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Tilapia Breeding

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Tilapia Breeding

A place to exchange information on breeding tilapia.  How to set up tilapia breeding colonies.  How to sex fish for breeding colonies. What foods are best for breeding pairs and fingerlings.

Members: 286
Latest Activity: Dec 19, 2021

Discussion Forum

Tilapia Source

Started by Jennifer Pankey. Last reply by Zalinda Farms Inc Oct 10, 2015. 1 Reply

Hello I am wondering if anyone knows of someone who sells large amounts of tilapia fingerlings in southern California. They must be Mossambica due to state regulations. I would appreciate any help.…Continue

6 - IBC GROW OUT SYSTEM

Started by Phil Slaton Jun 3, 2015. 0 Replies

The barrels in the back of the 6-IBC grow out tanks are 2-media filters, 1 lava rock filter and on the extreme left, the sump.  Aeration is provided to each individual IBC.  Since my heart surgery…Continue

tilapia for sale

Started by john mark. Last reply by Jeff Fultz Apr 13, 2015. 3 Replies

hi , i live in farmington michigan and am looking to buy some blue tilapia does any one have any 2-3 inch ones for sale.thanksjohn markContinue

tilapia eating eggs

Started by Kevin R.. Last reply by Jeff Fultz Apr 13, 2015. 4 Replies

can someone give advice on a tilapia breeding/hatching question.my tilapia breed about once every couple months but fail to get thru the entire process.they lay the eggs, they are fertilized, they…Continue

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Comment by Dave & Yvonne Story on September 17, 2012 at 7:56am

Way cool

I setup my camera to do this, but I could never catch this action..

thank you for sharing

Comment by Steve Olson on September 17, 2012 at 7:36am
Comment by Dave & Yvonne Story on August 8, 2012 at 1:02pm

I know a guy selling breeding colonies that he claims produces the largest fish quickly.. My experience with these fish is... Not true..

Buyer beware.

I have fish from him and I have fish from Kellen.. I do not mix them.. because I want to know, what do I want to have for the next 20 years.

Comment by Dave & Yvonne Story on August 8, 2012 at 12:57pm

If I recall correctly, only the blues were tested and certified pure.

But let's see what Kellen has to say.

will not be the first time I am wrong.

my taster does not know the difference.. and my plants don't care

Comment by Jon Parr on August 8, 2012 at 12:09pm
Thanks, Kellen. I always enjoy your insight and experience. Have you had your tilapia genetically tested for species purity? Enjoy your vacation. Don't be shy to share some pics of those Walleyes :)
Comment by Kellen Weissenbach on August 8, 2012 at 11:49am

More often than not, folks claiming they're selling "pure" tilapia, are basing that off of the claims of the people they bought them from. That becomes a pretty suspect way of proving purity (depending on source), and becomes increasingly suspect as the fish continue to pass from person to person, with potential genetic contamination possible at each stop.  It's quite costly to have them genetically tested, far beyond the financial capabilities of anyone but the largest operations. Additionally, there are two important differences in "pure". You have pure SPECIES and pure STRAIN.  Pure SPECIES is the most strict, meaning they are pure to their species with no detectable impurities. There are only a small handful of truly pure SPECIES food fish tilapia in the entire world and only three, possibly four in the US. There are countless pure strains of course.

So how can a backyard grower be sure they're actually getting what they're paying for? Well, simple answer, they really can't be 100% sure, without spending thousands of dollars to verify genetic purity on likely less than $150 worth of fish. Obviously, that just wouldn't be practical. The best thing to do is buy only from legitimate, inspected hatcheries who have solid reputations in the industry/community. These operations have invested large sums of money in their businesses, have quality proven fish stock they've worked with for years, and they are intent on delivering a quality product and making customers happy. Basement operations and the like are best avoided, and it's not just due to the inability to really trust what you're getting from a purity/quality perspective, but also, and really much more important, the inability to have any verifiable knowledge that the fish are disease free.

A truly legitimate fish hatchery will be USDA inspected, state inspected and freely provide all backing documentation to prove it when asked. Many people are unaware that every single state in the US requires official fish health inspections for fish being imported into their state. Many of the states require additional documentation, labs or inspections beyond the "norm" too. The responsibility of making sure that the fish being imported are being done so in full compliance with state requirements/laws falls solely on the importer (customer). Fines and penalties vary from state to state, but are typically quite harsh. Plus, the importer's risk does not end once the fish are in hand. At any time, a state DNR or Conservation agent could request proof of purchase and source, and even has the right to request proof of your source's fish health inspection. If you don't have that, they can destroy your fish on the spot (typically by administering a lethal application of rotenone to your tank), send you the bill for doing so, and then seek further legal action against you.

How do I know a hatchery has the proper fish health inspections done?  Ask them. Really, they should have ZERO reservations in providing you all the fish health inspection information you need. They pay lots of money for it and work very hard for it, so they really have no reason not to want to flaunt it (they should be PROUD of it), assuming it's disease free of course.

White Brook Tilapia Farm (www.tilapiasource.com) participates in the USDA-APHIS fish health inspection program. It's the most thorough and respected disease inspection service in the US, and represents a considerable investment with regard to our overall operating budget. We are also inspected by the state of Missouri and adhere to their very strict standards. Inspections are extremely expensive, and we must operate in a very specific fashion for compliance. This requires professional grade equipment and facilities with well-trained knowledgeable staff, as well as an adherence to very strict operational protocol.

Comment by Kellen Weissenbach on August 8, 2012 at 11:25am

Greetings from Big Sand Lake in Park Rapids, MN!  We are on our annual family vacation this week, so I apologize if it takes me a bit longer than usual to respond to questions.  The chase for big Walleye and splashing around the beach with the twins keeps me away from the computer throughout most of the day right now.
 :)


I'll get something typed up for you guys in a bit. :)

Comment by Dave & Yvonne Story on August 6, 2012 at 9:22pm

Sorry to have upset you

Comment by Jon Parr on August 6, 2012 at 9:17pm
Assuming Kellen's strains are pure, and I have no reason to doubt that they are, and assuming he has the only pure strains in the world (which is ludicrous) and Kellen sells to thousands of folks, who in turn breed and sell to many more folks, then you have thousands, maybe tens or hundreds of thousands, of sources of pure strain tilapia. And that doesn't consider any other breeders who may and certainly do also have pure strains. Who said anything about wild strains?
If supposed pure strains breed true, and more importantly if pure parents are crossed to produce predictable traits in offspring (ie all male), then chances are they are pure (or pure enough). Not that is really all that important. I just think it is an absurd claim that Kellen's are the only pure in the world. Did kellen capture his broodstock from Africa a hundred years ago from their native waters before man cross planted them? Kellen, chime in if you're out there.
Ah well. Sorry for the rant. No offense, David, or Kellen.
Comment by Dave & Yvonne Story on August 6, 2012 at 8:47pm

I am aware that many claims are made during the sales process.

If you want to believe the claims on the internet.. that is up to you.

I prefer to be skeptical. To me it is not logical to think that wild fish are pure

 

 

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