Im looking for tilapia to stock in my pond. Closer to Lake Fork area the better. If anyone has any info please let me know. Thanks.

ttt

Same here. I have spent the better part of the evening looking for close (East Texas) fish farms. I want at least 20 pounds of Talapia for 4 ponds.

Tilapia require little fishmeal and fish oil in their feed. Most U.S. tilapia farms use low-risk re-circulating systems, which produce less pollution and minimize escapes . Because tilapia are aggressive, non-native species, escapes that do occur contribute to the decline of freshwater fish populations.BE CAREFUL Hate to see Fork bass fishing decline.

Tyler Fish Farms usually has Tilapia, and so does Boatcycle in Henderson - 903-657-3791
Tyler Fish Farms is closer, talk to Bob Waldrop 903-849-4942

With the high water temps in summer, not a lot of people want to stock fish this time of year. You will most likely have a poor survival rate. Also, most of this years production has been sold.

The only tilapia that are legal in Texas are Mozambique. They die when water temps reach 52 degrees and get pretty torpid at 54 to 55 degrees. Predators pick them off pretty easily. Don't worry about them escaping. They won't survive and have to be restocked annually.

interesting stuff,..

Overton Fisheries http://www.overtonfisheries.com/ will have them again in the spring for sure. These fish are the best way I have yet found to organically control unwanted pond vegetation and you can harvest and eat the fish (very tasty!) at the end!

Great info. I do know they will die off every year more than likely. I actually prefer sterile fish anyways. MY main purpose for wanting them is for pond vegetation control. Ill restock every year to help with it. Trying not to spray chemicals in my pond. My girls would like catching them as well and I know they are great to eat. If Im too late for the year on getting them then Ill have it set up for next spring.

Nathan, check with Meadowlark in the Ponds area. He was one of the first in Texas to stock them and knows more about them than anybody I know.

He has found that they eat well when fed pelletized food but aren't all that tasty when they are used for vegetation control.