# Blue Tilapia 2011



## Lundy

I just ordered 30 lbs of tilapia for my pond this year. I tried to order them last year but there were availability issues.

He is anticipating, based upon the weather, delivery in mid April.

If you want tilapia this year give Rex a call. He has pre-pay reduced pricing through the end of Feb.

Rex Rains

R&S Ranch, LLC
2555 Wesglen Estates Drive
Maryland Heights, Mo. 63043

Phone 314-732-3365
Fax 314-878-1913

www.TilapiaStockers.com


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## leupy

I put in some of Rex's in last year, 10#, then I came across a deal on a bunch more really cheap and split them with another member. The fish did what I expected but it was a costly experience. I would like to put in about 10-15 lbs this year but no 3-4 inchers my bass would eat them in a day. Where do you have to pick them up? I have a hundred gal. hauling tank w/air if you need it. I built it last year and used it three times, never lost a fish. The fish I got from Rex I had to pick up close to Toledo, then I traveled to Cincy and also to Fender fish farm. Overall I am happy with the fish and was able to harvest 25 before they died, they are good on a plate with a little tarter sauce. My pond was very clean all year, they did the job I bought them for. Good luck with yours this year. If you need anything or questions send me a PM.


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## Lundy

leupy,

He is talking about delivering to me in Grove City. He was interested in having a pickup location for central Ohio. Maybe I can arrange to make my place or another local buyers place a pickup location for central Ohio.

He also said most of the fish should be in the 6" plus size range, that should solve most of the bass predation concerns.

I am looking forward to getting them this year and seeing what they can do.


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## leupy

When you find a date shoot me a PM another member "hang Loose" is also planning on getting some Rex may be making a closer delivery toward Johnstown. If he is not I can pick up in Grove City.


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## hang_loose

Lundy, I'm curious...How big is your pond? My pond is 1/2 acre...But the tilapia I put in last year really tore up the FA. They didn't mess with the ****-weed or American pond weed but thats ok. Gave the fry a place to hide in till they got bigger (and they get bigger quick).


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## Lundy

My pond is about 3/4 acre. 

I am putting in a fairly high number to see what effect they have have on the bottom muck. Also the fact that they will be 6-9" when stocked the number of fish per pound will be less. 

Based on your experience do you think I am putting in too many?


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## leupy

Hang Loose and I have about the same size ponds and we put in about the same amount of fish last year. I don't know how you can put too many in other than the cost of them. They breed fast providing minnows for your other fish, and they clean the the pond. I don't have any idea how to know about the bottom muck.


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## Rainman

Lundy, Leupy and Hang Loose, thanks for letting people know how my fish helped your ponds on this forum! Lundy, I also really appreciate you posting my contact info!

To answer a couple question that have been posed...I will be delivering to several ponds in Ohio this spring and there is a very good chance I will be close to anyone needing a direct delivery to their pond. To save anyone a delivery fee, friends that are also customers have been willing to let others drive to more central locations to pick fish up. I carry bags and oxygen if that is needed, but barrels or coolers are best and avoid the small bagging/oxygen costs.

The fish are not graded as to size but the average size will be 6-10 inches in size with a few larger and a few smaller. This has proved to be the best way to get the most algae/plant control started immediately along with producing the greatest numbers for forage throughout the year.

If You click on my ebay listing, there is a wealth of easy to understand information I have there that will tell you how the benefits of adding Blue Tilapia will help anyone wanting a cleaner pond or wanting more and larger fish.



Thanks for letting me join your great group here!!!

Rex Rains


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## Rainman

leupy said:


> Hang Loose and I have about the same size ponds and we put in about the same amount of fish last year. I don't know how you can put too many in other than the cost of them. They breed fast providing minnows for your other fish, and they clean the the pond. I don't have any idea how to know about the bottom muck.



Leupy, just stick a yardstick or other type of rod into the muck till you hit firmness before adding your Blue Tilapia...measure the depth and then again at the end of your Tilapia season to see how much was eaten by your tilapia that season.

For ponds with a lot of muck, it is best to stock as heavily as possible for the most removal in a single season. The removal process is GREATLY enhanced and sped up if you also add microbes (what the tilapia like to eat), aeration and rake the muck weekly.

Don't worry that the tilapia will eat all your expensive Microbes, the tilapia will actually speed the microbes growth by slightle disturbing the muck, aerating it and providing more detritus for the microbes to eat and grow on...Tilapia truly are a win-win addition regardless of the goals needing reached.


