help"..

PS.. I would be confident they try to breed but the situation in the tank prevents it..
..
.

The eggs should get darker and turn brown. White eggs after a few days are infertile.

I have full document of the process with pictures in the post linked in my signature.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=20111&hilit=tilapia#p433075

BuiDoi- I've had success in the past, but none so far this season?? I'm still hoping. maybe get some Viagra and play some Marvin Gaye music?

i havent had any spawns that i know of this year either but i think it's just crowding.

..
Studying their cousins behaviors, I cant imagine how they would survive an AP system, let alone a n even more crowded. RAS..
This would leave me thinking that IF they did manage to mate, then that would mean a small number of eggs and even then when they were released a. Smaller survival rate, because of no hiding places.
I could see it happening in an IBC, where a sheltered corner could form the mating nest..
I would experiment and see if you could have a heavy plastic structure that could provide shelter from the circulating current, where they could do their thing..

A weekly inspection with air and current off, could show up fish "holding", and you could try netting these and stripping the eggs..
Holding fish, tend to keep away from the others if they can and appear to be pouting..
I would think it may be a challenge, spotting them in a school..

One day I may find out just how difficult it really is to breed the blighters, but my initial thinking is that I would have a male and two females in an lounge room aquarium... exactly as Brian has shown.. good depiction Brian

PS... to try and identify a truely holding fish, throw some food in.. the holder may instinctively move on the food, but will not open her mouth to eat .. and I am assuming that Tilapia are no different to other Cichllids..
..
.

Well, in aquaponics/aquaculture, the nuance for capturing fry is that the most likely trigger for the mother to end the brood and release the fry is at feeding time. So just stick around a few minutes after feeding every day and some days you may have tilapia. if they are a dark color they may be difficult to see.


Here's an example of my prefered method of breeding now. I saved about 400-500 of them from this one brood and they are still alive in my garage system today.

..
And sorry about the double post.. the system was not responding .. likely one of those glitches that John advised us about..

And, Brian... did u strip the females or let them go naturally.. ( I did not catch that point)

I stripped every female as it meant they could eat again and be ready to try again much sooner...

I think that Tilapia offer us the ability to be more involved in the whole process.. more like a commercial breeder, stripping eggs and milking males etc.. ie. More direct involvement, but their slower growth would be a real challenge in colder climates..

My tank temps are down to 9C... and it hurts to keep your hand in that water.. Brrrrr...
Over these last days of East Coast Antarctic Vortex, even SOLAR would have failed to maintain safe temperatures for Cichlids..

PS. .. nothing seen by way of images, Brian..


PETER
..
.