Texas Fishing Forum

Where do you buy live Tilapia in the DFW area?

Posted By: redcatfish

Where do you buy live Tilapia in the DFW area? - 05/29/09 09:35 PM

I have an algae problem in my pond and need to purchase a few pounds of live Tilapia to release. Any information on a local dealer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the help.
Posted By: redcatfish

Re: Where do you buy live Tilapia in the DFW area? - 05/30/09 12:03 PM

TTT
Posted By: Dave Davidson

Re: Where do you buy live Tilapia in the DFW area? - 05/30/09 01:27 PM

Magnolia Fisheries owned by Bill Wingo may be able to supply them.
Posted By: Meadowlark

Re: Where do you buy live Tilapia in the DFW area? - 05/30/09 03:26 PM

Not sure if they are still in business but I've talked Tilapia w/Trent Lewis @ Pond Medics in the past at conferences.
Posted By: Dave Davidson

Re: Where do you buy live Tilapia in the DFW area? - 05/31/09 02:12 AM

Yep, Trent is still around. He does quite well supplying tilapia to local area municipalities for their water supply systems.
Posted By: redcatfish

Re: Where do you buy live Tilapia in the DFW area? - 05/31/09 01:06 PM

Thanks Dave and Meadowlark. I called Magnolia yesterday and got a voicemail and left a message, maybe they are closed on Saturday. I can't find a listing for Pond Medics, do you by any chance have a number or location? Thanks again
Posted By: Dave Davidson

Re: Where do you buy live Tilapia in the DFW area? - 06/01/09 10:24 AM

PM replied to.
Posted By: redcatfish

Re: Where do you buy live Tilapia in the DFW area? - 06/01/09 09:00 PM

I contacted both places today and found out that you need to have your order for the live Tilapia in no later than early April. So I guess next step will be chemicals.
Posted By: fishindude12

Re: Where do you buy live Tilapia in the DFW area? - 06/02/09 04:43 AM

try this site . There is a whole list of names you can call.
http://www.texasaquaculture.org/id236.htm
Posted By: Meadowlark

Re: Where do you buy live Tilapia in the DFW area? - 06/02/09 01:50 PM

That's a great link...had it at one time and lost it. Thanks for posting.
Posted By: george1

Re: Where do you buy live Tilapia in the DFW area? - 06/02/09 04:22 PM

Overton Fisheries in Buffalo has tilapia at $8.00/lb ... IF he had not sold out....
2 hrs south of Metromess on I-45....
Posted By: redcatfish

Re: Where do you buy live Tilapia in the DFW area? - 06/02/09 05:18 PM

Thanks george1, I called and they still have plenty. I'm going to meet them there Monday. Much better than chemicals!
Ray
Posted By: fishindude12

Re: Where do you buy live Tilapia in the DFW area? - 06/03/09 03:25 AM

I am planning on stocking tilapia this year in my pond and have talked with Overton's about their tilapia. They sell by pound as someone mentioned before, but they come in all sizes together. From I think 3" - 12". I found a place near galveston (i know its a long way for you) that sells them by size. I can get 3-4" fish for .48$ a piece. I made a very large floating cage that I will keep them in until they are big enough to release. I want the tilapia to clean my pond only. I don't want the majority to be forage for my lmb. I hope it works. I will let you know next year. Good luck
Posted By: Meadowlark

Re: Where do you buy live Tilapia in the DFW area? - 06/03/09 04:09 AM

Originally Posted By: fishindude12
... I can get 3-4" fish for .48$ a piece. I made a very large floating cage that I will keep them in until they are big enough to release. I want the tilapia to clean my pond only. I don't want the majority to be forage for my lmb. I hope it works. I will let you know next year. Good luck


Fishindude,

Are you referring to Lakes of Danbury?

Regarding your cage idea, there may be another way of looking at that...

You may already know this, but Mozambique are sexually mature at 2 to 4 ounces. A 4 ounce female can produce 400 fry right off the bat in a pond. Those 400 fry will be sexually mature 3 months later and assuming 1/2 females thats approximately 80,000 more fry. Now of those 80,000 fry, let's say 40,000 are females. In three more months, that could be 16 million fry. It is very reasonable, and in fact happens every year in my ponds, that I can get third generation fish in one growing season. The numbers can simply get staggering, assuming a spawn every 28 days. Of course many of the fry are consumed but by almost any conservative assumption you can make, the numbers of Tilapia out there working for you are significantly higher if they are released to spawn naturally....even in the presence of predators.

Your cage idea will work, i.e. it is highly likely that you can raise your Tilapia to a larger size to protect them from predators. However, an argument can be made that from the standpoint of generating the most Tilapia for the money, and the resultant pond cleaning power, you may be considerably better off releasing the fish, taking your chances with predation, and leveraging on the spawning numbers.

They are not likely to spawn in the cages, in my experience, and they are not cleaning your pond while in the cages. The power of Tilapia as a pond management tool lies in their unique reproductive abilities. It is why I have said for many years that Tilapia are the greatest pond management tool available.

Just trying to give you something to think about.

I really look forward to you letting us know how it goes. Please document as much as you can so we may all learn from it. Thanks.
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