Sand?

[Windy Elliott]

I got myself a small breeding colony of tilapia. One male, five female (though one died, I think it's the girl) in my aquaponic system. I added some gravel and some rocks for them to hide in and they seem happy. But I was talking to the breeder that I got them from today and he was saying that they need sand to breed. But don't some of the folk on here raise tilapia with nothing in the tank but the fish? Do I need to buy some sand? Or remove the gravel?

 

[TCLynx]

I've had tilapia breed with nothing in the tank.  I've had tilapia breed with only a hide in the tank.

I don't believe sand or gravel are of any real help to them in breeding but the male is likely to re-arrange anything you put in there when he decides to set up a "love nest."  People with tilapia in large ornamental aquarium with under gravel filters often find they need to put a large piece of slate down on the under gravel filter to keep the male from uncovering it when doing his re-arranging.

Tilapia don't need sand or gravel to breed on the way that some fish who actually leave their eggs in a nest do.  Tilapia just need access to the bottom in order to breed.  The female lays the eggs and the male fertilizes them and then the females picks them back up in her mouth to brood them.

 

Main thing in getting tilapia to breed will probably be temperature.  You will want the temp up around 86 F to help the females get in the mood.  The male may be interested in breeding at far lower temperatures and may be rather hard on the females.  When the females are getting ready to release fry from their mouth, they can become rather aggressive too.  You may need a way to separate fish if things get too rough.  Tilapia domestic violence can lead to fish death.  I've also had fish jump out of a tank when the chase is on.  Covers are important.

[Windy Elliott]

Well, I only have a half cover, but I guess that would be better than nothing. I plan to keep my hospital tank ready if it needs to hold some of the tilapia. But the mollies in there would probably become food. I'm still worried that I won't be able to get myself to actually kill and eat something I raised. But I am giving this a chance.