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## leupy

Thanks for the information, I will try that this year. (maybe not the weekly racking) I will be ordering 15# let me know when you will be in Central Ohio, I think you know where hang loose lives I am about 3-4 miles from him, but I have and airated 100 gal. hauling tank if anyone needs some help, just give them my Email, [email protected]. Ron


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## hang_loose

Hey Rainman, Welcome to the Ohio Game Fishing site. Your experience and knowledge will be a great addition here (plus your humor).

By the way, Mason is doing great and acting younger every day.


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## hang_loose

Hey Lundy, After you put your tilapia in, don't feed your other fish Aquamax or any other pellets for a week plus. These tilapia will out compete your other fish for pellets. Once they get hungry enough, they start looking for other sources of food.(even shooting grass in to your pond off your riding mower).


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## Rainman

hang_loose said:


> Hey Rainman, Welcome to the Ohio Game Fishing site. Your experience and knowledge will be a great addition here (plus your humor).
> 
> By the way, Mason is doing great and acting younger every day.


Thanks Mark! I like learning and if I can ever help, I'm always happy to. Considering how much time I spend in Ohio, it feels like I live there...at least during the spring and fall stocking seasons!


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## Fishingislife

hang_loose said:


> Lundy, I'm curious...How big is your pond? My pond is 1/2 acre...But the tilapia I put in last year really tore up the FA. They didn't mess with the ****-weed or American pond weed but thats ok. Gave the fry a place to hide in till they got bigger (and they get bigger quick).


What is ****-weed? I heard of coontail, but never heard of ****-weed?!?


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## hang_loose

Coontail is that thing that you wear on your head (you Daniel Boone wannabe). The other one is right in your back-yard in your pond with all that duckweed and other algae you raise.

No wonder you won't fish back there. Its a lot easier to fish in waters with little to no pond weeds.:highfive::highfive:

Anywaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy,,Call me when you get a chance.


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## Lundy

hang_loose said:


> Hey Lundy, After you put your tilapia in, don't feed your other fish Aquamax or any other pellets for a week plus. These tilapia will out compete your other fish for pellets. Once they get hungry enough, they start looking for other sources of food.(even shooting grass in to your pond off your riding mower).


Thanks I appreciate the advice.

My bluegill will get mad at me if i don't feed them for a week or so but if that is what it takes to get the tilapia on the right track I'll do it.

Thanks again


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## Rainman

Good tip Hang Loose!

Another thing to consider when stocking in northern waters...We've found a rate of 40 pounds per acre provides excellent algae/muck reduction and approximately 80 pounds of offspring forage per pound of tilapia stocked over the season. Stocking rates are calculated on vegetated acres, NOT surface acres.


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## Rainman

For the members that have PM'd me, I will answer your questions...I have to have a post count of 5 to reply and I would hope they will be useful....lol

The Blue tilapia will convert feed at a ratio between 1.2 to 1 and 1.5 to 1...meaning they will gain one pound of flesh per pound and a half eaten. The female Blues are mouth brooders and while the egg count is somewhat low, early fry survival averages 98%. The fry are released once they are too big for the female to hold any longer and are released into heavy vegetation or algae mats and the fry eat their way out. literally. Your BG and LMB young of year will feed on these tilapia fry and get most of them before they reach 2 inches (about 3 weeks). After Blues reach 2-3 inches, they are very good at evading predation and continue to feed heavily on the least competed for food source and they grow rapidly. The Blues reach sexual maturity at an average of 11 weeks old, and females spawn every 3-6 weeks...they reproduce like rabbits on steroids! It should also be mentioned nearly 100% of the tilapia food source and weight gain comes from nutrients that go wasted in a pond...on paper, they can compete with Bluegill, perch, LMB, but in reality in the pond, all those species will increase in both size and abundance when tilapia are present.


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## beemoth

What do you think the price will be on an order of 10 lbs ?

on an order of 20 lbs?


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## beemoth

hopefully a saturday -sunday pick up would work best for me


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## Rainman

beemoth said:


> hopefully a saturday -sunday pick up would work best for me


Feel free to Private message me for pricing. I'm new to the forum and wouldn't want to ruffle any feathers. Perhaps others that have been here far longer wish to post that information though.


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## nick krav

message left on voice mail


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## [email protected]

Hey Rex, glad to see you made it here.

