Tilapia Care?

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JK_Fish

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Oct 2, 2010
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Okay, this is probably really wierd, but I need to know how to care for a tilapia (yes, the kind you eat).

My family runs a small business that focuses on aquaponics, and we have a pond full of tilapia we are moving inside because it is getting cold outside. Of them there is a really tiny one that has a bent spine that has somehow managed to survive this long though he is disabled. So my dad is bringing him home and now he's magically mine (joy)

So, I've got to drag an old and crusty 20 g High from storage and clean it out. I know it isn't big enough for a fully grown tilapia, but the little guy is like two inches long at most. I've been trying to look up how to care for tilapia, but all my searches come up with is the best way to cook them :irked: .

I know they're tropical fish, but how warm does their water need to be? Are they schooling fish? Right now they're all living together in the pond, and they're peaceful, but then again they do get nippy with each other when we toss in the fish pellets and plants for them to eat. I'm hoping and praying the little dude doesn't need to school, because the other tilapia are about half a foot now, and that would be way overstocking the 20 gallon. Gah, I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed at the moment, so if any of you have any advise on caring for tilapia, I'm all ears.

(sorry for the long post)
 

CWO4GUNNER

USN/USCG 1974-2004 Weps
Wow I diden't see this till now as I have been trying to find out as much as I can before getting into personal consumption tilapia tank or ponds, so thanks for the great info. What I really need now though is a source where I can buy either fry or breeding pairs which seems to be a harder subject to hit on. This might be the future alternative to back yard chickens as the economy worsens.
 

JK_Fish

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http://www.theearthsolutions.com/Aquaponics-and-Gardening_c_303.html huh, if you're interested in that sort of stuff, you'll definately want to check this out. You can actually grow veggies in those plant beds. I can ask my dad where he got his source of fry (it is hard to find breeding pairs. people who sell them typically sell only males because females don't grow as big and because that way they can dominate the economy) :)topic: lol)

Anyways, I'm still not sure if they are happy by themselves or not :p
 

rufioman

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Aug 16, 2010
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Feed them kittens and watermelon. TOTALLY KIDDING...we had tilapia in our farm pond back home and it ate just about everything. Mostly the plants in the pond and veggie sticks/pieces we'd chuck in there. They get angry and can be a real tough cookie to get out when the time comes.
 

tanker

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The are not schoolers in real life. When stuck in a pond together, they have no focal point of anger. They will get along fine by themselves.
 

rufioman

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That's if they are in there by themselves, and even there you have no guarantees. Just from my own experience :)
 

JK_Fish

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rufioman: yeah... they eat everything O_O it's almost scary how quickly a tomato or something like it disappears once its gone into the talipia pond.

Oh, so he'll be fine by himself. I can do this... I just hope the little guy doesn't grow ginormous, because if and when he does and has outgrown the tank... I have a feeling I know what would come next :uhoh:
 
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