Tilapia has to be the easiest fish in this world to raise.

Asia-Off-Grid

I don't know if I posted back around the end of July, when we found over 100 Tilapia fry hanging out in the RFF. Anyway, we did.

Today, right now in fact, the "Boss" is dipping more of these little guys - appear to be blue Tilapia. (They were red last time.) So, we don't have a final count as yet. But, we certainly have them.

I'm beginning to wonder if I should stop trying to grow food, remove my DWC beds and replace them with fish tanks!

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File comment: Tilapia fry she just found this morning.

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We are, in no way, encouraging or attempting to breed these fish. They are handling it quite well, on their own.

Does anyone else here seem to have similar fish (regardless of species) that seem to help keep you stocked up, with no help / assistance from you?

rininger85

I'm hoping it will be that easy for me too! I ordered 10 blue tilapia yesterday, I don't think they shipped yesterday so they will probably ship on Monday and arrive mid next week, but I'm hoping to be able to breed them fairly successfully too. I have a 240 gallon aquarium (8ft x 2ft x 2ft) built in to the wall between a bedroom and our family room inside the lower level of my house that I am going to put them in since we are heading in to winter here. If they breed I will take fingerlings from them in the spring and put them out in the aquaponic system in my greenhouse (although I'll likely do some DWC in the top of this tank too to help keep the nutrients under control). From everything I've read they breed so easily that I'll probably be inundated with them by spring, but I have seen several forums where people are trying to find blue tilapia in my area so I should be able to sell some once I get them going, and I'll have to set myself up for sorting them and anything that doesn't make the cut I'll likely use for chicken or dog food, or maybe fish food for predator fish.

Asia-Off-Grid

rininger85 wrote:

I'm hoping it will be that easy for me too! I ordered 10 blue tilapia yesterday, I don't think they shipped yesterday so they will probably ship on Monday and arrive mid next week, but I'm hoping to be able to breed them fairly successfully too.

I hope yours are as hearty as mine have been.

These have survived in water that has exceeded 8 ppm ammonia levels, pH that dropped below 6.0, and water temps that have reached, so far, to 33°C (91.4°F). In fact, I have only lost two of the little guys since starting back in June with them. One just was sick or something and died, the day we transferred them to the big tank (IBC tote). The second one, because I left a net off the top of the small tank. He jumped out and died on the floor, while we were sleeping. Seems like a waste to die like that, after they seem to be able to live, as another member here has stated, almost in gasoline.

One thing I have noticed about Tilapia is, they can function fine - or so it seems to me, in fairly low oxygen concentrations. I don't have a DO meter to test the water yer. But, that will be the next piece of test equipment that I purchase. (I still haven't justified my purchase of the BlueLab Guardian Monitor I purchased, back in July. Boys and their toys.)

No way to test for their ability to survive in cold environments / climates, here. I imagine you will find out soon enough, though. I hope for the best for you, there. I have yet to pay for a single Tilapia here. (My first 11 were sent to me free, by a friend.) The prices sure seem pretty high, stateside.

rininger85

If I get them to the breeding stage I will test out their temperature limitations for cold too... I don't have to worry about hot too much because even in the greenhouse I highly doubt my water temps will ever get in the 90F's =) Our outdoor temps barely hit that most years, our lakes only get to about low 70F's (21C) at the surface in the summer, so even though I have less water and more heat in the greenhouse in the summer I doubt it will become problematic. Winter time is what my greenhouse is all about. We get some weeks where we are -10 (-23C) to -15F (-26C) for weeks at time (without windchill factored in... just hope the sun comes out during that time to heat the greenhouse up some or I won't be able to keep things alive out there without paying to heat it). So I'll easily be able to leave a couple in the water to see if they can make it through the winter next year (just planning on keeping them indoors this winter so it is a little warmer). Still a lot to be determined about how well my greenhouse will work in general without heating it. I need to finish building my controller so I can start logging the temperature data soon.

earthbound

Quote:

Tilapia has to be the easiest fish in this world to raise.

And thats why they can also be such a problem and why they are banned in every state of Aus.

Asia-Off-Grid

earthbound wrote:

And thats why they can also be such a problem and why they are banned in every state of Aus.

It's my understanding that they are illegal in some states in the US as well.

Here is an interesting webpage I just found.

I looked at Alaska, as an example. It's okay to raise them as pets there. But, you can't eat your pet Tilapia. It is illegal to do so.