If you're stocking tilapia in mid-April, don't be in a big rush to start up your bottom diffuser aerator. The warmer these fish are the more they eat. They will strip the warmer shallows first which is where the weeds seem to cause the most trouble. Low DO in Spring is rarely a problem here. I would also delay adding bacteria until the aerators are turned on. Most strains of bacteria work better in warmer water though I haven't personally used any.

Lundy, don't be too concerned about not feeding for a week or so. There's plenty of little critters hiding in the weeds that won't have a home shortly after the tilapia arrive.


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## geodrill

Rainman,
Am new to the forum and am pleased to find this thread. I havent posted enough to PM you so if possible send me info on prices and delivery dates in Ohio.

How are Tilapia at cleaning up watermeal in a pond? I am part of a local club pond that is at least 50yrs. old and we are constanly struggling with a major watermeal and duckweed problem in late summer.


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## Rainman

Goedrill,

Blue Tilapia will devour both Duckweed and Watermeal, BUT, thes two plants may be the only two thing that can reproduce faster than the Blue Tilapia....lol

If Blues could be stocked, before the plants start thriving, the tilapia at a 40 pounds per vegetated acre stocking rate will control it. Unfortunately, DW and WM both start growing well around 60 degree water temps and is juust below what I consider a safe stocking temp for the Tilapia. I have had clients report DW and WM control is complete if the plants get caught in a hard cold snap, and when heavy rain flushes much of it out of the pond...then the Tilapia gain the upper hand.

Another reason for a lower control of DW and WM is that tilapia prefer the deeper water safety where thay eat a lot of muck/bacteria and algaes...if there was none in your pond, they would target the DW and WM much harder and earlier...This is an "It all depends" question that makes good control "iffy" at best.

Rex


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## geodrill

Thanks for the honest answer Rainman may consider tilapia in my own pond at sometime. It sounds like an interesting option for weed control and forage.


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## WillyB2

Rainman, I sent you a pm. Hey, I just now realized you are the same rainman that is on PondBoss - a great site!!


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## hang_loose

WillyB2 said:


> Rainman, I sent you a pm. Hey, I just now realized you are the same rainman that is on PondBoss - a great site!!


It is a great site and I don't think very many people have more knowledge on blue tilapia than rainman...This man knows his business!


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## WillyB2

Bump for Rainman. Had sent you a pm on Sunday about some tilapia and hadn't heard from you.

Willy


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## Rainman

I apologize for being AWOL.

It looks like I will be all over the state of Ohio on or around May 1st, and again in the western third of the state on 5/15.

For all that would still like to order their Blue Tilapia, please send your payments as soon possible. I do not have the ability to carry extra fish on board to fill a last minute order. Payments need to be here before 4/20 so I can plant my route and get the fish out of the ponds and purged for safer transport. For any that are unsure about pre-paying because of my newness to this forum, I am sure several long time members can vouch for my integrity and reputation as they are the foundation of my company.

Thanks for welcoming me to the forum and all the interest in the Blue Tilapia. While they may not be a silver bullet for all pond issues, they are one of the few things that come close, produce dramatic results, and pose zero long term risk to any northern ponds.

Thanks,

Rex Rains Owner

R&S Ranch, LLC
2555 Wesglen Estates Drive
Maryland Heights, MO 63043
314-732-3365
Fax 314-878-1913


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## Rainman

If Anyone still wants to add themselves to the first Tilapia run this coming weekend, please contact me at 314-732-3365 as soon as possible.....Also, if you are expecting pick ups or a delivery and did not pre pay, please contact me as there may not be enough fish available....I do not carry extra fish on the truck and all I carry are spoken for.

Thanks everyone for your support and I will see you all soon!

Rex


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## Lundy

I just talked with Rex and it looks like he will be delivering into Ohio this weekend.

My pond is 59 degs and should move up with next weeks forecast.

If you haven't already arranged for yours and you want some need to call him very soon.


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## hang_loose

Rainman, Did you make it to Ohio?...Haven't heard anything from you. Give me a call.....Thanks


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## Lundy

hang_loose said:


> Rainman, Did you make it to Ohio?..


It is 1:10 AM and Rex should be arriving at my house in about 20 minutes.

I never thought I would be stocking tilapia at 1:30 in the monring, but you have to do what you have to do I guess.


