# Talapia



## darrtownfisher (Jan 24, 2008)

Where can I get some young live ones? Jungle Jims excluded.


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## coachbb (Feb 18, 2009)

Also, does anyone know about availability around Toledo?


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

Don't even know if it's worth mentioning but there are companys that ship live tilapia. You're gonna pay a fair chunk of change for shipping and the fish you get are likley to be small...... if your interested googling live tilapia should produce some results.


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## coachbb (Feb 18, 2009)

I searched and found this website http://tilapiafarmingathome.com/default.aspx he ships fingerling anywhere in the lower 48. he sells them for $2 apiece. You can get them in groups of 50. don't know if he sells less than 50. based on the picture, it looks like they would have to be tank raised for a little while before releasing them. I have a 20 g tank and don't mind splitting an order with a couple of people. I only want 10 or so. I have a new pond and am willing to try and see if these will keep it clean without too much chemicals. I am in Ann Arbor (not so evil empire since we can't beat OSU).


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

I don't think they're legal for stocking in Michigan but you have some weird, hard to interpret fish laws up there.

It's probably not a good idea to stock tilapia in a pond without predators. In 2006 I set up a 3' deep 7' diameter recirculating tank and added 200, 2"-3" mixed sex tilapia. They turned into 750 1" to 8" fish in a little over two months. I had at least two spawns in that short period of time with less than ideal spawning conditions. You could end up with a lot of dead fish in your pond come October even if the guy ships you 98% males. A 1lb female can produce well over 1000 eggs and tilapia are pretty good parents so the survival rate is usually good. They can grow to 1.5lbs in 9 months in ideal conditions (85 degress and well fed) and can breed at about 3". 

If they are legal, nile tilapia or rocky mountain white varieties have better tolerance of the cool temps. I used Nile/blue tilapia.


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## coachbb (Feb 18, 2009)

I found that in the MICHIGAN AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT ACT (EXCERPT)
Act 199 of 1996, Tilapia (Genera of Tiliapia (except T. rondeliia) was listed as an acceptable fish (found it on Pond Boss). I will store the info and maybe wait a year to try some after i stock the bass. The last thing i want is 100 pounds of dead fish to deal with!!


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

I'm familiar with the act.

MICHIGAN AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT ACT (EXCERPT) Paraphrased
Act 199 of 1996
Definitions
(b) Aquaculture means the commercial husbandry of aquaculture species on the approved list of
aquaculture species, including, but not limited to, the culturing, producing, growing, using, propagating,
harvesting, transporting, importing, exporting, or marketing of aquacultural products under an appropriate
permit or registration.

Are there permits or registration required?

This is not a problem in Ohio.

Have you tried contacting Michigan State University for a source?


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

[email protected] said:


> I don't think they're legal for stocking in Michigan but you have some weird, hard to interpret fish laws up there.



No joke! If they are legal up there, I'm willing to bet you have to jump through hoops if you want to stock them "by the books".


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

There was someone else I know trying to get hybrid stripers to stock in their pond. The laws appear to specify what they allow for pond stocking rather than what's banned. I could not find where Hybrid striped bass were allowed but someone I know did get them stocked, from an Ohio source I believe...the seller said it was OK.


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