In New Mexico, your fish have to undergo a sex change prior to being allowed there.

I am so glad I live in Cambodia. They don't worry about those sorts of things here, because just about everything in the water here will eat just about everything else!

Asia-Off-Grid

rininger85 wrote:

If I get them to the breeding stage I will test out their temperature limitations for cold too...

I would be very interested to know what their ability to handle cold really is. Of course, I imagine there are some differences between the Tilapia in this part of the world, versus ones on your side of the rock.

nosliwmas

Asia-Off-Grid wrote:

rininger85 wrote:

If I get them to the breeding stage I will test out their temperature limitations for cold too...

I would be very interested to know what their ability to handle cold really is. Of course, I imagine there are some differences between the Tilapia in this part of the world, versus ones on your side of the rock.

On another thread this week I posted a pretty good table that includes cold-tolerance for various type of Tilapia. This table is found In the book, Tilapia Culture by Abdel-Fattah M. El-Sayed, page 36, Table 3.1:

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I haven't read the entire book, but you can find parts of it on Google Books:

--
Sam

Asia-Off-Grid

nosliwmas wrote:

I haven't read the entire book, but you can find parts of it on Google Books:

Hi Sam.

First, thanks.

I will see if I can locate a copy of that book.

But, I have personally experienced, with my Tilapia, them living as though nothing was wrong, in water that had extremely low pH levels AND extremely high ammonia levels. (I have documented both on this very site.) I'm talking levels that should have killed them, from what experienced guys have told me.

So that you don't have to go back to search, I am talking over 8ppm in Ammonia and below 6.0 pH levels. I think 5.1 was about the lowest I recall, in fact? When it got to that point, is when I came here for assistance. I added two teaspoons full of Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda). From what some guys told me, those fish should have been history, but they weren't.

I really can't wait to see how well they tolerate cold, directly. I can't do it here, though, unfortunately. Well, I guess I could, if I filled the sump with ice?

nosliwmas

Asia-Off-Grid wrote:

I really can't wait to see how well they tolerate cold, directly. I can't do it here, though, unfortunately. Well, I guess I could, if I filled the sump with ice?

Yeah, I can see it now... Next year Asia-Off-Grid will be posting pics showing off his Super-Blue Tilapia fish:

Of course, we all think we're better than "Average Joe", but I'm sure Fish Hatchery Manager, Kellen Weissenbach, already took that into account when he wrote in a 2009 forum post elsewhere:

Kellen Weissenbach | Hatchery Manager | White Brook Tilapia Farm wrote:

The suitability of one tilapia strain vs another with regard to temperature is largely marketing hype, and some of these basement operations that have popped up recently are either ignorant to the fact or are just intentionally misleading people. All of the popular production strains of tilapia have very close temperature requirements for ideal growth, reasonable growth and disease resistance (within about 4F degrees). A few, like the Blue Tilapia, can withstand slightly lower temperatures than some of the others for brief periods, but expecting, for instance, to be able to winter over Blue Tilapia in 45F degree water is NOT going to work. They'll die from extended exposure to temps that low, regardless of what a "seller" might say. Now, a day or two, possibly even a week... they should make it through... at least some of them. Don't expect any more than that though. Now, if you control your water temperature within a couple of degrees F throughout the entire growth cycle, there ARE selections that are better suited than others, depending on your chosen temperature range, but most home growers do not have the desire or ability to manage temps that tightly. For most people, it's best to select a fast growing strain or a particular color strain you like. Other than that, they're all about the same for the "Average Joe".

In deference to his obvious professional experience in such matters, I'd lean toward taking this advice:

Quote:

The Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is a superior fish in nearly every way to Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis Aureus). Again, some marketing hype has caused some confusion here for new aquaculturists and aquapons. We carry both the Nile and the Blue, so we have no reason to try and "promote" one over the other. We're concerned more about hard facts for growers, so they can reliably produce high quality fish.

Please detail and post about any scientific-like studies you embark on! :headbang:

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Sam

Asia-Off-Grid

nosliwmas wrote:

Please detail and post about any scientific-like studies you embark on! :headbang:

Oddly enough, we do get 21°C temperatures here. MAYBE for a couple of nights in December / January. Days go right back up to 30°-33°.

So, ice in the sump it is.

Thanks for that bit of information. I enjoyed the read!

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Tilapia has to be the easiest fish in this world to raise.

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