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## hang_loose

Lundy, What do you think of the tilapia? Rex was supposed to stop here after you but changed his mind and went up north. Anyway, he stopped by here last evening and dropped Leupy's and mine off. They averaged between 7" and 10". I lost 4 this morning but I kinda expected that. Thats a long rough ride on those fish.


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## Lundy

Rex arrived at 2 AM and then decided to wait until Sunday to put them in the pond because of my water temp.

He came back Sunday afternoon and put them in. They looked good to me, nice size.

Not sure about loss. I know of a couple dead and a few that don't look so good, but the bulk seem to be OK


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## hang_loose

Lundy, if your water is halfway clear (which mine isn't), you should be able to see them traveling around in little gangs of about 8 to 10 fish. As soon as the water warms up a little more, the males will start making nest for the females to lay eggs in. Remember to hold off of your feed pellets for a while....Good Luck!!!


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## Rainman

Time to bring this thread back to life!!!

It is getting close to the time when the blue Tilapia will become lethargic. Normally, you will hear what sounds like oars slapping the water one night. As all warm pockets of water disappear and the tilapia lose all energy and can no longer avoid predation, the Bass, and all Piscivores, will begin gorging themselves. The carnage is really something to witness!

This years reports on results have been outstanding, and orders for next spring have already topped last years total stocking weight.

What are some of the verdicts from users on the hoped for or intended results of algae control, other plant control and/or muck reduction? I know all the ponds I personally delivered to were stocked at or above my suggested rates.

Thanks again to Lundy for posting the original thread. I will be traveling through the area on my fall stocking run soon if anyone wants to say hello. I hope all the ponds and their owners had an incredible year and I look forward to seeing many of you again next year!!!


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## leupy

My pond stayed very clear all year no weed or much algae I don't know about the muck. I will be stocking them again next year. I did not need any chemicals or even dye. I have been whatching for them to start swiming on the top, none so far.


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## thebige22

Stocked my pond this past spring with tilapia from Rainman. Let me just say that the results were much better than expected. I did not have to add any chemicals to the pond and had little to no weed growth throughout the season.

Thanks Rainman. I will be ordering again next year.


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## JB3PO

hi Ihave a 1/4 acre pond and would lie to get some tilapia in it this year, mostly i want to harvest them as the year goes by. not sure in pounds but i was thinking about 50-60 4-8 inchers.
REx if you could PM me i am curious of the cost and when you might be coming to northeast Ohio


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## Rainman

JB...PM sent!

Thanks for all your support and Kudos here guys!! It's getting close to Blue Tilapia stocking time again!

Several customers and forum members have contacted me the past few weeks asking me if I am the Blue Tilapia supplier for a major Ohio Fish farm...The answer is NO.

While it is entirely possible, their "Blue Tilapia" source started with my fish stock, I own the only known PURE strain of Blue tilapia in the world. IF the other supplier's fish has even the slightest hybridization in it's DNA, the far too small fish sizes being offered and the planned water temps for their stockings will virtually guarantee any "blue Tilapia" from there will be eaten within minutes of stocking. In other words, their plan will give your fish a 10 pound, $850 fish snack per acre with no fish surviving stockings to control algae if your pond has any Large mouth bass or walleye or pike/muskie as apex predators.

Many people, and possibly this fish farm, are under the VERY false impression that hybridization does not matter and "all tilapia are the same". ONLY pure strain Blue Tilapia can be stocked in 60 degree water..the slightest bit of hybridization in the fish raises it's cold tolerance for stocking to 70 degrees to prevent lethargy when stocked.

I am not at all concerned if I am this fish farms supplier or not..the very fact they are now offering Blue Tilapia is in itself proof that my fish are doing everything claimed (and far more) or they would not bother...MY sole fear is that due to their great name recognition, great reputation and their much larger distribution system and customer base, stocking the wrong fish at the wrong time due to a lack of experience will result in HUGE failures and make the name of blue tilapia cause the same cringe in pond owners as the when hearing Asian Carp...

ave an awesome fishing season this coming year and thanks again for all your support!!! Ohio anglers rock!!!


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## Carpman

Hey rex.....can you PM me your drop off schedule for ohio. Looking to place an order with you.


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## Nauti cat

do you have to stock every year?


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## keith_r

yes, you have to stock every year because they can't make it through winter..


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## Rainman

Unfortunately, there is never really a "schedule" since stocking is entirely weather and water temperature related. I also do not carry "extra" fish...everything I carry on board has been ordered, so last minute orders are a near impossibility for me to fill. Just send me a PM or give me a call and I will be happy to add you to the delivery list and provide 2012 pricing which due to the skyrocketing fuel and fish feed prices have gone up slightly.

Thanks!!

Rex
314-732-3365


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## Lundy

I felt I needed to do a little homework on the Blue Tilapia being offered locally here in Ohio.

I was assured that these blue's are 100% pure strain. 

I don't know, and don't really care, about all of the in and outs of the fish farm business and who has what from where. I do however have to believe that when a very reputable company tells be that they are supplying 100% pure strain blue tilapia that I believe them.

Thanks,
Kim


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## Fishman

Thank you Kim!


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## [email protected]

I honestly don't know how big of a deal it is weather their true blue or are blue/nile hybrid or just niles. My experience was with niles. Worse case, a blue/nile hybrid or even a nile being mistaken for a blue would be about 3 to 7 Deg. less tolerant of water temps than true blues. This difference, if guaranteed at 7 deg. would be valued at about $60 per acre on average for filamentous algae reduction in my opinion if that. The a true blue may suvive a couple of months longer but during low temps periods near their lower limits both varieties will be lethargic and simply not processing food very quickly and the extra months would really only make a difference in the spring as if stocked at the proper density for effective weed control the effects in that extra month in the fall would be negligable.


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## Rainman

[email protected] said:


> I honestly don't know how big of a deal it is weather their true blue or are blue/nile hybrid or just niles. My experience was with niles. Worse case, a blue/nile hybrid or even a nile being mistaken for a blue would be about 3 to 7 Deg. less tolerant of water temps than true blues. This difference, if guaranteed at 7 deg. would be valued at about $60 per acre on average for filamentous algae reduction in my opinion if that. The a true blue may suvive a couple of months longer but during low temps periods near their lower limits both varieties will be lethargic and simply not processing food very quickly and the extra months would really only make a difference in the spring as if stocked at the proper density for effective weed control the effects in that extra month in the fall would be negligable.




With Tilapia in the climates concerned here..purity of strain is everything. Tilapia have been tried, unsuccessfully in Ohio for years because that 7-10 degrees is what makes the pure Blue work so well.

The lost month (or more time) in the fall, is also lost in the spring as well, so that "month" is actually doubled. If you are talking an 8 month season with Pure Blues (mine were in ponds till November this year), an even slightly hybridized Blue Tilapia, just cut you fish value by 25%. Again, that 7-10 degrees, if you want the forage fish benefit is HUGE in that a hybrid is gorged on when a Bass still has a high metabolism and weight gain from gorging goes in only muscle whereas the PURE Blue is gorged on when the bass's metabolism is slowed and the weight gain goes into muscle and high energy lipids resulting in far less "under ice" weight loss.

If the fish are stocked at too cool of water temp, the fish is not only a prime target because of a new environment, but also because it is lethargic and simply can not avoid being eaten upon stocking and becomes a pricey fish snack.

I actually HOPE the fish being offered locally IS a pure strain and supplied by someone I had previously supplied as I am the only source for the known pure Blue Tilapia anywhere. Tilapia are like no other species of pond fish and in the case of tilapia..genetics are ALL that matters.

If saving a few $$$, losing a couple months and the extra several hundred thousand meals produced in that time and gaining algae control later in the year, or possibly losing an entire stocking to predation and never knowing it is not a concern or matters in your annual pond budget, then all the potential problems you could face won't matter.


I readily admit, I make my living selling my fish, but as any customer that has known me will say...if the fish I have is not right for YOUR goals, I will say so...Losing a sale means nothing if I lose a customer in favor of making a buck. I try to educate myself and my customers and never fill an order with "whatever is available" or at the wrong sizes, times or species.

Whomever a person buys their fish from is secondary to me to your goals being met for your pond.


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## [email protected]

_"Tilapia have been tried, unsuccessfully in Ohio for years because that 7-10 degrees is what makes the pure Blue work so well." _Niles worked for me since 2005 (though not every year have I used them). Photographs have been posted and it's been well documented elsewhere with cliff notes here.

_"The lost month (or more time) in the fall, is also lost in the spring as well, so that "month" is actually doubled." Please re-read the last sentence in my previous post

"an even slightly hybridized Blue Tilapia, just cut you fish value by 25%" How much more do the "100% Blue" tilapia cost more than the much more common niles?
[I]"If saving a few $$$, losing a...ide what is best for them goal and cost wise._


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## Rainman

[email protected], I agree with your post 100% and applaud your success using Tilapia of any species!! "Success" as I used it was in relative, general terms and until I discovered a pure strain of Blue Tilapia, and own all known, Tilapia stocking north of the southern tier states for algae control was never considered cost effective or even viable in any larger scale. That is not arrogance, that is a fact.

I do not want to come across as implying only my fish will work for a pond owners goals. I pass on sales all the time and offer the customer my opinion on what will best suit THEIR needs. The other supplier offering "blue tilapia" was a well earned and well deserved excellent reputaion...what they may not have yet is experience in stocking tilapia.

I merely stated my concerns due to many inquiries from forum members and only meant to offer readers the ABILITY to make informed and educated choices!

I prefer to educate those that want to know the differences in species...there is no fish farm politics or competition motive here. My only concern in mentioning what others are providing is that based on far more experience than anyone that socks tilapia, the program suggested is risky, at best regardless of a reputation and I laid out the factual reasons why.

I would much rather lose any sale and retain a customer by satisfying their goals and needs rather than sell something that will not accomplish those needs and never hear from them again..I stand by what I say and dollar for dollar, the fish I have, and only I have, are going to be the best overall value for benefits, period. It is always a customer that decides what aspects of any product has or does not have benefits (or problems) that have value to them. My difference is that I know my product better than anyone and am not profit driven...I am customer satisfaction driven.


To answer your question about spawning, a pure Nilotica species does not reach sexual maturity till 18-22 months of age and is comparatively slow growing and spawns every 10-12 weeks. So I will "assume" a hybridized "Nile" is stocked which will reach sexual maturity at around 6 months and spawns an average of every 6-8 weeks. Pure Blues reach Maturity at 11-12 weeks and reproduce an average of every 3-4 weeks...add an extra 2 months longevity, 2-3 early spawns also spawning one sexual maturity is reached in a single season, along with spawning at lower temps and the math on "more spawns" is mind boggling to me right now, but I'll take a conservative guess and say hundreds more spawns.

As to pricing...I am not sure that is allowed so I will withhold that exact info...The highest price I have seen from a distributer of my fish in Ohio is $30/lb. My suggested stocking rate without knowing an client's goals, depth, vegetation coverage, control desired etc. is 40 pounds per surface acre....so based on your .5 acre scenario with 20 pounds...$600....and I will add, at my suggested stocking rates, that distributer has a 98% reorder rate, 100% customer satisfaction and has tripled his pounds ordered every year for the last 3 since he began offering them. As to the actual cost difference between true pure "blues" and "niles or any hybrid blue or mozzambique", the only comparison I had was on the avearge season time for the "25% value lost" as a starting point...dependng again on goals such as total forage production and muck removal (nile and Moz and hybrids remove little), as you said (and I agree), only the individual pond owner can compare the true price difference.

My sole point in giving my concerns to forum readers was to stress...NOT all tilapia are the same,,,there are VAST differences in the climates we are dealing with here as well as different abilities for each. Hopefully this discussion will help all reading make a more informed decision on whether or not tilapia fit their pond management goals, what is well proven to work and what has drawbacks in their individual situation.

Two final caution and reasons is that if you get fish from a supplier that generally raises tilapia as a "food fish" and not specifically for pond stocking goals, It is quite likely food producers use an all male population because reproduction is the last thing wanted in the food fish industry. Stocking by numbers of fish is always a bad idea and is only used, again. in the food fish industry, to reach target stocking densities at harvest weights with no anticipated reproducion....in a pond with predators, a 14-16 inch bass can easily eat a freshly stocked 6" tilapia especially if stocked into too cool of water.


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## [email protected]

Rainman, you are providing a good service and were the first to deliver tilapia for this purpose in Ohio and a few other states. I appreciate the challenges you have overcome to do so. Having someone to call up and deliver these is a heck of a lot easier and likely cheaper than growing them yourself.

My primary motive for promoting them all along is for my personal use at the lowest possible cost as easy as possible. I'd rather be fishing than raising fish. Competition drives down cost. Although we will likely never see prices as low as Mozambique tilapia sell for in the South ($10/lb for 5"ers but they don't have to heat water like growers do here), I think as demand increases and distribution becomes more widespread, consumers will see prices come down. Those wise growers who are getting on board early will have advantages in the market down the road. Enviromental and forage impact aside, at $30/lb, it is still economical for those who have problems with plants that are expensive to treat like duckweed. At $10/lb. everyone should be using them as opposed to chemical treatment of even cheap to kill algae. 

There are tons of conflicting or simply incorrect "fact sheets" etc. on both species some would appear reliable and scientific....don't trust everything you read on the internet.

I have not used pure blues (I did have one supermale though for a season, which died within a day of the hybrids one fall) but have used hybrids of them as well as pure niles. I even tried midas and a few other cichlids which were unsuccessful for several reasons. I have not experienced any drawbacks using tilapia outside of getting stuck by they're dorsal fins on many occasions and that they eat pellets intended for my bluegill which isn't too big of a deal since I'm using my bluegill primarily as forage for bass and the larger bluegill don't have an trouble competing with the tilapia for pellets. Those tilapia that are eating pellets will either end up as bass food or producing bass food anyway.

Blue Tilapia distribution:
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=463

Nile Tilapia distribution:
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=468

What I found interesting about the above links is that blue was much more widely distributed than the nile. This shows that it is probably a better survivior as you are saying. There are also links to the fishbase.org fact sheets but beware these fact sheets contain some obvious errors.

I would like to point out that reproduction isn't based solely on temperture in sexually mature tilapia and that light plays a significant role as well which may be why I was able to get as many spawns indoors with artificial light in a couple of months as I did in my pond the entire season. It's also difficult for me to determine exactly how many spawns I got in the pond because the only sampling methods I used were minnow trap and a baited hook. It is possible I had more spawns and just didn't catch them. I also cannot say for sure if the multiple generations were all from the initial stocked fish or if some the offspring produced in the pond spawned themselves. 

Another consideration is that when tilapia spawn and for a couple of weeks after, the females will not be eating. If they're not eating, they're not reducing algae or growing. Larger females produce a lot more eggs than smaller females. This raises the question of whether more frequent smaller spawns or infrequent larger spawns is best.


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## Chef T

I just wanna help out a few of you pond owners net/catch them out when the weather gets colder, lol... yummy


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## JB3PO

Rex, with the nice weather do you have any ideas when you might be coming to NEOhio?


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## thebige22

Does anyone know if Rex has delivered the blue tilapia to the Ohio area yet? I PM'd him several weeks ago and never heard back.


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## ClickerCrazy

water is still a little cool. wouldn't think they would be stocking quite yet.


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## Rainman

thebige22 said:


> Does anyone know if Rex has delivered the blue tilapia to the Ohio area yet? I PM'd him several weeks ago and never heard back.



My first run through Ohio is covering part of the Columbus area along I-70 and the entire I-75 Corridor.

As most of you know, I raise and only sell a PURE strain of Blue Tilapia. Only a pure strain is capable of surviving to 45*. Several fish farms are now offering "tilapia", only one claims to have a pure strain (which is highly unlikely to be actually pure), but is stocking by graded sizes that are too small to avoid stocking predation. One farm has a Mozambique Tilapia pictured on their website which would require a 200 pound per acre stocking rate to achieve an equal seasonal forage production/vegetation control level of Blue Tilapia.

I merely want anyone using Tilapia as a management tool to be aware of the vast differences in the types and hybrids and be able to see the actual value of what they stock.

As a comparative metaphore..........Is it personally a better value to any car owner to buy gasoline that is impure at $3/gallon when it only gets you 10mpg when you could buy a pure gasoline at $4/gallon and it gets you 30mpg??

This has nothing to do with "fish farm politics" or any personal business dealings I am involved in...this is all about allowing the Ohio Fishing forum readers to be able to make fact based, informed and educated choices that are best for their individual needs and goals.


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## garryc

Well, after reading through this I'm hoping I didn't screw up. I ordered 72 4-" Blue Tilapia from Jones, due earl June. We have a few big bass, and a good number of bluegills in that 4-6" size range. We have no weeds to speak of (Steep Banks), but lots of algae and duckweed. The pond is .39 ares and the suggested stocking rate was 200 4-6" per acre.


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## thebige22

Rex,
I did get your email response late last week. Thanks.

FYI, his tilapia did a great job on my pond last year.


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## Rainman

The waters in Ohio have warmed quickly this past week and the first stocking run for Blue Tilapia is coming late this week between 5-10 and 5/13. I will be making two more runs each weekend in May. If anyone wants to get on the stocking list, please PM me or call me at 314-732-3364 any time.

Here is hoping everyone has an awesome, FA free year!!

Rex

R&S Ranch, LLC


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## Rainman

[email protected] said:


> Rainman, you are providing a good service and were the first to deliver tilapia for this purpose in Ohio and a few other states. I appreciate the challenges you have overcome to do so. Having someone to call up and deliver these is a heck of a lot easier and likely cheaper than growing them yourself.
> 
> My primary motive for promoting them all along is for my personal use at the lowest possible cost as easy as possible. I'd rather be fishing than raising fish. Competition drives down cost. Although we will likely never see prices as low as Mozambique tilapia sell for in the South ($10/lb for 5"ers but they don't have to heat water like growers do here), I think as demand increases and distribution becomes more widespread, consumers will see prices come down. Those wise growers who are getting on board early will have advantages in the market down the road. Enviromental and forage impact aside, at $30/lb, it is still economical for those who have problems with plants that are expensive to treat like duckweed. At $10/lb. everyone should be using them as opposed to chemical treatment of even cheap to kill algae.
> 
> There are tons of conflicting or simply incorrect "fact sheets" etc. on both species some would appear reliable and scientific....don't trust everything you read on the internet.
> 
> I have not used pure blues (I did have one supermale though for a season, which died within a day of the hybrids one fall) but have used hybrids of them as well as pure niles. I even tried midas and a few other cichlids which were unsuccessful for several reasons. I have not experienced any drawbacks using tilapia outside of getting stuck by they're dorsal fins on many occasions and that they eat pellets intended for my bluegill which isn't too big of a deal since I'm using my bluegill primarily as forage for bass and the larger bluegill don't have an trouble competing with the tilapia for pellets. Those tilapia that are eating pellets will either end up as bass food or producing bass food anyway.
> 
> Blue Tilapia distribution:
> http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=463
> 
> Nile Tilapia distribution:
> http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=468
> 
> What I found interesting about the above links is that blue was much more widely distributed than the nile. This shows that it is probably a better survivior as you are saying. There are also links to the fishbase.org fact sheets but beware these fact sheets contain some obvious errors.
> 
> I would like to point out that reproduction isn't based solely on temperture in sexually mature tilapia and that light plays a significant role as well which may be why I was able to get as many spawns indoors with artificial light in a couple of months as I did in my pond the entire season. It's also difficult for me to determine exactly how many spawns I got in the pond because the only sampling methods I used were minnow trap and a baited hook. It is possible I had more spawns and just didn't catch them. I also cannot say for sure if the multiple generations were all from the initial stocked fish or if some the offspring produced in the pond spawned themselves.
> 
> Another consideration is that when tilapia spawn and for a couple of weeks after, the females will not be eating. If they're not eating, they're not reducing algae or growing. Larger females produce a lot more eggs than smaller females. This raises the question of whether more frequent smaller spawns or infrequent larger spawns is best.



FWIW, yes, competition will indeed offer consumers a better price, but in the case of tilapia, I have no competition as I own all the known Pure Strain of Blue Tilapia.

In order to compare apples to apples, any non pure Blue Tilapia hybrid, or any other tilapia species would take 3-5 times the stocked amount to produce the same results as mine in any category of forage production, vegetation control amount and wide variety of plant species consumed.

As for Tilapia eating pellets, you are still money ahead feeding tilapia over bluegill, IMHO, as pellets are converted to flesh by tilapia at a rate of 1.2 pounds feed to 1 pound of flesh, (and the tilapia are consumed by the gills or whatever would eat the gills) whereas Bluegill convert feed at roughly 4 pounds feed per pound of flesh gained. Unless you are feeding a bluegill grow out pond with no other predators, tilapia, especially a pure Blue Tilapia will provide a bigger bang for the buck every time.....and we never discussed the dramatic improvements in water quality when tilapia are present...Reduced anoxic/hypoxic water, far greater substrates exposed for beneficial aerobic bacterias that break down fish wastes and sludges up to 5000 times faster...the lists of benefits is impressive.


Finally, a stocker has one main purpose in the pond...to reproduce, females holding eggs/fry instead of eating is exactly what is wanted...1000 fry growing to only 1 inch will consume FAR more nutrient than any adult tilapia! The theory of female growth being slower due to not eating is only an issue in the food fish industry and has no bearing on use in sport fish ponds.


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